The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-02-05

self inflicted punlshnents, fasting, con-
LESSONS and donations will take one to
heaven, a vast throng Though mostly
women) will go up from that little re-
public. 1t is no thing for
delicate females to go to the shrine Of
worship upon their knees, over the finty
stones that tear the flesh, and then beat
themselves with leather straps tipped
with nails. The bodies are often thus
punished until the blood runs p%rofusely,
and when the poor creatures can do no
moro they deposit all the money and
trinkets Of value upon the altar and go
home happy, though suffering.
A few years ago NJ man dare ride
through the streets of any CHILEAN city
on Good Friday. Even the cars were
not allowed to run; all business was
stopped and no sound Of wheel or ham
mer or human labor disturbed the reli-
gious silence. In these days of liberal
ism, although the people still dress in
deepest mourning and most Of the shops
are shut, the cars and public carriages
90 about as usual and some business may
be transacted.
The strangest and most impressive
part Of holy week came on the night of
Good Friday, when a long line of female
w~orshipers, led by the dignitaries of the
church and joined by a very few men.
crept to the cross on their knees. They
first knelt in the front yard Of the church
and slowly crawled on their knees
through the grayelly courts, up through
the long hall, until they reached the inn
mr. re fl,a 1T-11pifn1 and coch in f11rp
kissed the wounded foot.
So solemn was the scene that many
Protestants and persons of no particular
religious belief, who came merely to
look, Joined in the worship. 1t brought
rich and poor, aristOcratic and plebeian,
on the same level-servants and ladies
Of high degree, both wrapped III mantas.
side by side.
CELEBRATING HOLY WEEK :
Later, there was a weird tOrChlight
procession, led by the chanting priests
in black robes, followed by a ~ncou
of people who bore in the midst upon
their shoulders a 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 h~onor-little girls with long
curls, artificial wings on their shoulders,
and garlands of flowers upon their heads.
The holy sepulcher was represented by
a large box draped in white muslin, half
revealing a recumbent figure. All these
were surrounded by devotees with lam
terms and candles, and followed by an
y puyhnlaCcr,n rohll r,,oo;,r 1o,41:,-
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 triu1n-
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-
wal re-echOed the sound. Closed doors
flew open, vehicles once more throngel
the streets and business was resumed
with its accustomed noise, while the ex-
cited %populaCe, as if the tragedy of
nearly 100 years ago were just enacted,
vented their pious rage upon efigies 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, inpaled and
torn piecemeal on the niilsides.
VOWS OF ENTHUSIASTS.
Many devout Chilians take a vowt that
if the Virgin will do certain things for
them-such, for example, as to restore a
sick friend to health-they will perform
this or that ceremony, or dress them
selves or their children in a certain color
for a certain length of time. One day |
met IN the streets Of Santiago a hand
some, middle aged lady, dressed entire
ly in white WOODEN, and upon expressing
a surprise at her unsuitable choice of
color was informed, in a tone of pro-
foundest respect for the matron in Ques-
ton, that she was the wife Of & well
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 religiously full
filled.
There are many other pious observ-
ances in Chill that attract the foreign |
er's attention. There are hundreds of
good people who nave 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 n 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 placaS and bario Scourripr +ba