The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-07-18

in the maze, studied the ever-changing
combinations of arches, and tried to imag- |
inc the mosque when it was first erected. |
to he the Western Mecca. To-day glowing
moSaics and rich marbles have been care
fully covered with whitewash, piously de-
signed to hide such relics OF hcathendom
and in the centre a chanctl has been con-
structed where choir boys drUwsily intone
the vcspcr service. We went ont to Il gar
den near hy, formerly belonging to the
| Alcazar. We sat down on the grass there
We're no prohbitive signs and ate oranges
plucked from the trees over our heads
| The woman who opened the gate gathered
great punches of roses for W.. aud socially
offered her apron on which tn wipe our
fingers when we had finished eating. We
watched the Guadalquivr ut our feet. with
its rows of kneeing waSherwomen on the
bank; we looked at tue pink and yellow
houses beyond, at the picturesque muelzin,
and exchanged the profound and original
opinions that Spain was lovely.
Some one has said that dancing is to
Spain what music is to Italy. Young and
old fat and thin, they all dance whenever
occasion presents itself On days of fiesta
the clicking of castanets and the patterng
If feet are heard everywhere. Children
who can hardly walk dance by instinct.
The gypsy dances are justly noted for their
| prapp and aha and tho nonular n,fps
clantants might be more appropriately
named cafes dansants. But not only is it
the general form of amusement; the
Spaniards have followed the example of the
ancient Greeks and Jews Introducing it in
their religious ceremonies. We were fortu
nate enough to witness one of these cele-
hrations in the cathedral here. OF the
cathedral itself an Italian writer of note
says st was SO grand that | never speak
of it without unconscou>ly assuming the
tone and manner of Salyini in Samson" |
am sorry to say we could not share his
enthusiasm An earthquake some years
ago so injured it that the interior is dis
figured with scatfoldirg; and those who
see it now remember less the lofty arches
and dark beauty OF Murillo's cherubs
tllan the rough beams and ladders that
break every vista. As the scene of the
religious dance, however, it was something
never to he forgotten.
The church was dark it was twilight
and only one chapel was illuminated. \
crowd of knecling women filled the aisles.
a few priests stood around the alter, and
before it were two rows of boys about ten
or twelve years of aye, dressed in Spanish
costume of the middle ages. with tights and
piumed hats. The music of violns brokc
the profound silence, and the rows Of boys
began to advance and retreat. to mingle and
bow. in Il series of pleasing evolutionS.
Presently, without pauSng in their slow
graceful movements, they sang low,
harmonious chant The sound of the
little voices in the great vault, the sight of
the little creatures before the great allan,
the serious statelinesS of their movements
the quaint costume, the kneeling throng,
the surrounding gloom, produced an i'm
preston as reverential as that of Il prayer
The story is told that one of the former
Archbishops of Seville who should evidently
have been born in Puritanical days, oh
jected jected to the dance as profane and
ordered that it be discontinued. This
aroused such opposition not only from the
authorities of the cathedral but not among
the inhabitants of Seville, that the question
was referred to the Pope. The latter eX-
pressed his inability to Judge without hav-
ing seen the dance; according the entire
troop of choir boys was conveyed to Rome
and the performance given. His Holiness
smiled and thought it quite unobjection-
able; but to pacify the memorable Arch
bishop, he declared that the dance should
continue only until the clothes the boys
then had on should be worn out. This
was equally satisfactory to the astute
authorities of the cathedral. The costumes
were used only on special occasions, once
or twice year, they were carefully cared
watched, and when an article became
threadbare it was replaced ut once SO
that although the decree is still binding.
until the present day the costumes have
never been entirely worn out, and probably
never will be.
In every city, in every town, in the fields
and on the trains we see soldiers. The
whole country seems to be in the army.
Even boys are being drilled everywhere
The soldiers, however, have less of the
military bearing than any we have seen in
Europe Very different are they, in dress
and manner, from the trim red coated
Englshmen we saw at Gibralter We had
an opportunity one afternoon while there
to see crack regiment of Hghlanders
drill, and fine looking fellows they were,
in their spotlessly white coats and CATERS,
and their plaid kits that stood out like the
skirts of ballet dancer when they wheeled.
Here in Spain the soldiers appear detected
and weary, even when on dress parade and
the music to which they march, instead of
being cheerful and inspiring, has the minor
| fhat 10 iet; ,e - a.,