Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-17
from The Stars Travelling Commissioner.

| NV hhOoL lhE LAhh on the
w fiesta day Of Saint Joseph. so as to miss
none Of the strange ceremonials, having been as
sured that the best place to view them was the
balcony Of our own rooms in the hotel. Pres
emily deafening sound of church bells. every
bell in the city being beaten. might and main.
by boys up in the belfres, accompanied by a
terrific fixing of fireworks announced that
something was about to happen.
Down the narrow street came the procession:
first brass band playing lively airs then an
enormous crowd Of priests, monks and nuns,
men. women and children, completely flling
the thoroughfare as far as the eye could see.
and in the midst of all number of life-size
wooden figures, each borne upon platform to
which long poles were dashed, upheld on the
shoulders of bare-headed Indians. Some Of
the images we're carried with comparative ease
| while others were so burdensome that the bear
ers were frequently compelled to lower them
ANONYMOUSLY to the ground, thus hating the
| whole multitude
FESTIVAL OF ST. JOSEPH.
At the head. of course. came San Jose in
whose honor was the celebration, in a yellow
brocaded gown to match his yellow curls. look
ing as meek as his character is generally por-
| trayed. Then came a tall and stately virgin.
| arrayed III blue satin garnished with pearls and
velled like bride. surrounded by billowv puffs
the starry heavens. Among a number of
| other saints and santesses was small
figure. to us unaccountable, but which
received especial respect and attention.
dancing. dressed in n very short. full skirt of
white tissue like that of ballet girl, with a
golden crown upon the long curls of real hair.
a pair OF scales in one hand and a
short, curved sword held aloft in the
other. Each figure was preceded by a
| number of little girls strewing paper
flowers in its path from silver baskets. while,
crowding the pavement on both sides, marched
a multitude of nuns. all with black mantas en-
veloping their bowed heads so that little of
their faces visible. Some of them
wore blue ribbons over their shoulders.
meeting the breast, where a wooden
| cross was suspended. others had crimson rib
bons arranged in the same way. with brass
| cruclfiNes. Some had ropes tied around the
waist. some a long leather strap dangling at the
right hand side. One group was composed OF
| elderly women. dressed precisely like the beg
| glng frIars of San Francisco, with gowns cloaks
ard cowls of rough gray wooden. while the
good sisters of charity appeared in their usual
aprons of the same material and wide white
bonnets starched stiff shingles.
| MONKS OF ALL ORDERS.
There were monks of all orders. The habits
Of some were snowy white from top to toe,
shirts, cloaks. hats and al, while others were as
| black many ravens. There was a multi
| tude of gray friar5 from the Resoleta and fe n
| with large scarlet crosses sewn on their sable
gowns. There the archbishop clad i'm
cardinal. bishops in purple and gold brocade
and acolytes in scarlet and lace swinging
burning censers Several brass bands were
placed at intervals along the line and now and
then the monks and ifriars chanted miserere.
assisted by the shrill voices of nuns and AGO.
lytes. while the rear was brought up by a regi-
ment of soldiers with drawn bayonets march
ing with peculiar swaying motion of their
bodies in time with the musie.
FLAGS AND FIRE woIEs.
Flags were flying from every house top along
the line of march and a constan. fusilade OF
crackers and other fireworks was kept up, &C
companied by the incessant chatter of bells anc
the booming of cannon. On overlooking bal
comics and the fiat roofs of the houses stood
men and women with long poles in their hands
| To the end of each pole was tied a small basket
| the latter edged with wreath of tissue flowers
and filled with dried rose leaves. bits of tinse
and bright-colored paper cut into bits. and al
| the figures passed beneath the poles were thrust
out and the contents of the baskets emptied on
their heads
INTERFERING DECORATIONS
At frequent intervals along the route ropes
house top to house top, dozen ropes in a
group, each closely hung with tiny flags OF
tissue paper in brilliant colors The fallen
| images had a hard time of it to get under these
ropes. The meek San Jose looked in imminent
danger of being beheaded. and was more than
once caught fast by the chin: while the stately
| Virgin had her crown knocked OFF, which was
quickly rescued from the dust by ragged
Indian. who reverently knelt. kissed it, crossed
himself and then climbed like cat with his
dirty bare feet up over the pale blue satin train
and spangled pillows to replace it. Thus. with
| all "pomp and circumstance" the sacred eff
gies were carried from their hone in the church
of San Domingo to the cathedral. where they
were set down among the effigies of the latter
sanctuary while mass said. and then they
| were solemnly carried back again.
| CARRYING THE HOST.
Another procession, dependent upon no
fiesta day. is often seen in the streets Of all Pc
ruvian cities, viz: the holy host being carried
to the bedside of some dying person. First
comes boy ringing hand bell, as for an auc-
ton. Then comes an acolyte in scarlet and
lace, swinging a smoking censor. closely fol-
| lowed by other acolytes, each carrying some
sacred emblem or device, whose use or
lies Then comes the priest, with the
holy ark containing the sacrament,
followed by more priests, more acolytes and
burning incense the rear being brought up by
| squad OF soldiers with drawn bayonets. Over
| the holy ark and the head of the officiating
priest is held gorgeous canopy Of cloth-of-
| gold. When the first tin,:iinS of the bell il
heard men. women and children fall on their
knees in the streets. in the shops, on their bal
comics, no matter for rain or mud or whatever
| NAV betidc kneel Won must, wherever You are,
and as if you meant it. too, unless you do az
some of the heretical ''Grjngos" "a derisive cpl
| tibet applied to Anglo-SaXOns), turn a corner.
| run down a side street, or dodge out of sight al
the first tinkling Of the bell.
ALL MUST KNEEL.
To remain standing while the host is carried
by would certainly entail serious consequences,
for man or woman, citizen or stranger. would
fprobably be knocked down instante- or
marched off to Jail, if not actually shot or
stabbed by some fanatic. have known few
| such cases myself from the cobbler who was
killed in the City of Mexico because he knelt on
his bench instead of on the foor-Roman
Catholic though he was-to an American
tourist right here in Arequipa not many
days ago, who stood open mouthed,
wondering what the queer pro,
cession meant with tinklins bell and band Of
music, when the priest, with a scowl on his
| face, merely glanced at the soldiers behind
him, and two Of them arrested the stranger
and marched him of to Jail. Arrived there, an
| officer demanded to know why in blankety
blank he didn't kneel when he ought to! In
| the few words Of broken Spanish which the
| gentleman could command he finally sue
| ceeded in making il understood that be had
meant no disrepect to the church nor its insti-