National Republican., 1885-11-21

enough-thanks to the lime-there Is lit
tie left to evict, but the three months al
lotted to the vast majority In which to de-
cay is not time enough In obstinate cases.
Bones are sometimes unearthed not yet
quite bare of flesh, and skulls with capil-
larry adornments still clinging TO them. In
walking through these Campo Santos, one
comes upon auch cheerful sights as sec
tlons Of vertebre, ribs, marrow bones, bits
OF shrouds, and broken cofflns at every
step. But thisis by no means the worst Of It.
In. the rear OF each grave yard is q smaller
inclosure which had better not be visited
by persons Of shaky nerves.
THB PLACE or SKULLS.
The first glimpse is warranted 10 make
the strongest man forego his dinner; but
one can get accustomed to all manner Of
things, you know, and generally ends---as
did--by polSing over the homes with an um-
brella to find nice white skull for an ink
bottle. The bones are carted TO this charnel
yard and left In heaps till the annual Gre
nation time comes around, when they
are burned to ashes, and left for the winds
to scatter. Golgotha must have been an
Eden to the place we lately visited. Every
step showed new horror. There weresoores
Of well-preserved collins, still half full OF the
lime which had failed to complete its work,
mixed with shreds OF grave-clothes, their
gay colors scarcely faded. Scattered
about were babies tiny shoes, leather
enough In half-decnyed boots aud slippers
TO set up ST. Crlspm IN trade; women's
combs and other parapbernalia, skulls Of all
sizes, and piles OF bones In the corner OF
the wall higher than mans head. We
noticed q skull matted with long
gray hair, another with long black
tress attached, which doubtless loving
hands have caressed in other days and
dozens OF smaller haads--white and shining
like Nory--evidently those of children.
Naturally, the stencil Is sometimes intoler-
able--enough to give the whole country the
cholera in any other atmosphere; and as
In this mountainous land the Campo Santos
are generally located on hills outlying the
cities, IL Is not TO be wondered at that the
residents Immediately below, who receive
the washings into their wells, die off like
sheep at certain seasons Of the year.
A SAMPLE CEREMONY.
The other day prominent citizen died,
and Betsy and l determined to attend his
funeral, Notwithstanding the custom ex-
GLIDING women. The cathedrals are always
| en,and ndunderpretextofpe performing our de-
votions unusually early, we HE'D us thither.
Imagine gray November morning, at "the
witch-hour" Of 8, n dim old church full Of
ghostly shadows with here and there some
eonseionoe e-striclten creature kneeling upon
|
ing at confessional windows. The funeral
pyramid (pine boards, painted blnck, orna.
mented with skulls and cross-bones and
memento mon inscriptions) occupied The
center Of the church. This pyramid and its
four side pieces, which are shaped exactly
like collins, was stuck full Of splutterng
candles, in whose fickering light the shadows
swayed to and fro, like ghostly vlsitants
| trailing their shrouds behind them, getting
ready to return 10 tho vaults below after a
nocturnal revel., For Betsy's encourage
ment whispered that cheerful stanza:
Somewhere in desolate, wlnd.swopt space;
| In twilight land-in no mans land
Two shiyorlng shapes meet face to face,
And bid each other stand
i And who are your criesone agape,
| shuddoring in the gloomng light.
81 know not,n said the second shape;
II only died last night"
Now the funeral procession enters. Oi
course, all men, who bear the coffin upon
their shoulders and deposit 1t upon black
palled dais in front Of the pyramid. A:
usual, there is no cover upon the coffin, and
the wide-open eyes, with no. more "specu
lationn In them, stare straight up at the
great white cross above the main altar. But
the blood-stained Christ thereon gives nc
sign to that unhoused soul, which seems tc
say, "This day shalt thou be with Me iu
Paradise" At the side Of the cathedral al
image Of the virgin of sorrows, with claspei
hands and dagger sticking in her heart
looks down upon the dead man, as II mourn
ing in place Of the wife and mother, whC
should be there.
A procession of whte-robed priests enters
preceded by boy bearing huge bras
cruciiiX, which he stands at the head OF th
coffin. Then follows a long mass, chanted
by the priests in monotonous minor-tones-
as wierd as an Indian incantation in tn,
wilds Of our own northwest; while mucl
holy water is sprinkled and burning in
cense is shaken till the whole vast pile |
full Of spicy odors. Meantime the sun ha
risen, and his first beams-penetrating
barred window high up under the roof
fall ,aslant the crucifcd Saviour, abou
whose feet some white doves, who max
their home in the church, are joyousl,
twitterlng. Gazing upon that symbol O
the Christians faith we fall to wondering
with the unutterable longing. all huma
hearts feel in the presence Of the drea,
mystery Of death-whether the innumera
BILE procession Of the dead who have "die
In the Lord" during all these eighteen cor
turies are better off to-day, now that thei
bodies are dust, than equally devout TO
lowers'of Buddah, Mohammed, Ooniluciui
or Quitzalcoatl?
Now all that can be said or done for tn
dead man here below Is accomplished, an
were friends and neighbors of this inscruti
BILE thing now called 'ft," the coffin
borne toward the Campo Santo, followed h
the multitude ON foot, each with his lighte
candle. "Come," whispers Betsy, CIV
have caught 'blues' enough this morning
last us a week.n
Outside gentle shower is just passin
over, and rainbow arches the ancient cit
its ends appearing to rest upon the moul
tain tops at either side. Looking down Il
narrow street at the vanishing procession
our thoughts revert TO the weeping wome
in the desolate home, who may not even u
company their beloved on his last sho
journey. But the rainbow spanning Il
skies is an auspicious omen, 81 am Il
Resurrection and the Life; whosoever b
lieveth on Me, though dead, shall Ii,
again !" Though death and sorrow are Il
common heritage, the promise endures f
all land, ,ands we must believe that someho,
somewhere, 1t will be fulfilled.
IN