The Forrest City times., 1898-09-16
A REVENGEFUL LOVER
The Fate Of Mexican Who Played
the Role of Christ
BY ST. JULIAN YORKE.

THE best-looking poems in the vii
lage were always selected for the
respective parts of Jesus and the disci-
plies in the Passion Play" given each
Holy Week in Ixtacalco. Last Holy
Week Pepe, the shoemaker, had taken
the part of Christ, but meanwhile Pepe
had been killed during the course of a
pulque spree-naturally he was not
available. Therefore the junta had to
select some one else. There were two
candidates-Juan Diaz, the do-nothing,
and Diego Baz, who herded goats out
on the pedregal, or lava-beds, over to-
ward Ajusco. Diego was chosen, as
being more a man of affairs; no one
had any respect for Juan, who lounged
his life away on sunny street corners,
smoking cheap cigarettes, and making
unwelcome love to pretty Paz, the
daughter of blind Bartoleo. To Juan,
however, perhaps to ease his disap-
pointment, was given the part of a
Roman soldier-he would aid in the
crucifixion, and the tying of Diego to
the cross--a role that perhaps he
would fulfill con amore.
For many days the old parish church
had been undergoing decoration. Paz,
her friend Ninita, and many other of
the Ixtacalco girls had been making
bright new robes for the Virgin, and
doing her hair up in the latest ap-
proved coiffure, as set forth by a
weekly fashion sheet that the jefe's
wife received from the City of Mexico;
clothing anew and in more brilliant
colors the chubby Child-Christ, and
placing more brass rings on His dim
pied fingers; even the apostles in their
inches about the grim old church were
polished up and adorned in some way
in honor of the occasion-San Juan
had new white robe, with pink ribbon
bows on 1t; San Sebastian, new coat
of garnet-and-tan; San Diego had his
face scrubbed and received new san
dals; even sturdy oi6 San Pedro was
presented with a new robe, and the
cock, which stood in the very act of
Growing at his side, was rubbed and
polished until his feathers and gor-
geous colors outshone even all the
saints.
The high altar was decorated from
tip to toe with r-d, white and green
ribbons; gold and silver lace was plas-
tered about it as plentifully as though
1t were bull-fighter's jacket, and
many artificial roses; the priceless
Last Supper" that had been given to a
Spanish viceroy by king of Spain was
hidden by cheap Virgin de Guadalupe,
with pink paper roses fastened around
the frame, and the wood carving of the
atrium was covered with clusters and
great wreaths of more artificial flow
ers. 1t was certainly very effective
all the decoration, and polishing, and
scrubbing, and Paz and the other girls
viewed it on the night preceding the
Passion" with such admiration and
pride-"there would be no such church
In the district"
Meanwhile, the other women of the
village were working with might and
main to get the Roman soldiers,
scribes, Pharisees, apostles and pub
hcans ready. 1t was something of a
job; for even though the peon-Mexi-
cans are an inventive race in more ways
than one, there are few people who
would not feel their ingenuity taxed in
the preparation cf such costumes. The
Pharisees and the scribes and the pub
hcans were easy enough to fit out, as
well as the apostles, who had long,
white robes trimmed with gold lace
and artificial roses, with common
guaraches; but the Roman soldiers
and centurions taxed even the most
imaginative. Last year Juan's mother
,twho had once played on a genuine
stage down in the Mazatlan country
had helped and given ideas. But since
her death and the going of Juan to the
bad, there was no one to suggest; the
padre had been appealed to, but his
only reply was that the whole outfit
might go to the diablo with their idiot
ic proceedings; he had to preach the
sermon to them before the crucifxion,
and that was all he intended to do; the
proceeding was disgrace to the
church, anyway! Therefore, all aid
from the padre, who was an outspoken,
though holy man. was abandoned, and
they went on with the work of apparel
ing TIE Roman soldiers according to
their own taste.