The Republican journal., 1899-11-09

formerly shaded the enclosure, brought
when baby trees from the Balearic Islands.
| The interior is bare and cheerless as
Calvary should be, filled with gruesome
representations of the Sayiour's pain.
| The most interesting things are a mighty
collection of mitagroS'' in gold, silver,
bone and wood, entirely covering one wall;
and Virgin, black as the hackneyed ace
of spades, whose altar is heaped with
shells, coral and other marine growths,
indicating that she is the special patron
of sea faring people. The image is of
wood, rather squat and square, with face
and hands of inky blackness and the in
congruous features OF blue eyes and a
blonde wig. The word mjlagro means
'miracle, and each symbol denotes So
| lidiied prayers for divine interpostion in
the devotee's behalf. According to Cuban
/ belief, no wish of the heart is too insig-
nifcant or purely personal to be brought
J before the all sympathizing Mother. in
the form of a small image, blessed by the
| priest and hung before her shrine. Though
/ the collection embraces some queer things.
| the spectator feels no inclination to smile
at the simple faith, but rather stands
| abashed at his own lack of it, There are
miniature legs and arms without number.
crutches. trusses even ears, noses, nous
| taches, sets Of teeth, breasts with cancers
in them, little men and women and babies
galore. Every imaginable disease and in
| trinity is portrayed, from a sabre cut to a
snake bite, from scrofula sores to elephan-
tisis, Thousands who came on crutches
and now walk on perfect legs, attribute
/ their recovery to the Virgins notice of
/ their blessed mjiagro; and the long child
less mother presses her baby to her breast,
undoubting that, like Sarah of old, she
owes the little one to supernatural aid. Is
a poor woman's COW, or pig. or donkey
lost, she goes at once to somebody skilled
in whiting, pays few pesetas to have
representation of the animal cut in wood.
and gets the priest to bless it and hang it
1 OII INC SdCltu W al anu lI6u she kQeeIS
| before it and patiently waits, firm in the
belief that heavenly hands will guide the
creature home. Those who have more of
this worlds goods, express their hearts
desires in gold and silver. Does a Young
man want a sweetheart, young woman a
| lover; nothing is easier than to have the
SilvarSmith manufacturer hic or bar oo,,,,
! terfeit presentiment. Perhaps the twain
meet at the altar before their respective
1aitdgroS, and the Virgin helps them out
in the good Old ways approved of lovers
since Father Time was himself boy At
any rate, the newly welded couple always
come to give the priest a bonus and to
offer their mutual Thanksgiving at this
holy shrine.
What becomes of all the Dtilagros which
in course of years must accumulate by
tons? When the walls become over crowd
ed, the oldest are taken down, the wooden
ones are presumably used to cook the
priests dinner, and those of more value
are sold for the benefit of the church. In
the pawn shops of every Cuban city YOU
may buy plenty of these second hand
prayers, so to say, for few pennies each
and the proprietors will assure YOU that
their virtue is undimmed
From Montserrat chapel, the visitor will
do well to continue his drive to the cav
erns of Bellamar. Descending the heights
to the old highway known as Belle Vista.
('Beautful View'') is an experience to be
remembered. The prospect is glorious
a tranquil sea, emerald valleys dotted
with palms and villas, and the old CITY
following the semi circular sweep of the
bay, with it's three rivers running through
but the shaking up one gets as the reck-
less Jehu urges his wiry horses over the
boulders at the top of their speed, threat
ems to dislocate every bone in ones body.
The bay road is lined for some distance
with handsome residences, Moorish, Greek
and Italian in architecture, all with elab-
orately ornamented facades and verandas
facing the sea. But most of them are now
empty, their once wealthy owners being
dead or returned to Spain, and silence and
decay broods over all. Right here, it seems