Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-13

ohrysanthcmums. pathways laid out In old
fashioned style; no privacy. no clolster, then
tho open country, the nolds, aad peasants
passing by in the rosd.
Amid the old fashioned pathways laborors
wero circulating famlarly OK carts, whose
wooden wheels, In the old Roman STYLE give
forth that pcculiar gruaniny noise witch is
heard on all tho roadways In the Basque
country, 50 IN and out. nllcd with red and
yellow elder apples. leaving behind trail OF
pungout odors. IhcyAre driven by peasants.
who sing undcr tho narrow windows old
time love songs without thought to the
saneityof tho place. Indeed. around the
Jesuit convent thoro Ia an air Of we'll being,
abundance, peace and profound security
We left tho fonda and went out into the
bright suushinc; we wandered through tho
flower beds Of this gloomy convent one OF
It's doors opened; Il WIS that Of the school
building, or such IL seemed, for about thirty
little boys came out jumping and shouting
aud an old priest, In the black robe OF tho
order, hastencd to close the shutters Of tho
first floor wlndows-in order TO allow thcm
to play safely. For some time their childish
laughter echoed gayly ngains, tho somhrc
wallis ,hon they dispersed over tho fields and
silence relgned once more, tho silence OF
naturci no one else passed. by, as mld-day
drew near sun bccoming warmer and
warmer frightened the ehrysanthemum bods
and shonc on tho magnificent marble stair.
case.
l ascendod to the chapel The great doors,
gorgeously sculpturcd from top 10 bottom
and richly ornamented In copper arr so well
| polished that they shine like new. notwith.
standing their great age. No church has
doors 20 carefully cared for, From tho very
ilrst moment you receive an Impression OF
wealth. persistence and strength.
There was no ono In sight, we put out
our hands and gently pushed the sculptured
door, IL yielded and opened Il even seemed
that there was nothing to keep it closed,
And then the splendors Of the interior burst
upon us.
An immense round church. In tho conlrc
a circular colonnadc, massive and elegant, Of
marble. almost black, cnnchtd with hno
threads OF gold supporting dome much
brighter IN color, Of grey and rose oolorcd
marble This dome IL dccomtod with a
sorie- Of shields In grcy and gold marble.
ranged In a circle, each shield resting on
royal mantle equally In marblo) drped in
graceful folds tho outside OF the mantle was
n worry pale pink and tue inside tho lining, II
one might call q 80, wus Of a brighter pinl, /,
tho whole had tho appearance OF aiming por-
cclAin. And above each of the black columns,
which supported the rose colorod DOME
stood a white statue. standing out from the
beautifully dnpod mantlos, u whole company
Of percentages at snowy whitoncss, IN utti-
tudas Of meditation aud prayer.
At the upper end Of tho church. iaclng the
doorway. stands tho marvellous sanctuary
the main altar is entirely OF brown agate.
studded with mosaics OF precious stones In
dinepnt oolora whlte predominhting. Around
the tall twisted nsato columns eplrals OF
mosaic ribbons twincd themselves. In tho
centrc stood liie-siae statue OF St. lgnatIus.
In ropousso and chased silver
Around the outside OF the central rotundn
w0ro smaller affairs Of brown and groy
marbles, ornamcnted with beautiful statuea.
whose gilded yestmonts had that peculiar
sparkle which gold taSos upon itsoli whom
laid on marble,
Nothing was ovorladon; there was an
austcre moderation amid all this inagnin-
csnco; the natural colorlng and polish Of the
somber marbles; gold employed with ex-
trtnie discretion, IN lnc threads In marrow
borders on the robos Of saints but. always
virgin. sparkling gold
And this entire church Is kept I'm a condl-
tiun OF nownoss under which. however. -
antiquity can be- diyinrdl, everything shines,
Not trace OF dust can be iuund. oven upon
the tiles ON which We are walking, No
other church IN the world Is so mute a
witness Of the care expended upon IL, and
this care speaks In itself OF tho great
wealth Of the society.
sun nobody in sight. We had entorod, no
one taking note Of US. by On ovor-open door
Tho silence. this solitude. Ia tho midst OF
the spendur, which soomed hardly religious
reminds one Of an enchanted palace, which
at a stroke Of a mnginians wand might dis
appear
In a general way found. from human
point Of view, the thought Of tho magnin'
CONGO Of this convent and church, which had
swallowed the wealth Of thousands oil differ
cni people. who In themselves remained I'm
personal, and the creator Of which had ne
moro olnlm upon II than the passor-by OF 0
hundred years later. a strange and ineNpllc
abie one.
After tho chapel we desired 10 visit tho In
tcror OF the eloistori We returned TO The
chrysnnthomum garden and asked som'
peasants who were working there whore e
I knock md at which door,
"ohl' ono Of them answered, "wbere yot
will; one door is as good as another because
49,. s.,