J
T was early morning or tho sixteenth of December. In the year
?, .0UP.J , V73, Thoro wna PHghtly freshness In t'ao air.
yet a touch of ardor. too, for France, oven In Hb northern parts.
aB ,n P neighborhood of Rouen, where this ocono Is laid. Is
lavored with sunshlno and pleasant warm breezes until tho
curly monthB of the now year. Shops wcro closed, tho tools
?, t1? ,un8" aml tho shoemaker and tho carpenter lay whore
thoy had fallen from tho hand of tho owner or where thoy hnd
been put tho night before. But ovory square of Rouen all tho
way from tho mnsslvo portal of tho cathedral to tho cloisters
or st. Maclou was thronged, and overy window thrcatonod to
nurst outward from ihn urnu nt iion.ia i,n..t.i u.
a m ,K , IU ,th Strect8 ,,,p ro'nl nrchers dlmculty in keeping
fn i order 111 oftaH!d Wr fOrC0,, oftcn to throntcn "opiotlmc. to prod
lownr i cro'dlng masses. Something of unusual nature was evidently
nnd 2 ?L J ht cI?k a '"raw stl'lod from the arch of the cathedral
' kandlne iht S "S? ,0U,d'y .n. h,B tru,npct- For 8011,0 momcata h remained
wti f ' . thUBh Wa,t,nE for n s,3nnl from "hlnd. Then ho began
?f rni?,PCV,rWard- .,th n srotesnuo capor another figure sprang Into
IrrT, ,nMne98 f .tho archway. On ,ts l'0 were horns, in Its hand
and hnrn Tut ,n ,tb g'rd, nt Ua Wa,st hur,K 8raok,nB brands,
Ji? ?V,0mo.nl? Hk0 U, 100,8 of 11 "'.. whllo Its entire body was
SmihSr n. m nH,hn,, ."."l' ,,,,dC0U8 ta,0ns arn,0tl 118 Io"K black flnSrs. No
o ( , nUty T1'1 b ,oft: U waB Luc,fcr- RwWy U of his band
'SK, surrounded him. merry devils playing pranks, raging devils with
rnS vTTu TT d.0Vl18 ,,lsSBod as vintagers, as artisan, M magls
trates yol all displaying In Romo fashion the cloven hoof or spiked tall. Close
pressing on tho.heols of this boisterous crew came a long boarded patriarch
mounted on an ass.. Froiil time to time a colestlal figure clothed In white,
bearing n shining long sword, stopped from bosldo him and blocked tho way
Tho chronicle of the time fall to mention whether tho ass spoko or not but
tho spoctaele made It plain beyond pcradvonturo to overv onlooker that this
was Balaam who was riding In rovlow before then.
Aftor Balaam came other of tho prophots. David, iBaiah, Jeremiah Ezoklol
Daniel-and tho Sibyl. Thee wcro thoy who had foretold tho coming 'of tho
Messiah. Shepherds followed them, playing upon bagpipes and singing
"Doimo from heaven, from lioaven no lilo,
Of fllnrHln tlifrn iHiitm.n rW n t diniiiniln
"With nilrtho nml Joy and ureut uolemnltye.
Thoy sanKd terly, terlowr:
So morall tho ahuppurita ther pipes can
MoW."
Queorest o all was tho maimer In which theso
various porsonages wore accoutorcd. Balaam
QFrtOJZt CATtDmL
OTA VhS,
i mmmmMm
an jrvWAcrr roR djnner during -rue
TJTO DAYJ FlAY
woro a flowing gown of rlchost silk, borrowed
from the bishop. On his feet were long pointed
toed shoes of doeskin, turned up and fastened to
tho knees with fine chains. His neck was en
circled with a piece of costly laco, and to glvo a
touch of tho Oriental, a turban was wound about
his fifteenth-century hat; and about tho turban
was festooued a necklaco borrowed for tho deca
slon from the goodwlfe.
Tho 8hophcnls wero attired qulto as sump
tuously. They wore slashed doublots and gor
geous colored trunks, and tho pipes upon which
they played wcro of tho latest fashion In French
Instrumentation. But tho magi, who' Journeyed
in tho shepherds' company, far outshono tholr
pastoral companions. Beneath their gowns they
gleamed resplendent In bright armor. From top
to to)) were thoy encased in mail, and, Blnco thoy
could find no camolB in Rouen, they rodo on
donkoys, that groaned boneath tho burden. Each
magus was accompanied by a page
And so tho procession wound on and on out of
tho portal of tho cathedral of Rouen. Joseph and
Mary, tho surly Innkeeper bearing a lantern, to
designate that his part was played In tho night,
King Horod, tho Roman emperor, and la&tly God
tho Father, God tho Son and a numerous band
of angels, who distributed amongst thomsolves
tho costliest of tho albs, stoles, dalmatlcas and
copes loanod for tho occasion by tho clergy of tho
cathedral and tho cloister of St. Maclou. Sovonty
eight of these principal actors there wero In this
procession, and their attendant squires and tho
lessor figures In tho drama numbered a hundred
and fifty more. By tho tlmo thoy had passed
from out the cathedral and arrived at tho cloister
it was well on tho way toward noon of this six
teenth of Docomber, 1473.
At intervals during the course of tho parado
tho, crier who hcadod it stoppod and blow a
prolonged blast. Tho procosslon halted, and from
its midst emerged a long-vlsagod man in tho
dress of a university doctor. In his hand ho hold
'a fat scroll. Waving this aloft, ho raado procla
mation; "iMlctol filiate! BUonttum lmbeatls,
Et per Del fllluni,. paccm faclatls."
And when ho had finished his pororallon In Latin
ho announced in tho vernacular tho purport of
tho celebration. It was to bo' a groat mystory
play In honor of tho nativity of tho Savior, "In
carnacion et natlvito do nostro saulvour et re
domptour Jesuchrlst." Tho sheriffs of tho town,
tho clergy of tho cathedral and 3t. Maclou, many
of tho rich burghers and tho bishop hlmBolf had
glvon of their tlmo and monoy without stint, in
order that tha dear townspeoplo might refresh
their souls with a spoctaclo of holy events. And
he tUo doctor, had composed a mystory play of
JOSPJf AMD MAXY A?J?Yr AT 3FWLffJ1 Xf
somo 10,000 versos, and had rehearsod tho actors
In tholr pnrts, so that all was. In readiness. On
tho morning of tho twenty-fourth tho play would
begin, In tho market placo of tho city, and by
tho grace of God It would bo finished by ovon
Ing of tho dny following.. Let all attend! Tho
crier then mado proclamation for tho .mayor that
all'shops save thoso of tho vlctualors should bo
closed on thoso two days. Citizens ncod liavo no
fenr at leaving their Iiousob unguarded, for spo
clal troops of the archers would patrol tho city,
and furthermore the gates of tho town would bo'
cldsod against cither Ingress or egress. Lot all
attend!
Now lot us turn our nttontlon to tho market
placo. It Is a largo square In tho center of Rouen,
Into which tho principal thoroughfares of tho
city debouch. On all of Its four sides Is confu
sion. Along ono entire dimension Is being erect
ed a row of prlvato boxes for tho mayor and
other dignitaries of tho town, and for such of tho
clergy as are not impersonating pnrts In the mys
tory. The two abutting sides are given over to
the. vlctualors, whoso booths will feed tho hungry
throngs during tho ontro'actos of tho play. And
tho fourth side, that facing tho prlvato boxos, Is
allotted for tho stago. In all, this structure com
passos somo 10,000 Bquaro feet; but this small
spaco for tho tlmo roprcsonts two countries, Pal
estine and Italyto say nothing of two realms
not to bo located with so much geographical cer
tainty paradlso and hell.
On Us extreme loft Is Nazaroth, and tho Iioubo
of Joseph and Mary. In fact, tho houso is all
there Is to tho town, oxedpt a sign board In
scribed with tho namo of tho placo. Next Is
Bethlohom, typified by an Inn and a stablo, and
jUBt beyond Bethlohom lies a "mansion," or cur
tained oft square. At tho appropriate moment
tho scroon hero will bo withdrawn, disclosing to
tho oyes of tho onlookers tho band of Bhophords,
watching tholr flockB by night, and Incidentally
making tho welkin ring with tho sound of song
and shrilling of tho plpos. Tho Hold o'f tho shep
herds lies betwixt Bethlohom nnd Jerusalem, that
Is to say, botwlxt tho Inn and stablo and tho
houso of Herod, which stands for tho holy city.
Tho next tow feet leap oceans, for nt tho aldo of
Herod's houso stands tho templo of .Apollo In
Romo, tho chamber of tho Roman cmlvror and
tho capltol, besides tho haunt of tho Sibyl, that
strange figure of medlovnl church lore, who, pa
gan though sho was, ranked with tho Hebrew
prophets, and was celobrated 'In the greatest of
church Bongs, tho "DIos Irao," along with David:.
"Dies Irae, diss 111a, .. ,
Solvct sacclum In favllla,
Tcato Duvld iium fllbyllu."
Adjoining the Iioubo of the Sibyl Is Umbo. So
close are thoy that during tho courso of tho play
their inmates can roach across tho Intervening
spaco and oxchango tho courtesy of a sip of wlno
from tho flask, Limbo is merely a square towor,
with a front strongly grated. It serves to hold
tho matorlallzod souls of such of tho worthy de
parted as dwelt on earth during tho old dispensa
tion. Here will reside, during tho two days of
tho representation, tho prophots, tho patriarchs
and a select few of tho pagans. Their lot Is not
an unhappy one thoy llvo only In unsatlBflod
hopo. Thoy may well bo content with, tholr falo
when thoy look upon their neighbors to tho right,
nt tho end of tho row of spoctnclos. For hero Is
hell-mouth. Of all tho grotesquo and imprcsslvo
Bpcctaclos of tho mystory play, hell-mouth took
precedence. Tho most skillful carpentors and
mechanicians wcro cmployod in its fabrication,
nnd tho art of tho most expenslvo painter was
nono too good for its adornmont. When complet
ed, heR-mouth stood ,12 or 10 feet high, and as
map.; broad, grinning
HJto the head of St.
Georgo'H dragon. Us
Jaws oponod cavernous
ly when proper lovors
wcro put In operation nt
tho Wnck, and from Its
eyes and throat Issued
flames and gusts of
smoXe, from brnzlors
filled with pitch and
blown upon with bollowB.
Through this smoko Bill
lied out tho dovll nnd
hie aides, tn drag In the
souls of tho lost; nnd
tho agonized screams of
the damned, punctuated
by tho roar of cannon,
jLIiq crashing of stones In tho thundor barrel. and
tho BhrJcklng of plpos, was calculated to Instil Into
tio rnost.olidurnto heart a wholosomo fear of whnt
ha Jicreaftor might havo In Btoro for tho unro
pentent. The final spectaclo of tho Btngo tho carpentors
wcro orc'ctlng was pnradlso. High placed nbovo
everything. qIho, It dominated all tho Bcono. Its
occupantB, God tho Father, God tho Son and tho
blessed niijjelB, were hoisted up Into It by mechnn
leal lifts, and when tho nugelN wished to descend,
ns for Insthnco on tho night of tho nntlvlty. bvor
tho fields pear Dotltlohcm, thoy did bo suspended
on ropes. It wns hard being God or an angel, for
there was ltttlo chanco to got down nnd stretch
one's legs. With th6so heavenly characters abode
four othors Penco, Mercy, Juatlco and Truth, la
Imitation of Aristotle's four cnrdlnnl virtues.
Such wore, In tho main, tho "mansions" nnd
tho characters for which tho carpentors had to
provide, and tho eight days succeeding tho "moh
Btro" or grand parndo woro especially busy ones
for theso artisans.
Early on tho morning of Dcccmbor 21 tho long
awaited representation began. . Tho vast market
placo was thronged. Evory box was flllod with tho
gentry; tho roped-ln spaco In front, out to within
somo yards of tho stage front, had boon covered
thickly with straw, and hero on tho ground sat thou
sands, whllo tho open stretch Immediately In front
of nnd rather below tho lovol of tho stago was
fillod with crowds parading bnck and' forth. Alto
gether It was a glorious and eagor gathering,
Tho loarned doctor whoso midnight toll had
prepared tho doggerel, and whoso wooks of lnbor
had rehearsed tho playors In their parts, nppoarod
first In a short prologue. After exhorting IiIb
Ustenors to sllonco, ho described for thorn briofly
tho substance of whnt was about to bo prosentod
on tho Htngo, and admonished them- to tnko to
heart the lessons of tho mystory. As ho retired
to a convenient nnglo of tho wall of Horod's houso,
whonco ho might udvantngeously bo In position for
prompting tho actors, n deep lamentation broko
out within holl, It wns Adam grieving over tho sad
nnd fallen stato of man.
Thus tho play goes on for two days, passing
now to limbo, whonco tho prophets issue to forotoll
to mankind tho coming salvation, to Nazaroth, to
Bethlohcm nnd throughout tho whole cyclo of tho
nativity. When ChrlBt Is born In Bethlohom, hell
redoubles Its efforts, and Lucifer rolls about tho
Btngo In n mighty orgy of blind fury. Tho Images
of tho idols In tho tomplo at Romo fall crashing
from their pedestals, and, high nbovo all, tho an
gelH In paradlso, or hovering on tholr ropes nbovo
tho Holds of Palestine, chant mnjos'tlcally tho
praises of tho Creator and proclaim tho "Pax In
terrlo."
CurloiiB la tho final scono. It Is placed In Romo,
in tho chambor of Augustua. Tho omperor, dressed
llko a French duko, Is sentod on a fancy chair
loanod by tho mayor of Rouen. Evidently ho 1b 111
nt oaso. Ho Ib rending n scroll of tho Slbylllno
writings, wherein ho finds a distinct prophecy to
tho effect that a Messiah Is to bo born In PalOBtlno,
In Bethlehom of Judon. More and more disturbed
ho becomes, nnd hs ho paces tho floor of his cham
ber ho recites his woes in doggerel French, ac
companied by a wealth of gesticulations. Tho sun
Is already down beyond tho gnbloB to tho wcBt of
tho market placo ore IiIb monologuo comos to nn
ond. With a Buddon Inspiration, ho falls to hlu
knees and worships a figure of tho virgin that mi
raculously appears on tho wall. Satan and hlu
crow glvo a flnnl 'salvo, and tho crowd rises stiffly
to its feot and wends Its way back to tho homes
and taverns of tho city, much moved by tho Bpcc
taclo it has been a wltnoic of for two whole days.
WANTS STATE TO AID WIDOWS
"Every widow who has boon left with ltttlo
children and In straitened circumstances should;
receive n pension from tho stato." ,
Such Ih tho declaration of Mrs. Clarence O.
Burns, president of tho Llttlo Mothers' Aid Soci
ety of Now York, who Is firm In hor ballot ns to
tho advisability of this plan. Tho important ques
tion Is bnlng brought forward In womori's cfubS
all over tho Hutted States, and any discussion of
It Is timely. Tho opinion of Mrs. Burns, osjw
clally, is ono to carry wolght, for sho la woll qual
ified to spoak forcibly on tho Btibjoct. Sho-soyo
In part:
"A man carries a gun for his nation. If ho Is
Injured In war ho receives a pension in recogni
tion of tho fiorvlco ho has rendered to his coun
try. Ho fools no humiliation when tho money
Is rrefforod him, and In many cases Is only too ready to apply to tho sthU
for It If ho has not boon recognized.
"Now. a woman risks hor llfo far hor country, hor children grow up to
Borvo tholr nation, nnd why. whon tills woman glveH so much to tho world,
should sho not, whon loft in destitute or straitened circumstances, receive
as much a, tin- man who goes to war? '
"By no means do I bollevo Mint ovory mother In ncod should bo glvon a
pension or monoy when tho husband Is nllvo and ablo to work. Tho person
who desorvoa nnd should bo given such n pension is tho woman who is n,
widow and haB llttlo children. This woman has probably novcr worked,
snvo In hor homo. Sho has nhvnys boon provided for, nml knows nbsolutoly
nothing of tho bnttlo of tho world, nnd sho la thrown onto (ho World with two
or throo llttlo children. What shall Bho do? Where shall sho turn to got
bread and butter for them?
"Now, If this woman woro suppllod with a cortaln amount of mdnoy by
tho Btnto for tho euro of theso children until they attained n working ngo,
think' whnt a dlfforenco it would mnko in tho homo, In tho community, iu
ovory possible way.
"This pension for tho widow would glvo both tho child nnd tho mother n
chance for llfo a thing which neither can havo now."
CAPTURED FAMOUS PEG LEG
Of nil tho lnnumcrablo roltcs on exhibition in
tho Illinois Memorial hall In tho Btnto house)
nono nltrncts more nttontlon from tourists than
tho cork leg of General Sanla Ann, tho Mexican
commandor, which was captured by a company
of central Illinois soldlors. Tho finding of tho
cork leg wan ono of tho most interesting inci
dents Of tho Mexican war. An extraordinary fact,
recently brought to light by investigations com
ductod by tho McLonn county historical society.
Is that tho soldtor who first caught sight of thq
log took possession of It nnd sent it to tho rear
for snfo keeping whllo n battlo was In progress,
Is yot living, In tho porson of Edward Elvln
Elliot, formerly of Bloomlngton, III., and now of
San Rafnol, Cal.
In a letter confirming tho btntomont that ho
was tho captor of tho cork log, Mr. Elliot relates tho incident connooted
therewith, tho Btory being of lntorcst to tho student of history. Mr. Elliot
Btates that ho onllstod in Company B of tho Fourh Illinois infantry whon wntl
was declared with Moxlco. Ho loft tho prlntcr'o caao to tako up arms. Tha
first ongagomont of conscquonco for tho regiment of which Mr". Elliot was ri
mombor wnB known ns tho bnttlo of Ccrro Oordo, April 18, 1847, Tho Moxli
cans retreated whon tholr battorlen wcro attacked and tho 'Fourth regiment
coming up found tho coach of General Santa Ana standing in tho road wheru
it had boon abandoned, duo to tho killing of olid of tho mules httohod to ft,
General Santa Ana wan mountod upon tho other mulo nnd fled. His doparturq
was bo hurried that ho was forcod to lenvo bohlnd in tho conoh his cork log,
a bag of gold doubloons nnd n bnMkot of lunch. Elliot roachod tho coach
flrBt nnd with n soldlor's ourloslty Jumped InBldo, hnndlng out tho corlc log,
tho chest of gold and basket of food to hlu companions.
Thoro was $10,000 in thn chcBt and this monoy was placod In tho pasi
session of General Twigg nnd eventually turned Into tho Unltod Statos troas
ury as a prize of war. Tho Fourth regiment k,opt tho cork log in tholr possos.
slon until rtftcr tho closo of tho war ami it was Inter Bent to tho Illinois state
houso.
NOTED IRISHMAN REACHES 80
Ouo of Groat Britain's grand old mon, 'Justin
MrPnrtliv rnnniitlv rnln)irntn.l In T 1.1..
-i3jg eightieth birthday anniversary and wau tho roelp;
iont of congratulations from ovory part of Uio
tX English-speaking world. His career has boon an
nctlvo and a useful ono, part of it passed in thq
turmoil of political strife and part of it in tho
quietness of his library, from which havo issued
many works of exceptional merit.
Mr. McCarthy, formor loader of tho Irish Nrv
tlonnllsts, comos of n family dovoted for many
generations to tho cnuso of Ireland. Ho was born,'
In "rebel" Cork, Novombor 22, 1830. Ho had
literary tastes ns a youth, but his chlof desire
waB to bo n barrister. Acadomlo degroos wore
then denlod to Roman Catholics and to Protos.
tnnt dissenters. Thus dobarrcd from entering
tho legal profosBlon through tho university, and unablo to afford tho cosUy,
training outsldo tho university, young McCarthy turnod his attontlon to Joun
nnllsm and became a roportor on tho Cork Examiner. Ho was a youthful
Bympathlzor with the Nationalist movomont, nnd was deeply Impressed bj
tho trial of Smith O'Brien and tho older Dillon and Thomna Francis Mooghorj
who were sentenced to donth, but reprieved by Quoon Victoria and trnnst
ported to Van DIomon'B Land, Young McCarthy was sent to report tho trial,
Ho was a patriotic youth of nlneteon nnd received his baptism of fire as h
filled his notebook In tho courthouse nt Balllngarry. During tho succeeding
yearB Mr, McCnrthy followed Journalism In Llvorpol and iu London and
publlBhod sovernl novels.
Mr. McCarthy's parliamentary caroor oxtondod ovor 17 years and ha
was chairman of tho Irish parliamentary pnrty from 1800 to 189C. Hla
speeches In parliament woro In flho literary form nnd woro full of historical
nlluslons and poetical quotations,
FROM POORHOUSE TO SENATE
Tho rise of a man from tho lowllost station tq
ono of tho hlghoBt In his stato Is not among tha
ovontB that bolong exclusively to tho past, no?
Is it confined sololy to tho realm of fiction. John
J. Dunncgan of Shonandoah, Iowa, who has boon
elected to tho Iowa stato aonato, passed thred
years of his oarly ohlldhood ns nn Inraato of q
North Carolina poorhouso, bolng loft at tho ago
of throo without oithor fathor or moMior.
Whon six years of ago ho was bound out te ,
a family who troatod him with tho utmost cru-'
city, Misery and hardship gripped him from tha
crndlo and robbed him of all tho JoyB of chlld
hood. From tho poorhouso, without education,
or aid from othors, John Dunncgan has risen
by his own offortB to nflluonco and high official
position. IIo has workod as a Boctlon hand on a
railroad at $1.10 n day, as hired man on a farm, has dug wolla and olstorns
with a spndo, und performed mnny othor kinds of hard work for small pay,
Ho was marrlod whon twonty-nlno, bolug at that tlmo tho ownor of a Hvory
Btnblo in Mllford, Nob. Shortly afterward ho lost ovorythlng In n flro, came
to Shonandoah "doad broke" und graspod eagerly tho Jlrat Job offered him
digging n woll. Later ho started In tho plumbing buslnoBs in a Braull way,
but his buslnoss did not Jong remain small. It grow rapidly until it extended
into a dozon different stntes, .