Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-31
BY. CALVERT sTITH.
rHREE gaunt crosses reared against

% HREE gaunt crosses reared against
q sky heavy with clouds /. .
a wind-swept little plateau
L hreading into hillside that
slopes into. the gray-green o.
srappines of bronze and purple standing
curiously aloof from the few mourners
about the central cross
And on the crosses three men.
On the left. giant with matted hair
fallen over his cunning little eyes is
crotesouely helpless where the ropes
that cut into his flesh bind him to the
cross. on the right, his head sunk
upon his breast, so that the tangled
beard is all awry, second strong man
Is crucified :,
But the strongest of the three is
nailed high above these, on a heavier,
more cruel cross
Jesus NazarenuS Rex Iudeorum. "
The parchment placard above his head
above the cruelty apparent crown OF
thorns-is eloquent.
Jesus of Nazareth, King Of the Jews,
& dying.
Agony is proclaimed in every line of
his white body-agony In the twisted
limbs and outstretched arms that are
held so very still where the nails are
driven. Agony where the blood streams
from his forehead. Agony in the faces
of the watching Christians-and in
tense wonder In the eyes OF the Roman
legionnaires.
And then the Christus struggles to
raise his head heavenward: his lips
move and after a. moment the sound
comes.
1T is fnisned," he gasps, and his
head droops Imply.
But not in Hebrew, not in Latin does
he say this Instead, the rich Bavarian
Of les list volbracht!" K
What? Did Christ utter his last words
IN German? Not at all. For this is not
Christ speaking the lines In the greatest
drama of the ancient world. 1t Is a
good man, yes-a man who speaks the
lines in the greatest drama Of the mod
ern world.
A NTON LANG. Who in the civilized
IA world has not heard Of Anton
Lang, three times portrayer of Christ
in the great Passion Play at Oberam-
mergau, Bavaria? +
Anton Lang the only man ever to
play the Christ three times in this
greatest of plays. Anton Lang. always
acclaimed the greatest Of the CkriStS in
o spectacle centuries old.
One question that has been asked re-
peatedly Of this PaSSionspiele Is being
revived. How does he stay on the
cross in plain view Of thousands of
epectators?" 1t is questioned.
Mathilde Lang, wife of this same
Anton Lang, in a recent letter to Mrs.
sMary F. Houston of Meridian. Miss,
answers this. Mrs. Houston and the
Langs are great friends. It began upon
the occasion of visit to Oberammer-
gau in 1910, the year the regular ten
year interval that separates presenta-
ton of these spectacles had elapsed and
once more the life Of Christ was UNI
folded by the simple mountain villagers.
Mrs Houston met the Langs and grew
to know them well. An intimacy that
has continued to this day sprang up,
and correspondence between the Mis-
sissippi town and the little community
In the Bavarian Alps is as regular as
clockwork.
Mrs. Lang recently explained how
Anton Lang is fastened to the cross for
the duration of a painful and nerve
wracking scene that sometimes occupies
more than IS minutes.
Herr Lang has endured almost unbe-
iievable agonies during his portrayal OF
the Christus over a period Of three
presentations of the famed play. It Is
Q terrific strain on the actor to bear