Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-05
BUILT BY ANGELS.
The Famous Cathedral of Puebla and
Its Gilded Altars-Beauties and
Attractions of the
Legendary Structure - Beautiful and
Saints-Fine Pictures.
Phila1elphia Press.

CITY OF MEXICO, January 5.-PueblG de los
AHgeles Is the title given 10 the City OF Pue-
bla, derived from the old legend, in which
all the native devotees believe with unswerv-
ing faith that the cathedral OF that city was
built by means of celestial aid: for while
slept the sons of earth, who had toiled ali
day with unceasing energy for the compile
tion of their grand temple, during the hours
of the night the white angels of heaven
driffed earthward and completed the labor
begun in the day. As proof OF this statement
the cathedral itself Is shown, surely a solid
and substantial enough looking building To
convince the most obdurate modern ST.
Thomas. And the angels built it."
reiterates your guide, impatient at the IN
credulity your facial features may unwit-
tingly express. Much has been said and
written of this famous cathedral, but. to own
the truth, when l entered great part of the
ready admiration which l had taken along
with me, so as to have an abundant supply
| Tor all appropriate occasions, was cooled off
TO such degree that ii became "crumbly,"
as it were, and would not stick. This made
me rebellious, and my ill-nature arose until
felt in anything but a proper mood, and
was inclined TO maintain that much OF the
splendor was simply barbaric.
tits true that the cathedral is very wealthy,
and has some very beautiful and costly tri-
umpts of art among its decorations. There
is a wonderful chandelier, composed OF gold
and silver, and jeweled saints in all possible
hooks and inches. These saints are none OF
them possessed of lovely countenances, and
my profane memory would keep repeating
the words of George Eliot in the beginning of
ROmOl1, where, upon a similar occasion, she
describes this generation OF wood, plaster
and doubtful virtues as "wry-necked saints,
looking down idiotic establishment and dis
approval"
In the center of the cathedral is the choir,
which is truly NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of
precious woods and deliberately carved. \
chorus OF altar boys, who appeared to be we'll
drilled, were singing, directed by couple of
supplied priests, and now and then the thun-
ders of the organ quivered and trembled up
to the high vaulted roof in perfect storm OF
melody. We wandered through the long
aisles, past the carved confessionals, where,
one may shudder to think, tales of eternal
gnawing remorse, anguish, crime and hor-
ror have so often passed from the
trembling lips of the confessor TO the
willing ear of the priest. The number
of affairs and chapels seemed to me almost
countless. Some of the affairs were en-
tirely gilded-literally affairs OF gold, and
with the most gorgeous decorations in the
way of candlesticks, masses of paper flowers
(which latter | am sure would have most
terrible effect upon even the mildest of
botanists), painted images, pictures of all
olASc, eOunc VI tuciu pOsScrslL8 COuslutEdOAS
merit, and even mirrors Among the pictures
are some fine copies OF the old masters; one
which especially calls attention is the world
famed TRANSPORTATION" of Rafael.
Passing down one of the side aisles we came
upon the altar boys who had sung in the
choir. They wore their long red innel slips
and overdresses of white lace, which at a
distance showed quite prettily, but alas
nearer inspection threw one into philosoph-
ical state of mind, raising reflections concern
ing the many useful qualities of soap and the
blessings of abundant water. They passed
sedately by as, but the arch twinklings of
their shining black eyes showed that they
were boys to the core, notwithstanding their
churchly dignities and the sweet power OF
their young voices in the chant. Seated near
one of the confessionals l noticed an old
priest with one of the most beautiful faces
l have ever seen. Surely his countenance
would afford a fine study for old age as it
ought TO be, serene, compassionate and dig
ni6ed, and crowned with the silver halo
which Time had brought to glorify the final
years of life whose fair written pages showed
no stain of sin.
After seeing all we could of the interior of
the cathedral, we sought the stairway which
leads to the top of the tower. After consider
able skirmishing in the wrong places and with
the wrong persons, we at last found the old
keeper of the tower, who, in consideration of
a mild fee of two meals twenty-five cents)
gave US the desired permission to ascend. We
began our ascent of the spiral staircase, closed
in by heavy gray stone walls, and so narrow
that it was impossible TO conceive of a very
stout person pushing through il at all Occa-
sionally We stopped to rest at one of the long
windows slit in the deep wall. like loop hole
in some old feudal castle. Stair-climbing at
this elevation of 1910 feet above the level of
the sea is no light task, but when at last we
reached the top and stood in the open belfry,
we were rewarded for our pains by the sight
of the lovely valley OF Puebla, in the center
of which we appeared to stand. There, about
200 feet below us, lay the city; the people
looking like children from our aerial point
of view, and the ancient city with its solid
blocks OF dingy houses lying fat beneath our
feet.
Here and there rose the mighty dome of some
old church, more or less affected by the ruth
less flight of Time, who, in his swift passage
has no more respect for churches than he has
for people, and takes occasion to knock off
tile here and there, or set an old tower to
crumbling. All these churches, and there are
many, are built in the form of a cross, the
dome rising in the center between the arms
Some of the domes are covered with blue and
white tile, which appear strangely enough to
a foreigner. Oilers again. are entirely over
grown with green moss. One of these latter
that 1 noticed particularly was terribly
broken in many places by the cannon balls Of
the French. Beyond the city circles the green
valley, inclosed by the eternal ring of gray
and purple mountains, among whose peaks
show tall and conspicuously those OF Ma
linche and Arizava, while in an opposite d.
rection snow-shrouded Popocatapetl and
Ixtacihuatl yearn heavenward, as if in an
e.