Evening star., 1935-12-15

thereafter he worked to perfect his
dream.
/ According to DR.. Van Dykes own
words regarding its origin, he had
long studied and loved the tales of the
Three Wise Men from the East, as
told in medieval volumes; but of the
fourth, the other wise man, he had
never heard-until, as in his dream,
he saw him distinctly. moving
through the shadows in a circle of
light" His countenance was as clear
as the memory of my fathers face as
I saw it for the last time a few
months before" writes DR.. Van Dyke
In his preface to the 1928 edition of
his beloved story. The narrative of
his journeyingS, his. trials and diSap-
pointments ran without break in my
vision. Even certain sentences came
to me, complete and unforgettable.
clear-cut like cameo. All that had
to do was to follow Artaban, step by
step, as the tale went on. from the
beginning to the end of his pill
grimage"
THE Story of the Other Wise Man"
was written prior to 1895, and between
J that time and the second publication
Of the volume, in 1928, the legend had
an adventurous voyage. 1t was car
ried into far countries, it passed
through the translator's hands into
German, French, Armenian and other
foreign regions. 1t has been claimed
by some as theirs, by others to have
been a long-lost legend of the Orient.
But it is not written in any other
book, not to be found among the lore
of the East" Its famous author has
written that it was given to him,
Though the name of the giver was not
sp-ken."
1t is said that many persons, from
time to time have made acting YER
Sions of this splendid story and have
utilized the idea and the theme III
public presentations. Among others,
in 1925 in Washington. a new version
D
in the fact that it changed the story
not a whit. No word written by DR.
Van Dyke was altered. 1t was the
authors own story of The Other Wise
Man" translated into terms of drama
for presentation in a church audi
-torium. This script was submitted tc
DR.. Van Dyke and to the publishers
1t was accepted and permission was
given for its presentation, with the
understanding that no full copy of the
script be made to be used by other:
elsewhere. It was produced in Decem.
Der, 1925. in Luther Memorial Church
by a group Of players assembled fol
the purpose, and so the Chapel Play.
ers came into being-that the spon.
Sors of The Other Wise Man" here
might have a habitation and a name
THIS first year the production wa!
directed entirely from DR.. Var
Dykes own copy Of the story and the
player who appeared as Artaban hac
only little red-backed volume from
which to learn his lines. A few line:
were distributed among the players
but none has ever had the complete
script, save only he who plays Artaban
year by year, and she who has been
the narrator and has played the harp
for every staging of this magic tale
of Yule.
As the years go by certain amplifi-
cations of the original Van Dyke text
always simple and in keeping with the
story, have crept into the drama
perhaps an added line spoken by an
added character, perhaps tiny inter-
lude; but the polished phrases remain
unaltered and the rhythmic sequences
remain undisturbed. A brief scene of
the journey of the Three Wise Men
to the Temple of the Seven Spheres
and enlarged action of the two major
episodes, titled For the Sake of a
Little Child" and "a Pearl of Great
Price"-not actually included, but all
of them indicated in the Van Dyke
lineS-are nowadays a part of the
drama in the historic red stone church
on Thomas Circle as three-score and
10 persons take part in this annual
festival of the Christmas season in
the Capital City.
Yearly many persons are turned
away because of the crowds at the
doors. People come from near and
far to attend this drama with music, n
and it would seem that some Of them
take home to their own city a lasting
memory, for letters and requests come
often for permission to reproduce the
Washington version" Of the poignant
and appealing story Of "The Other
Wise Man" These letters and re-
quests are always referred to the pub
fishers and the estate Of DR.. Van
Dyke, who in 1927, during Winter
spent in Bermuda, made his own and
long desired version for the stage, r&