The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-09

of love above all other laws but IL in
interesting for all that.
In one of the houses on Auss Weiner
Strasse lived a dreamer named Kunrad.
who over his books and studies forgot
the outside world completely but ons
night when u band of children knocked
at his door and asked for wood for q
bonfire, he gives up his entire house to
them and even assists In tearing down
the shutters of his dwelling to furnish
fuel for the flames In his work he caught
sight of Diemuth the lovely daughter
of the burgomaster and so fell In lovs
with her that in his madness he kissed
her and pressing her to his heart cried.
Will leap through the fire; wilt thou
leap after me?" The girl was overcome
with shame, but whispered to her maiden
companions that she would be avenged.
In the evening when nearly all the popu-
lace had strolled out to witness the bon<
tires, Diemuth stepped out upon her bal.
cony where she stood combng her hair.
seeing her Kunrad renews his protesta-
tions of love and begs her to let him
enter her house. She at first refuses
nut finally apparently relenting, she In
Vltes him to enter large basket which
mad been employed In lowering wood to
lhe children and tells him that she will
draw MIN up. This the lover does but
When Just about half way up to the ball
cony he perceives that she Is pretending
TO lose strength and leaves him thus sus-
pended. AT his entreaties she loosens and
let down her long hair, but when he
essays to grasp her locks she draws back
ana berates him for his former impru.
dence Thus is he exposed when ths
absent citizens return and they threaten
TO hang him. But Kunrad has a wizard
irlehd whose aid he summons and plunges
the whole town In darkness. Amid the
lamentations of women and children the
moon appears and reveals the lover who
py this time has swung himself up to
the balcony, from which place he delivers
a most powerful Grafton, berating them
for their narrow-mndedness. He re-
minus them of their error in rejecting
ana driving away Richard Wagner and
that he Kunrad Orchard Strauss,
Is the great musicians successor
VINO Is to carry on the great work He
tens them that he has chosen Diemuth
as his helpmate but that she has failed
to understand that love is higher than
virtue or morality and for this reason
he has extingushed their lights and fire
TO demonstrate that all light comes from
love and that without love the world is
dark and cold. When he has finished
Diemuth softly opens her door and draws
kunrad in while the citizens are convinced
OF 'ne truth of his words. Then comes
subilmely spectacular scene for slowly
the windows of Diemuths chamber begin
to glow family. Diemuth and Klmrad
nave fulfilled the law of love and all al
once the flames of the bonfires leap up
ana the windows and streets are again
aglow with light which has been given
pack TO the city The little balcony is
sun pointed out in Auss Wiener Strasx
where legend says all this happened
With Munich Is also connected the
legend OF Wagner's great opera Bearskin.
inc story IL too long to relate here in
detail, but suffice 1t TO say hat 1t con-
Germs nero clad In a bearskin who has
sold himself for three years to the devil.
He gives Louise. whom he loves, half ofa
gold ring which she anspends by a RIB
BON around her neck while he keeps the
other half. 1t Is this ring that the devil
tries to obtain. but futilely. The hero
returns as valiant knight who has saved
the city and Louise recognizes i'm him the
man with the bearskin. They are Of
course, then married. The opera is by
siegfried not Richard) Wagner.