The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-29
CELEBRATING HOLY WEEK.

CELEBRATING HOLY WEEK.
Later, there was weird torchlight
procession, led by the chanting priests
in black robes, followed by a concourse
of people who bore in the midst upon
their shoulders company of life size
images representing all the saints, each
clothed in flowing velvet robes. Among
them was the blessed Virgin, arrayed in
white tarlatan, attended by four living
maids of honor-little girls with long
curls, artificial wings on their shoulders,
and garlands OF flowers upon their heads
The holy sepulcher was represented by
large box draped in white muslin, half
revealing recumbent figure. All these
were surrounded by devotees with Ian
terms and candles, and followed by an
unwholesome rabble, running, jostling
and pushing on every side.
On SATURDAY morning, the last Of holy
week, especial services were again held
in all the churches, which were still
gloomily draped in black. The priests
entered in procession, and there was a
great deal of extinguishing and lighting
of candles, tinkling of bells and other
ceremonies whose import we did not
comprehend, until 10 o'clock, when sud
denly the black wells which shrouded
the affairs were drawn aside, displaying
the shrines ablaze with candlesticks and
abloom with flowers; a peal of trium-
plant music burst from choir, organ,
band and bells, and the glad cry arose,
Christ is risen"
The cannon of the fort Numbered the
joyful tidings and the national ships-of-
war re-echoed the sound. Closed doors
flew open, vehicles once more thronged
the streets and business was resumed
with its accustomed noise, while the ex-
cited populace, as if the tragedy Of
nearly 1900 years ago were just enacted,
vented their pious rage upon effigies of
Judas lscariot. Poor Judas was made
to suffer every punishment that human
ingenuity could invent-he was drowned
in the sea, dragged through the streets,
burned at corners, hanged, impaled and
torn piecemeal on the hillsides.
VOWS OF ENTHUSIASTS.
Many devout Chihans take VOW that
if the Virgin will do certain things for
them-such, for example, as to restore
sick friend to health-they will perform
this or that ceremony, or dress them
selves or their children in certain color
for certain length of time. One day l
met In the streets of Santiago a hand
some, middle aged lady, dressed entire
~ In white wooden, and upon expressing
a surprise at her unsuitable choice of
color was informed, in tone of pro-
foundest respect for the matron IN ques-
ton, that she was the wife of a we'll
known wealthy citizen, who, having
lost several children, vowed that if her
last babe was spared she would dress
not only it, but herself, in nothing but
white for ten years. The child lived
and the VOW is being rehgiously full
filed.
There are many other pious observ-
ances in Chill that attract the foreign
er's attention. There are hundreds of
good people who have a custom of expi-
ating their sins for a whole year by a
nine days period of penance during
Lent. In every town there is a house
provided expressly for the purpose and
IN charge of priests, where the penitent
spend their nights alternately praying
and thraShing one another. Those who
are too infirm to use the scourge punish
themselves by reciprocal pinchings.
The lights are extinguished, and at a
signal from the priest the penitents
change places and begin scourging the
nearest sinner with a vim that cannot
leave any doubt of the sincerity of their /
contritlon.-New York Advertiser.