The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1878-07-25
CORPUS CHRISTI CELEBRAq1os,
TEE OBSERVANCE OF THE FEST I'm lsBE.
VILE.

-
Z OBSERVANCE OF THE FEST TN lsBE-
VILE.
Thursday morning, July 18th, l87S,
dawned as bright aud cloudless as CD
Italian spring day. As The morning
hours grew apaCe, the streets of Abba.
vile began to swarm with a motley as.
semblage of all ages, hues and desorip.
lions, all intent upon seeing the cele.
bration of the feast of Corpus Christi.
Although Corpus Christi day fell upon
June goth, it hal been decided to oelS.
brata the day three weeks later. This,
therefore, we5 the occasion Of such al
outpOuring of people. For several days
previous a large number of boys and
girls had been pursuing a course Of
study in the cateChism, at the Catholic
Church, under the direction of Rev.
Father Mehault, in order to prepare
them for taking their first communion,
which sacrament they were to receive
on the day of the celebration, About
10:45s when the suns rays came down
SO fercely as TO make the therInomstsF
crawl up to Oh degrees in the shade,
after brief sci vices in the church, 2
troop OF hOIse, under the command Of
Capt. +. Feray, advanced out Of tho
c~hurchyard and rode dowl Port strest
to the residence of Nine. Louis Abadie.
Here a fine repository had been erected
for the occasion, aud the command
formed into two detaehments, the Eight
resting on Jefferson street, just below
the reposit Dry, and the lelt higher upon
the same street, ne r the center OF Place
de Madeline. The procession then hled
out of the church to the inspiring strains
of "Hail, Colombia" uttered BY our
brEz5 band with a unison and foi6s
which bespoke well for it's Eusure, wren
we consider that this ives its first at'
tempt in public. First came a long lines
of young girls, all clgl in robes q
snowy whiten each holding IN t9oa
hands a long waxen taper-lndeea .
pretty sighG. A white banner, upoa
which Yves inscribed the eimple legena,
"HonneUr au Travail, !" headed Doay
of young lads J. The image OF the
Blessed Virgin, ca te1 by two young
ladies, followed by q richly trimmed
and worked white silken banner, poTne
aloIG by Miss Eve Leblanc; al.5F Wy
came forr little elves r0bod 10 Wnlt5i
carry .Dg baskets of aOwet5, which tnsy
streWed before the canopy, Goras "
four staIWG1G men, under which WslA29
Father Gonzalez, Of Vermilionvllle, noia'
ing in his appraised hands the crcs5' 1hs
procession had just moved Whea
shower of rain began ID de6,euL
the dust and somewhat daLaPga,
ing the religious ard0r Of lew, wIo
broke ranks and sought shelter; bat tng
majority, however, having already st9lu
the swelteriDg heat without nlnealaE'
with that zeal end devotion which Im
versa!ly chaI E~9teIizej the true Catn0tie'
st9ciily onward 70 the TepesT
tory. Arrived here, the ladies' ivy
Col. William Mouton's Eorgico ana ~
spacious gallery of Mr. =. W. BdWae
residence, opposite the square, We
the vast assambIage knalt in prays.,
Upon the completion of the Sots n
ceremonies the band struck up
Partant POUR II Syrie," the Ing ~
march was again taken up Iot
the baud playing "Ihs
and Blue, " and Is the yasb vi
ioucse pa.3zd into the church, tho Pa8
sweet music from Their sssnJ
n the cburchyarG. The ~attendanee@
was large and much ~eEthasl@,JJ
nenifestzd. Re4ely ell the stores aL
houses were clos51 out OF respes9
he e4lleriss of Wige's store were crown
d with lookers-on, while the sleetss
long the line of the procession ~
med with people. Among the YAM
members of the clergy from ad|olnisS
parishes we noticed Father Gonsilez
7e~rmilionYille, aud Father Uoag4Hieaq
resident of tho College of the n
ross, New Iberia. The day, desPR nd
nelemency, passed off pleasantly, IA
Gill long be looked back at WIN
1osf u1aaHaut re]rolIpctiong,