The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-17
The G)ooden ecady's Covers.
A Story of the Philippines.

The Fifteenth Cazadores turned in
their arms and CHARTERED themselves
in the church Of San Fernando in the
walled city. They accepted the cap
ture Of Manila philosophically. OF
course, the stone floor of the church
was less comfortable than the cane
pied by noisy regiment of American
volunteers, but 1t was certainly more
comfortable than the muddy trench
near Malate. Moreover, they were be-
ing fed at the expense Of the United
State government on savory stews
made of corned beef and hard tack, a
better ration than they had received
for some time.
The Philippines are plentifully sup
piled with churches; and, in time of
war, these houses of worship are ap-
pr0priated for various unseemly pur-
poses The host is removed, and the
little red light that indicates its pres
ence is extinguished. Then the church
becomes barracks, prison, or for
tress, as the occasion requires.
Sargento Pedro Flores, of the First
Spanish battalion, selected little side
altar for his private apartment. Be-
cause of his rank and a reputation
for remarkable dizziness with the knife,
his title to the place was not disputed.
Above the altar stood a life sized wood
carving of a female saint done hum
| dreds of years previously by some Fill
ipino master of the craft. The figure
was tinted In colors, at one period no
doubt glazing, but subdued by time
into a consummately natural pale w.
| ory. The hair on its head was human
hair and fell about the shoulders in
| soft dark masses. The face was pretty
rather than beautiful, thus serving to
| further the illusion of naturalness. Pc
| dro had never heard Of Galatea, but,
looking at that figure in the dim light
that struggled through the dirty, COL
ored windows, he at times almost ex-
pected to see the half-shut eyes open,
to see the girl brush the dust of two
centuries from the faded pima cloth
dress with her little hands, and re-
quest him to assist her from the ped
estal But the wooden lady remained
moticnless, smiling pensively the same
smile her long-forgotten creator had
given her.
Close to the altar rail was a little
wooden box into which pious Filipinos
were wont to drop offerings of cop
per coins and small silver. When Pc
dro first settled in the little altar he
discovered that there was tidy little
sum In the box. OF course he realized
that it was q crime unspeakable to
rob the church, out Pedro had not
cent1mo, and he was not altogether
contcnted with the American stew and
hard tack doled out each day. So in
moment Of temptation he thrust In his
hand and extracted a large portion Of
its contents. He looked up with
guilty conscience at the wooden lady.
half afraid that there would be look
of angry disapproval on her face. But
the wooden lady continued to smile
pensively.
"Gracias, dona," he whispered, and
started for a wine shop.
Every day numbers Of worshipers,
mestizos and Filipinos. visited the
shrine Of the wooden lady leaving Of
ferings, and Pedro continued to levy
tribute so systematically that the padre
who collected the money in the even
ing noticed no decrease in the revenue:
Her Spanish admirer no longer said
"Gracias, dona," but "Gracias, querido:"
which means Thanks, darling" and is
decidedly familiar. not to say sacri-
iegious, in view Of the fact that the
wooden lady was saint But that was
partly the fault Of the wood carver who
had made the figure 50 human.