the complete writings-2-第25章

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re　were　rows　of　children；　little　ones　scarce　a　span　long；in　the　white　caps　and　garments　of　innocence；　as　if　asleep　in　beds　of　flowers。　　How　naturally　they　all　were　lying；　as　if　only　waiting　to　be　called！　Upon　the　thumb　of　every　adult　was　a　ring　in　which　a　string　was　tied　that　went　through　a　pulley　above　and　communicated　with　a　bell　in　the　attendant's　room。　　How　frightened　he　would　be　if　the　bell　should　ever　sound；　and　he　should　go　into　that　hall　of　the　dead　to　see　who　rang！　And　yet　it　is　a　most　wise　and　humane　provision；　and　many　years　ago；　there　is　a　tradition；　an　entombment　alive　was　prevented　by　it。　　There　are　three　rooms　in　all；　and　all　those　who　die　in　Munich　must　be　brought　and　laid　in　one　of　them；　to　be　seen　of　all　who　care　to　look　therein。　　I　suppose　that　wealth　and　rank　have　some　privileges；　but　it　is　the　law　that　the　person　having　been　pronounced　dead　by　the　physician　shall　be　the　same　day　brought　to　the　dead…house；　and　lie　there　three　whole　days　before　interment。

There　is　something　peculiar　in　the　obsequies　of　Munich；　especially　in　the　Catholic　portion　of　the　population。　　Shortly　after　the　death；　there　is　a　short　service　in　the　courtyard　of　the　house；　which；　with　the　entrance；　is　hung　in　costly　mourning；　if　the　deceased　was　rich。　The　body　is　then　carried　in　the　car　to　the　dead…house；　attended　by　the　priests；　the　male　members　of　the　family；　and　a　procession　of　torch…bearers；　if　that　can　be　afforded。　　Three　days　after；　the　burial　takes　place　from　the　dead…house；　only　males　attending。　　The　women　never　go　to　the　funeral；　but　some　days　after；　of　which　public　notice　is　given　by　advertisement；　a　public　service　is　held　in　church；　at　which　all　the　family　are　present；　and　to　which　the　friends　are　publicly　invited。　　Funeral　obsequies　are　as　costly　here　as　in　America；　but　everything　is　here　regulated　and　fixed　by　custom。　　There　are　as　many　as　five　or　six　classes　of　funerals　recognized。　　Those　of　the　first　class；　as　to　rank　and　expense；　cost　about　a　thousand　guldens。　　The　second　class　is　divided　into　six　subclasses。　　The　third　is　divided　into　two。　　The　cost　of　the　first　of　the　third　class　is　about　four　hundred　guldens。　　The　lowest　class　of　those　able　to　have　a　funeral　costs　twenty…five　guldens。　　A　gulden　is　about　two　francs。　There　are　no　carriages　used　at　the　funerals　of　Catholics；　only　at　those　of　Protestants　and　Jews。

I　spoke　of　the　custom　of　advertising　the　deaths。　　A　considerable　portion　of　the　daily　newspapers　is　devoted　to　these　announcements；　which　are　printed　in　display　type；　like　the　advertisements　of　dry…goods　sellers　with　you。　　I　will　roughly　translate　one　which　I　happen　to　see　just　now。　　It　reads；　〃Death　advertisement。　　It　has　pleased　God　the　Almighty；　in　his　inscrutable　providence；　to　take　away　our　innermost　loved；　best　husband；　father；　grandfather；　uncle；　brother…in…law；　and　cousin；　Herr…；　dyer　of　cloth　and　silk；　yesterday　night；　at　eleven　o'clock；　after　three　weeks　of　severe　suffering；　having　partaken　of　the　holy　sacrament；　in　his　sixty…sixth　year；　out　of　this　earthly　abode　of　calamity　into　the　better　Beyond。　Those　who　knew　his　good　heart；　his　great　honesty；　as　well　as　his　patience　in　suffering；　will　know　how　justly　to　estimate　our　grief。〃　This　is　signed　by　the　〃deep…grieving　survivors；〃the　widow；　son；　daughter；　and　daughter…in…law；　in　the　name　of　the　absent　relatives。　After　the　name　of　the　son　is　written；　〃Dyer　in　cloth　and　silk。〃　　The　notice　closes　with　an　announcement　of　the　funeral　at　the　cemetery；　and　a　service　at　the　church　the　day　after。　　The　advertisement　I　have　given　is　not　uncommon　either　for　quaintness　or　simplicity。　　It　is　common　to　engrave　upon　the　monument　the　business　as　well　as　the　title　of　the　departed。




THE　OCTOBER　FEST　THE　PEASANTS　AND　THE　KING

On　the　11th　of　October　the　sun　came　out；　after　a　retirement　of　nearly　two　weeks。　　The　cause　of　the　appearance　was　the　close　of　the　October　Fest。　　This　great　popular　carnival　has　the　same　effect　upon　the　weather　in　Bavaria　that　the　Yearly　Meeting　of　Friends　is　known　to　produce　in　Philadelphia；　and　the　Great　National　Horse　Fair　in　New　England。　　It　always　rains　during　the　October　Fest。　Having　found　this　out；　I　do　not　know　why　they　do　not　change　the　time　of　it；　but　I　presume　they　are　wise　enough　to　feel　that　it　would　be　useless。　　A　similar　attempt　on　the　part　of　the　Pennsylvania　Quakers　merely　disturbed　the　operations　of　nature；　but　did　not　save　the　drab　bonnets　from　the　annual　wetting。　　There　is　a　subtle　connection　between　such　gatherings　and　the　gathering　of　what　are　called　the　elements；a　sympathetic　connection；　which　we　shall；　no　doubt；　one　day　understand；　when　we　have　collected　facts　enough　on　the　subject　to　make　a　comprehensive　generalization；　after　Mr。　　Buckle's　method。

This　fair；　which　is　just　concluded；　is　a　true　Folks…Fest；　a　season　especially　for　the　Bavarian　people；　an　agricultural　fair　and　cattle　show；　but　a　time　of　general　jollity　and　amusement　as　well。　　Indeed；　the　main　object　of　a　German　fair　seems　to　be　to　have　a　good　time　and　in　this　it　is　in　marked　contrast　with　American　fairs。　　The　October　Fest　was　instituted　for　the　people　by　the　old　Ludwig　I。　on　the　occasion　of　his　marriage；　and　it　has　ever　since　retained　its　position　as　the　great　festival　of　the　Bavarian　people；　and　particularly　of　the　peasants。　　It　offers　a　rare　opportunity　to　the　stranger　to　study　the　costumes　of　the　peasants；　and　to　see　how　they　amuse　themselves。　　One　can　judge　a　good　deal　of　the　progress　of　a　people　by　the　sort　of　amusements　that　satisfy　them。　　I　am　not　about　to　draw　any　philosophical　inferences；I　am　a　mere　looker…on　in　Munich；　but　I　have　never　anywhere　else　seen　puppet…shows　afford　so　much　delight；　nor　have　I　ever　seen　anybody　get　more　satisfaction　out　of　a　sausage　and　a　mug　of　beer；　with　the　tum…tum　of　a　band　near；　by；　than　a　Bavarian　peasant。

The　Fest　was　held　on　the　Theresien　Wiese；　a　vast　meadow　on　the　outskirts　of　the　city。　　The　ground　rises　on　one　side　of　this　by　an　abrupt　step；　some　thirty　or　forty　feet　high；　like　the　〃bench〃　of　a　Western　river。　　This　bank　is　terraced　for　seats　the　whole　length；　or　as　far　down　as　the　statue　of　Bavaria；　so　that　there　are　turf　seats；　I　should　judge；　for　three　quarters　of　a　mile；　for　a　great　many　thousands　of　people；　who　can　look　down　upon　the　race…course；　the　tents；　houses；　and　booths　of　the　fair…ground；　and　upon　the　roof　and　spires　of　the　city　beyond。　　The　statue　is；　as　you　know；　the　famous　bronze　Bavaria　of　Schwanthaler；　a　colossal　female　figure　fifty　feet　high；　and　with　its　pedestal　a　hundred　feet　high；　which　stands　in　front　of　the　Hall　of　Fame；　a　Doric　edifice；　in　the　open　colonnades　of　which　are　displayed　the　busts　of　the　most　celebrated　Bavarians；　together　with　those　of　a　few　poets　and　scholars　who　were　so　unfortunate　as　not　to　be　born　here。　　The　Bavaria　stands　with　the　right　hand　upon　the　sheathed　sword；　and　the　left　raised　in　the　act　of　bestowing　a　wreath　of　victory；　and　the　lion　of　the　kingdom　is　beside　her。　　This　representative　being　is；　of　course；　hollow。　　There　is　room　for　eight　people　in　her　head；　which　I　can　testify　is　a　warm　place　on　a　sunny　day；　and　one　can　peep　out　through　loopholes　and　get　a　good　view　of　the　Alps　of　the　Tyrol。　　To　say　that　this　statue　is　graceful　or　altogether　successful　would　be　an　error；　but　it　is　rather　impressive；　from　its　size；　if　for　no　other　reason。　　In　the　cast　of　the　hand　exhibited　at　the　bronze　foundry；　the　forefinger　measures　over　three　feet　long。

Although　the　Fest　did　not　officially　begin　until　Friday；　October　12；　yet　the　essential　part　of　it；　the　amusements；　was　well　under　way　on　the　Sunday　before。　　The　town　began　to　be　filled　with　country　people；　and　the　holiday　might　be　said　to　have　commenced；　for　the　city　gives　itself　up　to　the　occasion。　　The　new　art　galleries　are　closed　for　some　days；　but　the　collections　and　museums　of　various　sorts　are　daily　open；　gratis；　the　theaters　redouble　their　efforts；　the　concert…halls　are　in　full　blast；　there　are　dances　nightly；　and　masked　balls　in　the　Folks'　Theater；　country　relatives　are　entertained；　the　peasants　go　about　the　streets　in　droves；　in　a　simple　and　happy　frame　of　mind；　wholly　unconscious　that　they　are　the　oddest…looking　guys　that　have　come　down　from　the　Middle　Ages；　there　is　music　in　all　the　gardens；　singing　in　the　cafe