The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1893-01-21
THE GOOD CANON.

~ WIZ y ~ .NNJ.Ns
The canon of Marineda resided in the
same house with his sedate and elderly
housekeeper, and he had cat and Il
thrush--one of those which are called
maloises in Galicia, that whistle and
trill In the most remarkable manner and
can initiate all the other songstcrs.
The canons residence was not only
PLAIN. but even poverty stricken, and
showed no signs of the scrupllous neat
ness usually the chief characteristic of
those who wear a priestly garb, for
you must know that tine canon's house,
keeper, Dona Ramona Nillardos Caba
leiros, had formerly been Il lady of rank,
and therefore She was resolved to do as
little homework us possible. She WAS
fond OF dwelling ON the past and of Civ
ing herself completely up to dolcful rec
elections, ignoring the fact that there
were such things as sweeping and cook
ing to he attended to.
Such scenes as the following were
therefore of frequent occurrence at the
priests dwelling: He would come in
after saying mass, and while he hung his
cloak and hat ON a nail his stomach
would clamor loudly for nourishment, re
minding him that it was time to take his
cup of chocolate. Fortified 10y prospect
of this comforting beverage, he would
sit down to wait until that nutritious
beverage should be brought to him
But, alas! aquartcr of an hour would
elapse, and then another, without any
signs of his breakfast. Finally he would
timidly and gently call TO the house
keeper:
''Dona Ramona! Dona Ramona!"
AT the end of ten minutes a dolcful
voice would reply:
What do you want"
All where is my cup of chocolatei"
Alas calculated the suffering du-
ena, Il cannot attend to anything today.
Do you know what day it isl
YES, Thursday. Feb. g. st. Dorothy
and ST Revocata."
just so--thc anniversary of the tav
ON which felt so happy and was sud
denly shocked by receiving the news
that my brotherin-law, the major, had
the Lord grant me patience to bear up
under my atfliction.'
The worthy, good natured canon never
dared to ask the dame whether the fact
that her brother-in-law had died of vel
low fever was any reason why her mas
ter should be starved to death He
would meellly open the cupboard in the
Kitchen take ont IL piece of chocolate
from its greasy wrapper and nibble at it
awhile, washing it down with Il glass of
water. Then he would cndeavor to
comfort Dona Ramona, who was usually
smiling on the sofa, with her face tied up
in handkerchief
"Dona Ramona, you should be resign
ed to your lot. You ought not to rebel
against God. Come now; if you keep on
crying we shall no longer be friends"
And so on. sometimes for hours at a
time.
Occasionally the canon, with those
very hands which shortly before had
raised the consecrated host, would be
to perform the humble office
of washing potatoes or preparing vege-
tables for his broth.
However, these things did not worry
him as much as his lack of oratorical
gifts and his failure to console the trou-
bled housekeeper's spirit, for if the
worthy canon ever had any longing it
was to be eloquent. He would have
given his right hand in order to be able |
to compose striking sermon. Every
time that silver tongued Jesuit would |
ascend into the pulpit and deliver fiery
address railing against the irreligious
theories of Draper and of Strauss, who |
were totally unknown in Marineda, or
some young priest cut after the pattern
IF CASTELAR, would discourse about "Ju-
1aical hard heartedness' and the .epoch |
If the reconquest' or 1.-The light of civ
lization spread from Golgotha," the
worthy canon was not consumed with
envy, for he was incapable of such a
but he would become pain
'ully conscious of his own deficiencies
md would lament his own incapacity
or preaching.