The Republican journal., 1896-06-18

| ~N-esS' dO1 1cSG WAS not So near.
Beng young and pretty, as white as an
Anglo Saxon, having more Castilian than
Mexican blood in her veins, the ruler of
Chan Santa Cruz, Crecencio Poot bv name
maze her one OF his wives. Crecencio is
now about 10 years old, and poor Pastoral
hgures as number three among his wives.
several having been added since her ar
rival. She says her fractional husband
treats her kindly, according to Indian
Ideas OF connubial courtesy, and that she
has become the mother of several chill.
oren, whom she would gladly abandon if
she could return to her own people; but
That escape is impossible, because on the
rare occasions when she is allowed to
come near the borders of civilization she
is constantly watched as a hawk ewes
his prey. She said she had walked beside
her husband all the way to Bacaar, some
60 miles, he, great muscular fellow. un-
burdened. and she, frail little creature
with the tiny feet and hands of her race,
carrying % pounds Of salt on her Shout
der, the load suspended by strap passed
across her forehead,
But to return to Valladolid. from which
we have made such a long depression.
Founded soon after the Spanish conquest.
the city was built in a style commensu-
rate with the lofty pretensions and wild
dreams of the Conquistadores. and still
bears marks OF ancient grandeur. But no
words can portray the desolation that now
broods over it. The central plaza where
hidalgoes and ladies of high degree were
wont to promenade TO the accompaniment
OF moonlight and music, is now ankle
deep in sand, its benches of crumblng
stone over-run with scorpions, centipedes
and lizards, and it's ancient palms and
elms too ragged to cast a shade. At one
side OF it is an enormous parochial church.
with convent and cloisters fast falling to
decay. There are other large churches,
notably Sisal, San Serircio, San Juan de
Dios, Santa Lucia, Santa Anna and Can
dalaria, all more or less dilapdated.
Most of the private houses show the same
melancholy tokens.
In the principal street, the Gale de
Sisal, stand many extensive buildings.
roof1ess and doorless, with grass and
bushes growing from crevices in the walls:
while, as if in mockery Of human pride,
the coats of arms of forgotten families. are
emblazoned Oh their totterng fronts.
According to local tradition, Valladoid
has been the theatre of remarkable events
in days not very distant. 1t is asserted,
on the authority of both church and State.
that the place was long haunted by a
demon OF the worst character, which to
this day is spoken of with bated breath as
Ell Demonio Parlero (the Talking Devil
because he held nightly discourse with
any who chose to question him, answering
in the voice of a parrot. Though never
visible, he seems to have been merry
sort of a fellow, dancing, laughing, play
ing on guitars and castinets. After time
he took to throwing stones into houses,
pelting people with eggs, slandering hon
est folks; in short, getting the whole town
! by the ears, to such an extent that the
| Bishop OF Merida was obliged to interfere
and forbid anyone to speak to the dem
on under pain of severe spiritual punish
ment. 1t is gravely related that when the
people abstained from any further commu-
nication with him, the evil spirit wept and
Iol
vices of the church and the nightly sleep
of the people; and after that mood passed
he took revenge by burning houses. At
this alarming juncture the Bishop was
obliged to invoke Divine assistance and
after long tussle the combined powers
of earth and heaven succeeded in ousting
the devil, who took to the woods. In an
official report of the occurrence, which
actually exists in Nalladolid and is be-
lieved by all good citizens, the learned
and pious Dr.. Sanchez de A guilar says
''An aunt of mine one day, vexed with
this devil, said to him, 60 out of my
house, thou evil one;' and she gave him a
blow in the face which left his nose red
der than cochineal. Forty years after
wards, when | was cure of the same city,
the demonio parlero returned to infest
some of the villages of my parish, espec-
tally Gulciba. He always came at mid
| night, or about one a. m. with whirlwind.
dust and noise, as of hurricane. Stones
swept over the entire village, and though
the people FASTENED to put out all the fires
in the kitchens, this did not avail, for from
the flames with which the devil himself
was inwardly tormented, proceeded
flashes like mighty comets, or wandering
stars, which did fire several houses at
once, and spread SO rapidly that there
were not people enough to put them out
l, being sent for to come and drive him
away, conjured the demon with the faith
and zeal that God gave me, and command
ed him never again to enter that village.
Whereupon the fire and the whirlwind
ceased, to the glory and honor of the D-
vine Majesty, which has given such pow
er to His priests