The Republican journal., 1897-06-10


and churches, all of stone, showing great
durability and covered with CARVINGS
Everything seems to have been built with
view to withstaDding earthquake shocks
low, massive stone walls, gigantic but
stumpy pillars, depressed domes and fiat
tened arches. Many of the larger build
ings are cleft in twain, as if clean cut with
mighty axe. Others rent in zigzas
streaks, cracked, split or scaled in the
most remarkable manner; others hurled
down in melancholy heaps, not one stone
leftupon another The biggest, and per-
haps the Saddest ruins of all are those of
the Capucine monastery and the once
magnificent cathedral of San Francisco.
where repose the bones of the naughty.
| fair haired Alvarado, with many other
knights and mobiles of Old CASTLE. The
| monastery was one of the largest edfices
and institutions of its kind in the new
world-a superb building, with enormous
domes, arches, pillars and most elaborate
ornamentations. Enough of it remains to
show its magnitude and general style of
architecture-here and there bits of fres
coed wall and succeed ceiling. with coats
OF arms, religious or political insignia
carved upon them. Tie power of the
earthquake is well demonstrated i'll the
huge masses precipitated to the ground.
Every arch is shattered, every column
broken, and flowers and cacti are striving
to cover the wounds. Much of the build
ing is an indistinguishable mass OF crum-
bling stone, its boundaries marked only
by a low line of white: but countless
rooms and corridors are left. and YOU NAV
wander about them until tired 1t seems
as if the shades OF the old frars vet lin
ger in the cloisters, and you almost ex-
pect to hear their nonotonous chant or
whispered Ave Maria. Under this spell
we were startled by suddenly confronting
a priestly figure, arrayed in the robes OF
lgnatlus-the patron saint of the order.
A second glance, however, revealed it to
be a waXen image, but wonderfully life
| like. 1t is said that the severest penance
was performed in this monastery and
heretics were uncompTomsingly roasted
in hot ovens, broiled upon gridrons, i'm
paled upon stakes, and put to other cheer
full punishment. Narrow cells may be
seen, each like a grave, or a well, with a
small hole in the top to admit air and a
daily morsel of bread, in which living vic
TINS We're walled up and left to die at
leisure. In each of the principal ruins
the Indian family has taken squatters'
lease. and its members insist upon spoil
ing your pleasure by following YOU about
with voluble eXplanations-for a graft
tication.'
! The remains of the cathedral occupy a
vast area-something over 700 feet each
way. 1t was not entirely destroyed and
portion of it is yet in use-the facade
much cracked and shaken with headless
and iimbless images in the inches Much
OF the adornment both inside and out is
very beautiful. The gilded carvings and
rich ornaments of the affairs have long
since disappeared; but sculptured saints
and sanctihed images look calmly down
upon you from their pedestals high up
among the Moorish capitals, as if their
spirits dwelt within the plastic casts.
There is a potent though melancholy
charm in the vistas of tall columns
broken arches and roohess walls, and in
the silence which reigns supreme. Stand
ING III the shadow of succeed corridors
and gazing upon the sanity figures which
have withstood the earthquake shocks
and outlasted by 200 years the human
hands that fashioned them we think
of the varying scene which have trans
| piIed beneath them In days long gone
they looked down as calmly as now
upon the pomp and pageantry of holy
masses, and many a Te Deum laud-
anus of victory and Dirige Domino of
death, and the swift passing of success
sive generations, each in its little day.
| Here and there tombs wrenched asunder
disclose the crumbling skeletons of those
who once trod these pavements when An
tigua was the proudest city of the new
world. The rains of centuries have en-
tirely obliterated the inscriptions upon
the marble slabs; but whether the bones
are those of monk or Spanish soldier of
bishop, or noble, or hidalgo of high de-
gree, they are pointed commentary upon
human pride-Sic transit gloria mundi.
The natives tell us that Antigua is mig
triste-''very sad" Ask them why, and
they are unable to explain-but the dullest
among them evidently feels the uncanny
spirit of the place. Vine-covered walls,
blooming gardens and ever flowing foun
tains of crystal water, the beauty and fra
GRANGE of eternal summer and the peace
and repose of the present, accentuate
most strongly the evidences of death and
appalling disaster on every hand.
FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD.
| Pure blood is the secret of health. Bur
dock Blood Bitters insures pure blood.
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