Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-22
THE DEAR DEPARTED.
How the Dead Are Laid Away and
Cared for in Chilli.
SOME CURIOUS CUSTOMS.
Children Preserved for Day. Amid Rsasting
and Observation-Disclosures Of Cnsts Even in
the Cesnetsry-After n hOpposition Grave
yards Are Thrown Open to All.
rom The Stars Travelling Commissioners.


CoNcEPcIoN. CHILL, August /, 1891.
A SOUND OF MUSIC ATTRACTED ME To
"A the window this morning; and what dc
you think saw? A mahogany-hued peon, o,
Gillian peasant carrying on his outstretched
hands board about five feet long and on the
plank dead child, attired in Q red calico
frock. The small corpse was that Of girl
apparently five years old. The lower extremi
ties were encased in white cotton hose, ga
world too wide for the shrunk shank" a
jaunty wreath Of paper roses crowned the
smoothly braided jet-black hair; the cheeks
we're horribly daubed with vermilion to simu.
late the hue Of health, and the wide
open eyes seemed starting into infnity. The
plank bearer was followed by two women, evil
IDENTIFY the mother and grandmother of the de.
ceased, who walked with the air of conscious
importance as becomes those who have fur
nished an ''angelita' Qittle angel to swell the
heavenly host. Behind the women marched
two men. playing with might and main, one
| on fiddle. the other on guitar, each intent
on tune OF his own, regardless Of the other
performance. while the rear was brought up by
a laughing and chattering dozen or more OF
| men. women and children. most of whom gave
indubitable evidence of unwise generosity on
somebody's part in the way of chioha.
They were on the way to the pantheon to in
ter the little angel" over which they had been
dancing and drinking three DAYS past, and
| which, possibly, had been loaned once or twice
| in the meantime to friends who were not so
! fortunate AS to have corpse in the family.
Among the more degraded class of Chilians it
| Is general custom to make death an excuse
| Tor orgies as wild and ridiculous as those OF an
| ultra-lrish wake, and the body of a child espe-
cially is often kept for festive purposes until it
becomes offensive to all who approach the
| house.
FUNNY SIDE TO FUNERALS.
In this queer country there is a funny side
even to funerals. member Of the U. s. N.
astronomical expedition in Chill, made some
years ago. tells the story of a common occur
renee. Says he: Returning late one night
from dancing party had the opportunity
OF witnessing festivities of quite different
character. Passing in front of small casa my
attention was attracted by loud singing and
shouting within. woman who stood in the
doorway, seeing me pause. invited me to enter.
What Is going onf asked.
'Estamos velandO un angelita de Dios'
Eve are watching angel OF Cod, she re-
piled.
MY curiosity being aroused by such an an
swer entered. The room was crowded with
men and women Of the lower classes, engaged in
drinking and clapping their hands to the music
OF two females, who sat on the floor, guitar in
hand, singing drawing dirty, the burden of
which was the happiness Of something or some
body in heaven. But the most prominent OBJ
ject was kind Of rude altar, set round with
lighted candles and ornamented with tinsel
flowers. In the midst Of these sat the life-sized
figure OF an infant, dressed in tawdry finery,
adorned with gauze wings, its face profusely
painted red and white. 1t is the image
OF some saint, / said to myself, aud
was turning away, when q second glance con-
WINGED me there was something unusual about
this figure. The hair looked very natural, the
eyes were strangely vacant and flmy, and even
| the finger nails we're perfectly formed. There
| seemed to be good deal too much of art for
nature, and yet too much nature for art. / APP
preached to scrutinize it more closely, and was
| Mortified to discover that it was a corpse.
"'Wbat is thatI, / asked Of bystander.
I'm anseiita, senor,' Gan angel, sir), he re-
Piled.
"A what?'
ga dead child, sir
Il was afterward informed that those watch
| lngs are very common throughout the rural
| districts OF Chill and that frequently they were
continued, with music, dancing and drunken
ness, night after night, until the corpse becomes
too offensive for endurance. One can UNDER
stand how refined sentiments may induce the
bereaved mother to strew the bier of her in
| FAINT with fresh fowers-emblems of youth,
beauty and innocence--but this display OF paint
and tinsel, this maudlin biasphcmy and mid
night debauehery in the presence Of the dead,
is revolving"
Among the better classes of Chilians funerals
| are conducted on pretty much the same plan rs
In other civilized countries, except that here
ladies never attend them. 1t is customary for
all the friends and acquaintance OF the af-
nicted family to pay them visits Of coincidence
within ten days after the obsequies. For a
month the mourners are expected to sit in one
corner OF a darkened parlor. The condolinR
callers approach them, one after another occupy
the nearest chair for five minutes or more
while expressing their sympathy for the living
and regret the dead hen 10 tbo;r hor.
and retire as succeeding arrivals move up.
refreshment table is generally spread in an ad-
joining apartment, at which visitors may
Iortify themselves for the onerous duty Of
friendship, or refresh themselves after its per-
Torrance.
AN HISTORIC INCIDENT.
Among many odd incidents pertaining to
funerals the following is still much talked Of
hereabouts. Some ten years ago well-known
| country faithfully and lived sans petr ct sans
reproche as Gillian citizens Co. quarreled with
the middle-aged mother Of his half dozen chill
dren. She took French leave" one night, and
nothing was heard Of her afterward. Having
| remained in single blessedness a year or two,
| without being able to ascertain whether the
runaway wife was living or dead, the gentle
man took younger woman to wife, contrary
to the wishes Of the church Shortly after the
second marriage he became so sick that his life
was oCopulAc VI. Va COuEbc tue ITIeuOB benG
for a priest who came, and commanded
the dying man to renounce the new wife be-
fore he could receive absolution. This the
husband refused to do, and the priest retired
In high dudgeon without leaving behind the
desired pass through purgatory. The man
grew rapidly worse, and the priest was called
again, and yet again. the latter always making
the same demand, with the same result
Threats followed Of direst eternal conse-
quences; and finally the poor, harrassed man,
unable to give up the ghost in peace, seized a
revolver from under his pillow and drove the
priest from the rooms
Half an our later he was dead-and the church
refused to bury him. The family appealed to
| the mayor Of the city, who ordered his burial;
the priests appealed to the bishop of Concep-
cion, who declared that he should not be
buried. Here was q pretty kettle of fsh
Nobody would ever think Of being buried in
other than ''consecrated ground" and in those
days the cemeteries all belonged to the church.
| The president Of the republic was appealed to.
and he overruled the bishops ruling, and
ordered that the man be buried in the ceme-
terry. There was no gainsaying this verdict,
and the bone Of contention" was finally in
| TERED. But the matter did not end
there, for the whole nation became
stirred up about 1t. For months the un-
savory subject was in everybody's mouth. the
| newspapers teemed with its pros and coma and
adherents Of both sides OF the controversy
made it test case Of 'strike for your affairs
and your fires, strike for the green graves of
your sires," or, moro properly epeakino for