ked, and it seemed as
if the earth itself had foundered in its voyage through the sky. The
great audience almost leaped to its feet at the sound of that tempest
and earthquake.

Look! the ruffians are tossing dice for the ownership of the Master's
coat. The darkness thickens. Night, blackening night. Hark! The wolves
are howling for the corpse of the slain Lord. Then, with more pathos and
tenderness than can be seen in Rubens' picture, "Descent from the
Cross," in the cathedral at Antwerp, is the dead Christ lowered, and
there rises the wailing of crushed motherhood, and with solemn tread the
mutilated body is sepulchred. But soon the door of the mausoleum falls
and forth comes the Christ and, standing on the shoulder of Mount
Olivet, He is ready for ascension. Then the "Hallelujah Chorus" from the
700 voices before and behind the scenes closes the most wonderful
tragedy ever enacted.

As we rose for departure we felt like saying with the blind preacher,
whom William Wirt, the orator of Virginia, heard concluding his sermon
to a backwoods congregation:

"Socrates died like a philosopher, but Jesus died like a God!"

I have been asked whether this play would ever be successfully
introduced into America or England. I think there is some danger that it
may be secularised and turned into a mercenary institution. Instead of
the long ride by carriages over rough mountain roads for days and days,
as formerly was necessary in order to reach Ober-Ammergau, there are now
two trains a day which land tourists for the Passion Play, and among
them may appear some American theatrical manager who, finding that John
Zwink of Ober-Ammergau impersonates the spirit of grab and cheat and
insincerity better than any one who treads the American stage, and only
received for his wonderful histrionic ability what equals forty-five
pounds sterling for ten years, may offer him five times as much
compensation for one night. If avarice could clutch Judas with such a
relentless grasp at the offer of thirty pieces of silver, what might be
the proportionate temptation of a thousand pieces of gold!

The impression made upon Dr. Talmage by the Passion Play was stirring
and reverent. He described it as one of the most tremendous and fearful
experiences of his life.

"I have seen it once, but I would not see it again," he said, "I would
not dare risk my nerves to such an awful, harrowing ordeal. Accustomed
as I am to think almost constantly on all t