Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-20

Guadalupe, corresponding somewha to our
Christmas) many pious people climb the
mountain, painfully and laboriously on
their knees, marking the rocky pathway
with their blood. The number of these
penitential pilgrims has grown smaller
year by year, however, and now none but
poems and Indians attempt thus to win
heavens favor.
About half way up this Catholic Mecca
stands the ruined convent, San MERGED
while at the foot of the mountain-on the
other side, beyond the town-the oldest
church of the section built in 1852 is
slowly crumbling, though yet in constant
use. They tell US that in " the good OLD
days" when the Church of Rome
reigned triumphant here, the marri-
age fee was so exorbitant that none
but the wealthy could ever hope
to indulge in the luxury of that little
ceremony. To the poorest it was altogether
impossible, and even Woodworking me-
chanic could scarcely save the required
sum out of his slender earnings III fifty
years of closest economy. As natural
consequence the lower classes herded to-
gether without pretense OF leave or
license" But, to their credit be it said
ADdl. dS q IllIt. Liz NdtAlCdl pun. l1hO AliNSt
Indians, are instinctively virtuous. They
generally live together, the one man with
the one woman till death divides them,
rearing their children as conscientiously-
according to their lights-as many OF their
betters who are bound by ties OF church
and State.
Many years ago
TIE MONKS OF LA BUFA
Married people for more moderate bonus
than would the priests in the city, and
therefore it came about that for economy's
sake, multitudes went to the mountain-top
to have that ceremony performed. But the
fee even there was crown, sum often
unattainable; and hence the holy fathers
consented to receive any articles of value
as security for future payment. Frequently
the poor people had nothing in the world
to pawn but the donkeys upon which they
rode; so, many loving couples left their
little beasts on deposit and trudged home
happy, hand in hand on foot. By and
by the sacristie became novel
sort of pawnbroker's shop-whose sign
was cross instead of three golden balls
stocked with so many and diverse COM
modities that the monks were in sore di-
lemma what to do with the continually in
creasing store. The donkeys, especially
being somewhat bulky on deposit and ex-
pensive to maintain-became a grievous
burden, roaming about over the bare hill,
and making the welkin ring with their I'M
musical braying. At length the thrifty
friars concluded to put them to service in
carrying water down to the city from
spring high up on the Bufa beside the little
church. As it was the only good water in
the vicinage, and as the people were as
sured that it gushed forth miraculously
from the solid rock when the Virgin of La
Rufa put her sacred foot upon that spot
it readily sold for two sous a donkey-load.
The beasts being seldom reclaimed and
constantly multiply wing, their usefulness as
water carriers was continued for a century
or more, during which time the industry
yielded the church more than q million
francs
EXoRBITANT CLERICAL FEES.
The days are not long past when one of
the greatest evils in Mexico was the ex-
brilliant fees demanded by the Church for
every service which they could induce the
people to believe was essential to spiritual
welfare. The " Amended Constitution of
the Liberal party-which came into power
with Juarez-has greatly modified these
abuses, making marriage a civil contract
and suppressing ecclesiastical tribunals
yet the majority OF the poOrest-and there
fore most ignorant-classes stick relig
iously to all the olden ceremonials of the
Church, which still; charges so much for
its services that few can afford them. Ac-
cording to the ideas of these Catholic In
dams confession, absolution, confirmation.
infant baptism and funeral rites are not
TO be dispensed with = though the
form of, a marriage ceremony may
be omitted. As thousands of them
are so poor that they cannot count
with certainty upon enough to keep the
gaunt wolf of hunger from their door,
many wretched soul has been compelled
to go trembling into eternity without that
absolution which is deemed necessary to
future peace; and many a mourning
mother has consigned her child to eternal
torment las she belieyed) because unable
to pay for baptismal or confirmation fees.
We are told that to-day the baptismal
bonus is s. confirmation, SO; marriage
ceremony, SIT; and funeral ceremonial,
$40; state of things which adds to death
a double sting, and
INCREASES THE TERRoRs OF MATRGMoNY.
1t is related that a man died last year in
Zacatecas, whose familv-having once been
in better circumstances, but now reduced
could not raise money enough to pay for
burial service without calling upon public
charity, which would necessitate interment
in Potter's field, and this they would not
consent to. None can be buried in the con-
secrated ground of the Campo Santos
without priestly services, and in doubt
full cases the priests refuse to render
them till the cash is in hand. In
vain the relatives of the cadaver aforesaid
offered to pawn their household goods
or any of their belongings as
security for future payment-the
obdurate man of God would have
nothing to do with the funeral under any
such arrangement. The distressed widow
and her daughters, not knowing what to
do. shut themselves in the house with
their dead, and thus matters stood till the
poor corpse began to decay. At last the
Governor heard of it, and, for the health
of the living, was obliged to take the mat
ter in hand. Not being himself Catholic,
but unable to persuade the widow to con-
sent to any other burial, he finally ordered
the dead man to be carried to the priests
own door and left there, after which, it is
needless to add, speedy burial took place,
though minus the usual consideration.
FANNIE B. WARD.