Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-01-26

was Just beginning. There was girl
ish form smelling by the pillar nearest
me. and | recognized Senorita Doro-
tea. who greeted me demurely as she
rose from her devotions, expressing
surprise and pleasure that should
have wailened early TO attend mass.
Nv appearance that morning was
fortunate one in several ways. Padre
Bartolomeo was complimented. for one
thing, and exhibited his satisfaction a I
my supposed Catholic tendencies by
showing me what there was to be seen
about the place as soon as the service
was over.
After inspecting the college build
inCs and cloisters, we went through
narrow door into a room back of the
chancel, where there were number
of votive images in wax, representing
either miraculous escapes from violent
death, recoveries from mortal i'll
nesseS. or the cures of foul diseases.
Although il was as thoroughly un-
pleasant collection as one could look
upon. some horrid fascination induced
me to examine many of the figures.
One. for instance. was dressed In cot
ton breeches and shirt. over which
eouts of blood from fen rful knife cut
in the side were flowing. the supposi-
ton being that il repres nsed the
donor at q moment when the blessed
Santa Catalina interfered in his be-
half and enabled him TO recover from
a wound that would have killed an OK,
exagreration of the injury being pre-
sumably the essence of compliment to
the blessed saint. Another recumbent
| figure hal a gangrened sore over its
wish bone that would have made death
from blood poisoning a certainty in
civilized country: yet the blessed San
Am bros ia had attended to this little
mat y or the victim and had got him
| = =, -..~s:, - c6 'rc. from in the bar
gam; though. as it usually took the
| form of rcmt;ted consideration in
which Bartolomeo was the medium.
no embarrassing recognition OF the
latter service appeared. Hanging upon
the walls were arms with fostering
sores upon them. legs with slashes
| which laid them open to the bone,
torsos rotting with leprosy, etc., each
with its appropriate saint ticketed
thereon. 1t didn't occur to me at the
| time that | should have occasion to re-
member these things; so when Padre
| Bartolomeo lifted an iron trap in the
| floor. and descended a short flight of
steps, | was more than willing to fol-
| low him without further examination.
The steps led to a series of vaults
| which seemed TO be directly under the
| chancel. some of them being stored
| with various church appurtenances
and others having the appearance OF
| secret tribunals. | afterward learned
| that in former days a faint reflection
of the inquisition had given the island
a nameless horror to sundry travellers
| between Acapulco and. the Philippines
| -gobernadors who had grown too sud-
| denly rich, and the like. The vaults
| we're connected by narrow and foul
passages, after going through several
| of which we came to chamber that
| apparently served as the church cata-
| comb. There were number OF nlches
| around the walls, and in each was the
| mummified figure of padre in semi
1 reclining position, similar TO those IN
| the Capuchin cemetery at Rome; the
| cowls and gray robes indicated their
connection with the Franciscan order,
SO l was not surprised at this; though,
| from Halstead's story, had expected
| to find the bodies inclosed in sar-
cophagi.
While we were looking about the
place, Padre Bartolomeo gave me
general introduction to the figures in
the inches, as brothers who had held
| his position in former years. 1t was an
easy matter to appear interested
was really afraid of seeming too much
so-and | asked the name of venera-
BILE mummy with an ircn-bound chest,
rusted and blistered with age, resting
upon his sattenuated stomach.
THAT is the blessed Fay Ignacio,
senor," he said, "the most worthy of
all the brothers who have lived in the
islands. Because of his great goodness
and his labors among the natives, 1t
was ordered by the lord bishop at Ma
nila that he should forever be the
guardian of our sacerdotal records.
We do not make history very rapidly
here; so that box which he holds is suf-
fcient to contain them all. Possibly,
a hundred years from now, we shall
construct for him larger chest upon
which he may recline."
"But have you no fear that your doe
uments may some day be stolen, under
the impression that the chest contains
valuables? These islands were named,
as YOU know, with some reason
Every true, senior; but he would be a
rash man who would brave the ven
geance of Holy Mother church by such
sacrilege. There are none in the
archipelago who would attempt such
thing; besides, the records would be
of no value to un heretico; they are
but our secret history"
"Aud that, 1 presume, your orders
would forbid your showing to even so
profound n student and churchman as
the Padre Sebastiano. unless you were
so directed by the bishop"
"Well, one would scarcely say SO
much as that. To layman, or un
heretico, no-under no circumstances.
But el Padre Sebastiano-that, you
see, is different. 1t is Ia gran honra
that he does visit us"
~ see, see. 1 had forgotten for the
moment how near he stood to the
bishop" This was n chance shot, but
could see by the PADRES deferential
manner that it had gone home.
We presently retraced our steps to
the upper world, and when we saun-
| a NJ,