The New York herald., 1879-01-06

form of . dead parent He believed it all in CON-
plete humility. and it was beautiful coming as we
did out of the icy. cynical world. our minds filled
| with Eastern questions and Spanish politics. and
| tavern charges and Tammany Hall elections-it WAS
| beautiful to see the loyal acceptance our friend
gave to his treasures. This little glass tube. for
| instance; 1t might be vial from the pharmacy,
with drops but il contains fragment Of the purple
robe that was thrown our Saviour. You can
that the robe retains its color. although there is
not enough to button on your wsistcoat.
That fragment. larger than the tip of your little
finger is fragment of the which our blessed
| Lord was nailed. and this that you can idimly see
through the darkened glass is Of the thorns that
\ pierced His gracious brows. This bone. which, Il
| you smell. gives out fragrance like musk or ln-
cense was bone Of saint-Lawrcnce, If re-
member; while the faded altar cloth covered with
glass used by Beckett when he served the mass
| in Canterbury. There iron weapons which were
used in early days to torture the Christians, anu
more interesting than all are some manuscripts OF
! st. Teresa-"Theresa of Jesus: she signs her.
SELF st. Teresa has always boon favorite saint.
The motive OF her life beautful-self-denial.
eefsacriace, doing her work in humble ways, with
out pretence, without ambition Your saints who
did extravagant things are very good in their way
and God forbid that r. mere sinner wandering in
dark and wicked ways should dare to crtcise those
whom church has deemed holy. If ST. Denis car
ried his head under his arm. and st. Ignaius made
religion battle and lived in constant war with his
enemies, it was their way of devotion. st. Teresa
lived her life for the good she could do-like the
field flower that blooms under the rock. blooms
from the felicity Of blooming. and after doing its
part fades into the darkness and the dew. If ever
build q church it will be to st. Teresa. Building
churches however, is thing which many we'll
meaning person means 20 do some day without ever
doing it, like joining the Masons. or owning yacht
or subscribing for the North american Reriec or
becoming a reform candidate for Congress. So give
St. Teresa my bencdiction. and thanking the priest
for opening his treasures, we wander out into the
corridors. -'
TIrrAN's 'IAsr SUPPER"
There pictures to be seen although the best of
them are down at tho Madrid Museum. remember
the Last supper OF Titan, among the greatest of
his works. Last suppers have never been a satis-
factory theme in art. You might call them anything
The motive does not appear can understand how
Titan's men might have been apostles. fishers Of
men, saviors Of men; can understand that the man
Jesus looked even so when He was with us. So much
strength, SO much purity, so much resignation-the
painter with his brush telling the story Of mans
redemption The scene is the moment when Christ
announces His betrayal and His departure John
leans the table in agony Of grief, while Jesus
with loving TOUCH rests one hand on his shoulder
The other hand rests the table, the fingers ex-
tended in the act Of conversation. The hand tells the
story and as a study Of hands alone-of ex.
preston as found in the hand--this picture is
a marvel Note for instance the group ut the
extreme left of the picture AJew-some follower or
friend Of tho aposes-comes in hastily and whispers
his message. The grief, the horror of the message
are expressed in tho hands, OF which falls the
breast in despair, while the other inadvertently
clutches fragment or bread the table, as though
it would dare fate. Sorrow grief, anger, fear even
remorse are written the varying faces. while over
all the holy presence falls like benediction,
and you can almost hear the words Of hope and
resignation Divine lips How well this work is
donel How the coors glow, as though they had
been painted only yesterday And yet three centuries
have passed since they flushed on the canvas.
There is a Jacob and his children, from yelasquez,
which shows the character but not the strength of
that great master. Even gallery OF art the
Escurial would be worth studying it not that
all galleries in Spain thrown into the shade by
the unrivalled collection in the museum at Madrid.
THE GRANDEUR OF THE CHURCH.
| But the church, Somehow it disappoints us; and
vet we delight to stroll about it, and it grows, and
in tno idea Of tho builder the idea OF space SIM
| pie space becomes impressive. You have something
the icelin9 WITH Whcn st. Ieter mpfeSseS you-
disappointment at first, and in the end The
Escurial Church does not compare with st. Peters
in magnitude in splcndor Of conception. But 1t ID
noble thought and grows upon you more and moro.
| The mind is not carried away by decorations and
| perplexties of moulding and stone carving il
| some of the modern churches. You miss the mar
esty OF the Gothic art. in which every line seems
aspiration for better life ana where the devotion of
generations finds expression in stone But the SIM
pcity OF it. the repose the subordinaton Of every
thing to the idea of worship. make the Church of
| the Escural memorable among religious monuments.
We went mp into the choir. where the monks sat in
monkish days and chanted their prayers. There
were the rows of seats in hard wood plainly carved
we'll worn and tawny with generations of devotees.
In thecorner the seat of Philip. The King came
with his monks and said his prayers. Here he sat
chanting his mserercs like cowed friar. You sit In
the royal and look ont upon the space and
trace tho decorations of the altar and think Of the
gaudy tomb, where rests so much greatness and am
bition, and try to comprehend this Escurial which
falls upon you with OF oppression, 1t IL SO
gloomy and sombre and strange. and to out the
mind Of the unhappy tyrant who vainly sought
refuge from himself. All have vanished-the monks
with their cowls. the king with his crown the armies
he commanded. the princes who feared him. tho
majesty that was omnipotcnt-an have vanished.
The church remains and priests stiil rccite their off,
ces and pray that the glory OF Philips days may
turn TO Spain. Ills sceptrc and his remain;
but, alasi under what conditions! They ere but
shadows OF what he left behind him. and so nckle is
the world that any moment storm may come and
even the shadows will depart
roon MERCEDES! BRIDE AND QUEEN.
Hero for moment Let us pause at an altar. before
| which lamps are burning. overladcn with flowers
and immortellcs and beads aud every form of deco
ration This s the resting place of tile young Queen
Mercedes-hcr temporary resting place before she is
gathered into the Pantheon to sleep with her ances-
tors. In January she was bride, in June she was
corpse--all in this year. Spain is in mourning for
her. She was so young. so beautiful. such winning
| little thing. In January she married in San
Autocha. Montpenser leading her to the altar. and
never was such a pageant known in Spain. The