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Show Cottage and Castle Lives of Simplicity and Luxury Found in Strong Contrast in Bavaria. (Special Correspondence) f IHOUail It was not the year I I of tho Passion Play we could fRMprJ not leave Munich without (jf making a pilgrimage to Oner-ammergau. Oner-ammergau. Though It was a warm, sultry afternoon when wo arrived, ar-rived, below In tho streets men were busily engaged In making counters nnd arranging their wares for tho fair which was to bo the following day. Toward evening wo took a vehlclo and rodo through a long valley, where tho men nnd women were working in the Held, nnd up a high hill to see tho Stein Gruppe. This Is n splendid marble group of Christ, Mary and Mary Mngdelcno given by Ludwlg of Uavnrla. The driver then took us farther up tho road to see Anton Lang, who In 1900 played tho part of Christ. Lang hns long dark hair and is of slight build. As ho greeted us and asked us In, his face wore n warm, kindly smile. Not only did he resemble re-semble Christ In nppearnnco and dress, made up of a looso blou30 and dark overalls, but also because of his homo and gentility of manner. He was delighted to learn wo were Americans, Amer-icans, and explained that he had many friends In our country and in England. Eng-land. Wo arrived In Obernmmergau Saturday, Sat-urday, and Sunday morning beforo sunrise we heard tho pounding of tho hammer and voices below our windows. Wo saw men nnd women working at the stalls for the fair. Dy tho tlmo the chimes started to ring everything had been set In order and tho men, women and children hastened has-tened to church. Every scat was occupied; oc-cupied; besides many were standing. stand-ing. All the Inhabitants of Obernmmergau Ober-nmmergau nro Catholics, and therefore there-fore attend this ono house of worship. They have kept tho old Jewish custom cus-tom of tho men sitting on ono sldo, tho women on tho othor, with tho children down in front. Tho music was beautiful, consisting of a full choir, a rich organ and a violin orchestra. Their voices aro well trained. If the traveler who goes to Ober-nmmorgau Ober-nmmorgau bo Interested In tho perfection perfec-tion gained in French art ho must visit LInderhof, ono of tho palaces of Ludwlg of Bavaria, which Is only n few hours from Oberammergau. Tho grounds near tho palaco are Uld out in gardens enhanced by "Deicent From the Cross." (Passion Play.) artificial cascades and fountains. In front Is a largo gilded fountain representing rep-resenting Flora In a half-reclining position. po-sition. Opposite Is a high torroco, at tho foot of which Is a statuo of the king, halfway up a beautiful bust of Mario Antoinette and on tho summit a tcmplo and Btatuo to tho goddess of beauty. On tho othor sldo of the palaco Is tho Neptune group and above a largo cascade with rich arbors. Though tho environs of LInderhof nro magnificent, tho Interior otho palaco Is raoro beautiful. Entcrlpg tho vestibule wo wero attractedby a bronzo equestrian statuo of Louis XIV. In thu ndjolnlng hall la a largo Sovres vaso representing Queen Usthor before King Ahnsucrui; llii-j was a gift to tho king from Napoleon III. Wn'klng through tho hnll we wero shown tho Gobelin room, which dorlvcs Its nnmo from tho paintings that resemble Goholln. In this loom especially aro to bo noticed tho mantelpiece with two roe-co"o roe-co"o vases and n marble g;oup with JxinlB XIV ns tho contral flguro. At ono end Is a glided piano with organ anangements; and nbovo it hangs beautiful mirror. The carpet as well as tho draperies are whlto and gold. Tho Gobelin room opens into th yellow cabinet. The walls aro made of carved woods veneered with silver. Tho ceiling decoration represents th four continents and four elements, with Bmall pictures of tho twclvs signs of tho zodiac. The paintings In this room aro especially worthy of attention. Thero Is nlso a collection of pastel portraits of tho most noted men belonging to tho courts of Louis XIV. and Louis XV. Tho furnlturo and the mirrors aro of Bllver, to harmonize har-monize with the color scheme. We wero next shown into tho king's workroom, probably tho finest study In tho world. On one sldo is an elaborate elab-orate throno heavily embroidered la gold and decorated with ostrich tips. Tho writing table and chairs aro heavily glided; the candelabra and tho writing set nro of solid gold. Tho latter predominating. Another handsome hand-some piece of furnishing is a largo LINDERHOF. ' mirror. In the middle of which la a clock. Though this room Is not especially espe-cially large, it can be Illuminated with 100 lights. This study opens Into tho heliotrope helio-trope room which was meant to servo as n place for tho king to rost when ho tired of working. It Is furnished In gray and gold; nnd the curtain is of point lace. One of tho handsomest apartments Is tho king's bedroom; tho paintings on tho celling and walls havo been done with groat skill. Tho ono represents rep-resents Ludwlg XV. on his way to Olympla; tho other Apollo with tho morning star and Aurora. Tho mantelpiece man-telpiece Is of African marble and on It rest two sungods mado of finest carrara. Another featuro of this Tho draperies here, as well as in room Is two mirrors mado of Melsson. most of tho othor apartments, nro so heavy that ono can hardly lift them with two hands. The bedroom opons into tho dining room through tho rose cabinet. Tho furnlturo and tho walls aro of rod satin, rollovcd by whlto and gold. Tha window draperies aro of brussels lace. Llko all tho othor apartments tha dining room Is richly decorated with paintings and heavily embroidered draporios; but tho most Interesting object Is tho tablo that used to bo lot down Into tho kitchen, for tho king never permitted any ono to servo hira at table. Tho handsomest room In Llndorhol is tho mirror room, dono In tho most perfect roccoco stylo, Tho color schomo is bluo and silver harmoniously harmonious-ly reflected by many mirrors. Tho furnlturo Is of rosowood, covered with gold made moro brilliant by the candles can-dles at night shedding their soft luster. lus-ter. If It bo through contrast that wo obtain tho keenest pleasuro, thero Is no moro fortunnto way to visit this wonderful palaco than after having spent a few days in tho humblo vll-lago vll-lago of Oberammergau. |