The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 2, 1901, Page 5

THE SUNDAY CALL =] Ereeting to t clock whict two be on at th be h. being struck wi kes, calls to its presence any one of the fathers. each of whom has a number assigned to him, which 1s € as upon a bell These bells among them keep the air vi brant dur The Ang three bells in the adobe m The cast in Bpain in the eighteenth ce and presented to the Mission of Santa Clara by the King of Spain upon the condition that they be each night at half-past % and that thers be sald at that time “De Profundis” for the dead. The custom is kept up to the present time, and the bells when rung for calling to this prayer are struck with & peculiar muffled hammer which gives the saddest sound that ever and e metal the Amngelus a the ¢ s 1s rung upon a chime of belfry the owl above Is were Ty was heard from & be 1y rang re which so swee couple of hours be now sends a chill to the heart of all w hear Those who have traveled say that mo- where else in America, Mexico (where are many rare bel the cities of the Old World is there anywhere such a sweetly mournful bell as this gift of the King of Spain. The adobe walls of this on are thicker t being on the average five feet. st the Francisc or in and the oil from ht for mone: ide v ate now, as re them. These own tables, and be that tastes e h primality as a thousand golden sim- still re- e roofs have of the dark m. The furni- , and is now ssion is Arcadian en- absorbed necessary to sub- ene ng of the Preparing for the Presentation of Nazareth. sion in a ousand do for a performance twice goes to small rs on port. In the are shown in the v be seen standing upon stage, holding the prompt- ands. g combination; a man himself college professor, clent manager of a The college discipline, or 1 good behavior of the relaxed when they leave thelr the stage, and the dig- ves adds much to thetr of the hol es whick he m er's copy There pa crowded stage of the rations and in the require- production, drilling the boys c and making actors out of raew material has been delightful piay to and Mr. O’Sul 2 to su an, re ed from Europe to paint the scenery, found equal pleasure in tr g to’ canvas for his slma mater the sce; which he witnessed in his travels. e theater iIs a d thoroughly e excepted, long e author elc given them a proficiency ings along with the meth- of the professional. The ery men and supers from the football muscular a and rows /himself on the ever could who had not football coach instruct- is to the Santa e Oberammergauers, an ust not be allowed to i While Cai- Judas and Herod In the village by d from the dra- ir various duties as whatever the 3 the youthful old n are equally energies between studying their heads for ns in their college troduction to Jechonias m rushing frantically quadrangle, beneath palms and shady fig e play in one hand and her; a rehear and him and his brain at from wishing to excel in n Me sat for his pho- ready taken his exami- le which illumined his formed that he had passed roved his appearance in the duties. daily re distra Jies by the rs, or be, S0 missi efterward MAatthew, was home in bed. recuperating from overstudy, which, however, had put him successfully both as student and actor. - Ford was working days in the col- . morning and evening in the church nd nights in the theater. Any one who that these in a monastery lead a useless life will be much mistaken. the front v run the busiest kind of a thinking op. But “from limitations come freedom, and from obstacles succes: The very troubles whic two sets of beset the paths of these actors seem to make their ork the better and in its pecullar way mpre gly than the finished sional. mc art of the prc chears: the evening, after the end of the college day, and last s begin at 7 in untl 10 or 1. At 6 in the morning all must be up and at their studies again. A full rehearsal is a busy sceme. It beats a three-ring circus if you try to take Mr. Ciay Greene, cap on his head, is all stage; so are actors, citizens, sol- in everyth! at once. w over the diers, priests of the temple and Wise Men from the Eas Mr. and position hat Greene keeps his eyes on gestures and his ears on enunciation. Fatner Ford, in cap and gown, prompis and corrects Mr. O'Sullivan watches the scene setting and the light- ing effects to bring out the color schemes, elocution. which have been as carefully planned for their effect on the spectator as have the choruses and tableau The The sky stage is being set for the first scene. background s coming down out of the as it were, and bringing mountains sk along with it Whack! go Mr. an’s hands together with a ring- slap as a signal to the men away up m of rigging ropes in ey Rocks and houses are in time to save them from in the checked j crashing through the stage floor. “Now the wing-drops here! Now the net there!” Then away rushes O'Sullivan to the dark end of the auditorium to watch effects. “Lig ts out!” he calls back, and with a of the switchboard the house is in »n your blue.” A creepy phosphorescent light is over hing. Now bring up vour blue a little. Now e in it. Not so much. That's Now bring them both up together.” Gradually the light intensifies until ob- e stage are plain. It is the cold bl light that comes before the true dawn—*"The phantom of false morn- ing,” as Omar hs It sh on the on tk A strang: light this— in the power-house of the Sierras nd coming across the State to shine on the mimic mountains of cznvas and light- ing them so truly that they seem no less than the themselves. heph he stage!” orders Father 'ord, and there is a scrambling of assort- ed boys and young men to their places. all are sunk ir the fiction of slumber posed by Mr. Greene as a mother dis- cts on t s it. hills of Bethlehem and ains beyond. mountain-made moun mad real Sierras rds, o nolent baby. Then with the priestly prompter, shepherd, enter and the are about; and over and all is the pale blue of the sleepers stirs, and to him Sadoc says “What too sleapless, Shadrach? ve, “But why are you and I alone awake, When all our kin and ki dreaming?” They go on to discuss the report of the miracles at the birth of Christ, all but one expressing more and more of doubt, when sudcenly the angel appears in a blage of light and shames them on their lack of faith, then points to the Star of Bethle- hem, which suddenly blazes forth in the distance, glowing fiercely with the energy of the Sierran waterfall that lights it. The scene goes on, in its quietness one of the most beautiful of the whole ten. In the ace the camp-fires of other shepherds twinkle eiectrically. In the sky bright stars glitter. They are a special design of star invented by Mr. O'Sullivan twinkle and glitter with much dis' and they more effect thdn the real ones. While the shepherds are discussing the visit of the angel the moon rises, but the star of Bethlehem remains fixed, so show- ing its true character to the shepherds, s, were the astronomers of the country by reason of ‘their habits of observation, acquired\ during their night vigils in caring for their flocks. To them come the wise men of the east, who, by the way, are in this case real wise men and from farther east than the Bible writers dreamed; far they are Filipinos, who are studying medicine ard political economy. The play goes smoothly for a rehearsal, and with so little interruption that Mr. Greene times it to get the acting time. The second scene shows the interior of FHerod's palace, where his sples return, reporting that the holy family had fled, Herod issues his famous ughter of all the first who, in those dz thereupon Ger for born. I the photograph of this scene Mr. Greene is scen occupying the throne of Herod for the time, Herod, also, lke atthew, having overworked himself with studies and play acting. be flashlizht was taken just at the me that Herod was saying *“Kill every- Lody” and the mob is begging for mercy. To give the various methods by which the presence of the Savior is suggested 3 would be impossible. Sometimes it 1s the cross in the distance, again a light from: his halo illumines the stage. At another time Pilate beckons him to ap- pear, and the curtain falls just as the light announcing his coming is culminat- ing its intensity. The strgngest scene of all is probably that where Judas discovers the results of his betrayal of Christ. He comes on the stage solus. “It is there—my work is there, and they are taking him to his death—for what, for what, for what? (Takes out bag of silver.) For this! for these few pieces of silver I have made myself and all mine own accursed forever. *“Oh, lust of wealth, why camest thou irto the heart of man to close it tight against all thoughts save those of grecedy avarice and worldly sin? Better L: poor and cleansed and blest of hea than Judas rich and besmirched fighting ugainst the gates of hell!” Then Judas, starting, sees a praphetic vision. which warns him that through the ages of time the name of Judas shall signify all that means treachery and betrayal arus, ven, and (Boaz enters.) JUDAS—Here word with thee. BOAZ ries oft.) is one I know. (To Boaz) A ~How dare you to s ? (Hur- JUDAS—Sta it with a friend who will. give me lodgment. ABIRON—Not in my house. I'd burn it first. JUDAS to ESROM—Turn thou not, tco, a ; T have money and will share from me. Can all this buy me nothing? ESROM—From murder but not from just men JUDAS to DATHIAN—Through thee alone 1 sinned. Lock! here's the silver that I got. DATHIAN—Accursed is the price of blood. JUDAS—And this is all that you can say? Can you say nothing more than that? DATHIAN—Avye, this: That she who bribes does so But he to keep his own hands free. who takes t. bribe is so def hat one more smirch blurs not his conscience vile. The story of the end, in the scene that rings the curtain down, is beautifully sim- ple compared with the gory tragedy of Oberammerga. JECHONIAS the Publican to AMMON, tering—Ammon, didst thou see the end? AMMON—T covld not. I who knelt beside the cradle, almost at his birth, Spied on him for Caiphas until no longer could I disbelieve 1 heard nis trial and set out to see him die. But that T could not do, lain upon the cross And heard the hammer as they drove the nails into those sacred hands en- for when I saw him REV. FATHER KENNA PRESIDENT JESUT ’ [ COLLEGE °~ I ran away; I could not use mine eye: ears refused to hear. 4 (The twelve disciples enter, bowed with grief.) AMMON—Epeak. PETER-It is finished : Pilate. hearing this, becomes seized with ter- ror and, fearing for his future, appeals to Peter to know if there is no hove for forgivenness, PETER to PILATE—Whoso believes shall be forgiven PILATE—Teach thou me, then, to belfeve. Already my punishment 1s enough. With his death Jerusalem's glory has departed, mine And through me has been cast disgrace on Rome. PETER—But not eternal, Pilate. Forget not this day’s work Be content and his faith shall spread through the world And shine on thee and rule from Rome, (Places left hand on Pilate's head and ratses right. Bright blue light illumines plcture.) “‘Benedicte rax vebiseum." (ALl but Peter kneel and, assisted by cholr, sing “'Gloria in Excelsis Deo.”r (Cartain.) Jta‘e of Fzal h Indicated byl' the Finger Nails. eSr=HAT the mental condition of a pere H son who is suffering from some phy- sical aflment may be judged from the conditicn of his finger nails was recently shown by Dr. Marco, an Itallan physician, who has for some time been making investigations in this direction, According to him a patient whose nalls are not quite smooth, but contain many furrows, is subject to acute daiseases, since it is the inablility to take adequate nourishment, caused by such diseascs, which makes the nails defective, He also maintains that a series of grooves will be found in the nails of those persons men- tally unbalanced, and especlally of those who are periodically aiflicted by some form of mental disturbance, and that from a simple examination of the nalls any skilled physician can tell how frequent and how violent the mental attacks will be. As Dr. Marco has carefully examined the nails of hundreds of patients and is widely known as a sclentist of high rank, his novel doctrine in regard to the value of nails as indicators of health is natur- ally attracting wide attention. CORNELIU T. ll DEVINE il As PONTIVS PILATE |