“THE MIRACLE.”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 36, 4 June 1914, Page 7

“THE MIRACLE.”

FRIDAY NIGHT’S GREAT PICTURE

On the banks of the Rhine stands a great nunnery, whose Gothic dome shelters a renowned image of the Virgin and the Child. To this shrine, famous for many cures and miracles, thousands of believers have hocked through long centuries, and it is about the legend of the greatest miracle of all that “The Miracle,” to he presented at His Majesty’s Theatre tomorrow night, deals so vividly. The narrative is from a German legend, and is in reality a vivid dream of Sister Megildis, who in it sees herself selected by the Church to go forth into world, there to encounter trials, and pass through varying vicissitudes in order to demonstrate to sinners the power of the Church to ultimately recall its erring ones to sanctity. The scenario is one of the most powerful over written, and is full of religious sentiment. Very briefly told, it is as follows:—The young Sister Sacristan is left to perform her office of extinguishing the candles, 'dosing the portal and tolling the vespers. At the moment of which she approaches the portal, a group of children, led by an unknown minstrel, appears outside. His instrument predominates ever louder and more passionately over the children’s dance-songs. The young nun herself can no longer resist the hiring melodies, her entire body unconciously begins to move to the music, her feet begin to slide, and the young Sacristan forgets her duties and tinkeys in a light, gentle dance of spring.. Outside a knight has come along unobserved. The Abbess advancing from the left side, with two other sisters, gazes in astonishment at the Sister Sacristan and the unknown knight. Megildis attempts to hurry to the side-aisle in order to toll Ave Maria, which she has forgotten in her worldly thoughts. The Abbess prevents her from doing so by a stern gesture, and orders her to spend the whole of the night kneeling before the miraculous image. Night has approached. The light of the moon streams in through the larg" rose above the organ. The young Sister Sacristan is lying in fervent v! r, motionless, before the Virgin’s imago. From without a rapping at the portal is heard three times’. It is the knight, who hears the Sister away as the dawn breaks. . . Out of sweet compassion and to shelter the frail fugitive, the miracuiuos image comes to life, slowly descend; from the altar, takes the garment, the veil and the keys of the fugitive Si ;ter Megildis, and attires herself with the holy vestments. Then she slowly advances towards the portal, locks the door, and carries out,humbly the duties of tho unfaithful Sister. The Abbess is the lirst to discover that the miraculous image is gnu. She forcibly raises the praying figure, by the arm, and interrogatively points to the empty altar. The Abbess bids tho Sister account for the absence of tho miraculous image; A group of nuns encircles the guilty sistpr, and menaces the nun. But suddenly the nun appears as it lifted above the- ground by invisible hands. All fall praying upon their knees, all faces, are .bowed before tho miracle. .( '. l The I ’Knight and the Sister ride’ through the forest; where a band under the Robber Cduut meets them and they .lire subjected to insult; the Sister is forced to dance before them, undi eventually -the- Knight as killed at the court of the King. The Prince claims her for his own. The Courts'disputes this and after a throw of the diqe, the Count takes his own life. Then the Prince and later the King come to their death through the Sister, Ai cry is raised against the Sister who is proclaimed as a. witch, and she is sentenced to death. But her beauty casts a spell over all the people. The executioners refuse to carry out the* death sentence, and eventually she is, snatched away from the judges by the people and set upon a white horse and led a,way in triumph. The scene changes. A troup of soldier-churls pass with their bag-gage-waggons. Among the women that follow is.the sometime Nun Megildis, ruined and outcast,; q newborn babe in her arms. She breaks down by the wayside and remains lying in the snowi Everyone has an insulting gesture for her. When tho last troop has passed, a sound of a convent boll and a distant children’s song is_ heard in the deep stillness. A radiant, warm gleam of light falls over the snow as if from the open portal of a church at. Christmas. Megildis tears herself away, and, pressing her child to her bosom, hurries towards the near sound of the bell and towards the gleam of light.

It is Christmas Eve in tho Convent Church, Tho altar upon which stood the miraculous imago is still empty, and now is seen the return of the image. Outside the night-wind is heard whistling. With a mournful smile she advances to tho deserted altar, lays down the keys, veil and garment, and again stands in the rich brocade robe of tlio image. Then she slowly, and as in pain, again mounts the empty altar, # and looks once more at the portal. Her smile grows unearthly and fixed. Her body rigid and lifeless. Her arms are outstretched and empty. . . There is a gentle' knocking. Upon the threshold is tho Sister Megildis, her child in her arms. She raises herself with difficulty, and moves, as if dazzled, into the interior of the

church. The child has fallen from her arms. She does not notice it, and goes, as if in a dream, towards

the gracious image of Mary. Sudclently :-ho recognises her vestments, her v n il, and the keys, lying on the ground before the imago. She takes all those unconsciously, and again stands there as Sister Sacristan. She looks round in astonishment. Site remembers her child, which is lying on tho ground, then discovers that it dead. In despair, she thrusts the dead body into the arms nf the imago, when it is instantly transformed into the lost figure of the Sacred Child. A miracle has happened. Startled by the sudden and jubilant ringing of tho hells at night, the nun* rush in. They find the Sister Sacristan stretched motionless upon tho ground, and tho miraculous imago again in its obi place. In tho general and joyful excitement and astonishment, the Abbess berms over the Sister Sacristan, who begins slowly to move.' The Nun Megildis keeps her gaze rigidly fixed upon the imago of the Virgin, with the child in her arms. Epon her face slowly appears a blissful, believing sails.