The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-07-22
CORRESPONDENCE.
European Letter.
SEVILLE, Spain, June 7, 1896.

Some one has said that dancing is to
Spain what music is to Italy. Young
and old, fat and thin, they sll dance
whenever occasion presents itself On
days of fiesta the clicking of castanets
and the pattering of feet are heard
everywhere. Children who can hardly
walk dance by instinct. The gypsy
dances are justly noted for their grace
and abandon, and the popular cafes
chontants might be more appropriately
named cafes donsdnts. But not only is
it the general form of amusement; the
Spaniards have followed the example
of the ancient Greeks and Jews, intro
ducing it in their religious ceremonies.
We were fortunate enough to witness
one of these celebrations in the cathe-
dral here. or the cathedral itself an
Italian writer of note says" 1t was so
grand that | never speak of it without
unconsciously assuming the tone and
manner of Salvini in Samson" l am
sorry to say we could not share his en-
thusiasm. An earthquake some years
ago so injured it that the interior is dis
figured with scaffolding; and those who
see it now remember less the lofty
arches and the dark beauty of Murillo's
cherubs than the rough beams and lad
ders that break every vista. AS the
scene of the religious dance, however,
it was something never to be forgotten.
The church was dark-it was twi-
light, and only one chapel was illu-
minated. A crowd of kneeling women
filed the aisles. A few priests stood
around the altar, and before it were
two rows of boys, about ten or twelve
years of age, dressed in the Spanish
costume of the middle ages, with tights
and plumed hats. The music of vio-
Inns broke the profound silence, and
the rows of boys began to advance and
retreat, to mingle and bow, in a sort of
contra dance. Presently, without psus-
ing in their slow, graceful movements,
they sang a low, harmonious chant.
The sound of the little voices in the
great vault, the sight of the little Great.
ures before the great altar, the serious
stateliness of their movements, the
quaint costume, the kneeling throng,
the surrounding gloom, produced an
! impression as reverentlal as that OF
| prayer.
The story is told that one of the for
mer archbshops of Seville, who should
evidently have been born in Puritani-
cal days, objected to the dance as pro-
fame, and ordered that it be discontin-
ned. This aroused such opposition,
not only from the authorities of the
cathedral but among the inhabitants of
Seville, that the question was referred
to the pope. The latter expressed his
inability to judge without having seen
the dance; accordingly the entire troop
of choir boys was conveyed to Rome
and the performance given. His holt
ness smiled and thought it quite I'M
objectionable; but to pacify the in
exorable archbishop, he decreed that
the dance should continue only until
the clothes the boys then had on should
be worn out. This was equally salts
factory to the astute authorities of the
cathedral The costumes were used
only on special occasions, once or twice
year; they were carefully watched,
and when an article became threadbare
it was replaced at once. So that al
though the decree is still binding, until
the present day the costumes have
never been entirely worn out, and prob
ably never will be.
In every city, in every town, in the
diers. The whole country seems to be
in the army. Even boys are being
drilled everywhere. The soldiers
however, have less of the military bear
ing than any we have seen in Europe
Very different are they, in dress and
manner, from the trim red. coated Eng.
lishmen we saw at Gibrater. We had
an opportunity one afternoon while
there TO see crack regiment of High
landers drill, and fine-looking fellow
they were, in their spotlessly white
coats and CATERS, and their plaid kills
that stood out like the skirts of bale
dancer when they wheeled. Here il
Spain the soldiers appear detected ant
weary-even when on dress parade
and the music to which they march
instead of being cheerful and inspiring
has the minor note that is character
istic Of Spanish songs. However ap
propriale this quality may be in ser
enade, anything less marital can hardy
be IMAGINED. The soldiers NAV vel