Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-01
oRERAMM ERGAU IN 1911.

and the Spectator with a party OF
friends sought GOODNESS and quiet at
OberamnerSau. The change from last
year was apparent when we left the
main line of the railway at Mournau.
No jostlng crowd i'll which English
was the predominant note. No wild
scramble for seats III the primitive
cars Oh the electric line that winds III
and out among the mountains up to
the famous village at its terminus.
only few peasants shared the car
with US They were evidently start
ing out for their summer holidays. The
women Wore bright-colored skirts,
black velvet bodices over which gay
colored kerchiefs were crossed and
little round hats with a bunch of
feathers or a wing stuck in the band.
The men were in the picturesque garb
of the Tyrolese peasant-suits of gray
and green. gray wooden stockings with
green tops stopped just below the
knees leaving an expanse of weather.
beaten flesh before the gayly EN-
/ broidered trousers took up the task of
continuing the costume They wore
the inevitable green felt hat with the
brush of the channels at the back
+ Very ornate silver watch chains and
ornaments completed their attire.
At the station at Oberammergau no
peasants with flowing locks marking
them as performers in the play has
tened forward, eager to relieve you of
Your luggage. 1t was a deserted viii
lage, compared with last year. but a
/ far more interesting one. Anton Lang,
/ his wavy hair flowing over his
shoulders, framing the same sweet,
kindly face, was at the gate to meet us
/ II seemed saefilege for him 10 carry
our bags and wraps into the house, for
/ his likeness to our Saviour impressed
us even more than it did in the play.
t When We came down to dinner with
| the other guests, he took his place at
the head OF the table. and. standing.
repeated tto our SURPRISE the grace
always used by the Moravians, Come.
Lord Jesus. and be our guest at this
feast provided by thy bounty" cross
ing himself before and after, according
TO the Catholic custom. one after
noon he accompanied us 10 the theatre
where the Passion Play is given. We
went to Our old seats, but no stretch of
the Imagination could reproduce the
scenes of last year. The end of the
theatre next to the stage which during
the play is open, giving the beautiful
setting of real mountains blue sky.
and changing clouds, was all boarded
IN and connected by roof with the
central building where the tableaux
Nere given. The houses of Pilflte and
the high priest had disappeared: to-
gether with the streets of Jerusalem
We hurried out as quickly as possible
fearing to lose the mental picture that
we had carried away last year. We in
spected the rooms back of the stage.
where the costumes worn by the play
ers hang on wooden pegs, the name
and part of each player being written
on neat label and pasted over the
pegs. As we walked around the room
reserved for Christus, the triumphant
entry into Jerusalem the Last Supper.
the scourBing, crueifixion. and ascen-
sion rapidly passed before our view.
brought into reality by the sight of thu,
costumes Worn in each scene.
When we We're in the room set
apart for the twelve disciples. Anton
Lang told us that il required coll
slant care and brushing to keep the
moths fiom destroying the costumes
during the years Intervening between
the presentations of the play, but
that II was never necessary to look
after the robes of Judas, as no in
sects ever touched them. Its pecul-
lar color, a combination OF yellowS
and yellowish browns, may contain
some dye that renders it distasteful
To moths, but il is strange coinei-
dence, nevertheless. We called to
renew our acquaintance with Judas
and Mary. but found the house closed
ard the occupants gone to the upper
mountain fields to gather in the sec
ond hay crop. One of our party was
particularly anxious to see John, So
the Spectator piloted them to his
shop. only to meet with a second dis
appointment. He was away on the
outskirts of the town putting the
plumbing in Il new house. These in
ci3ents did not. however. jar upon
our feelings, but made the impressions
of the play all the more real. For
were not the disciples of old toiling
men who wrought daily at their
trades? Even Hansel, the donkey,
shared the common lot of toll. being
daily harnessed to a cart in which
the Lang children drove about on
household errands.
The Spectator is an early riser, and
he set out for Ettal one morning just
as the focks and herds with their
caretakers started for pasture. The
melody OF the tinkling bells worn by
the animals, growing fainter and
fainter AS they climbed the mountain
paths, made n real pastoral sym
phony. Mass was just beginning in
the ornate chapel of the t.ttal mon
astery, and the singing of the brown
rohed monks fully sustained their
great musical reputation. After the
service and Il visit to the sacriSty to
see the famous painting of the Nir-
gin. it was breakfast time Such q
breakfast. Under the shade of a
great tree in front of the quaint old
inn a maid in peasant costume served
crisp rolls, fresh coffee-steaming hot
and Ettal honey. II may have been
the long walk that had sharpened the
Spectators appetite to an unusual
appreciation, but ii seemed that this
honey SOLD by the monks contained