The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-27

News of foreign travellers is always well
come, especially when their friendships
are broad as is the case with Mrs. Marie
Kern Mullen, the Birmingham singer, who
is spending the summer with her rela-
tives in Germany A letter came from her
yesterday reporting the most delightful
of experiences, chief of which is herr re-
union with those dear to her. She writes
from Pfirt, ober Elsass, thus:
Il had an ideal voyage altogether. In
Baltimore I met Prof. and Mrs Steinber-
ger, well known musicians and friends of
Professor Grambs They asked me to
dinner and we spent an interesting musi-
cal evening. Through the Steinbergers,
Professor and Mrs. Steinmuller, also noted
Baltimore musicians, were introduced to
me. They were bound for Germany on
the same steamer which was to take me,
a matter that added to the pleasure of
my voyage.
I'VE had a congenial musical party on
board, artists from New York Philadel-
pha, Baltimore, Vienna, etc, besides my
self and an impromptu concert was ar
ranged for the benefit of the 'seamen's
fund 1t was a great artistic and finan-
cial success. I sang two numbers and
several encores. OF course, the Fourth of
July was celebrated with due pomp, a
play by the Sailors orchestra concert and
ball being the main attractions.
I'VE landed in Bremen on the TIN inst,
where I dined with friends at the old his
toric 'Essig house. sixteenth century;
later visited the famous 'rathskeller' and
then took the first train for my old home
and mother. I stopped en- route in Strass-
burg, the celebrated cathedral town, with
my brother and his family. Oh, it is a
joyous feeling to be with ones own people
after long absencei
II arrived here at Pfirt Alsace- Lor-
raine, August 8. 1t is a beautiful summer
resort in the Jura mountains. The air is
fine and the scenery magnificent. am
sure you would be charmed with the
view that l have from my window. or
especial interest are the picturesque ruins
of the old romantic castle of the counts
OF Pfirt, who founded the town in the
year 1000. My two brothers-one lives
I'm Paris and has a large summer estate
and villa here-and take long walks and
short trips daily.
1--WE have just returned from a wonder
ful tour in Switzerland of about a week,
stopping in Basel, Luzon with the 'Pi-
latus' and the historic monument of the
Lion of Luzern, passing on the Lake of
Luzern the famous Tells Platte Axen
street Fluelen, taking the Brunig train
in Alpnachstad over the 'Brunig Pas see
ing the Larner lake in the distance, after
a short trip on the Brienzer lake we
stopped in Interlaken. to me the most
ideally beautiful city in Switzerland, so
surrounded with high mountains and lakes
and characterized its striking interna-
tional air. Here we took the mountain
train for the glaciers, passing Lauter-
brunnen, Staubbachfall (waterfalD Wen
gernalp, arriving at Scheidegg, where we
had full view of the glaciers-'Monch, Eli
ger, Jungfrau'-the grandeur of which
fills one with awe. The Jungfrau train
then brought us into the ice regions of
the greatest of the glaciers the jung
frau, 1860 feet high. Returning to Inter-
laken we had an excellent view of Grin
delwald, Grindelwald glacier and Wetter-
horn. From Interlaken we crossed the
Thuner lake, close to idyllic Thun, land
ing at our last station, interesting old
Berne, with its antique buildings of arch
itectural beauty, and its great industry
OF fine carvings. My sojourn in the old
country, the complete rest and recrea-
tion have done me world of good. 1t
will be very hard to part from my dear
old mother and former home, still l
am looking forward with renewed
strength, vigor and great enthusiasm to
my adopted country and city and coming
seasons work.
''Will leave here August "a, sail from
Bremen with fast steamer Crownprincess
Cecilic, 26th inst. landing in New York
September 2 and arrive in Birmingham
about September 5.
"Sslall resume my choir duties at the