Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-11-13
THE WOODEN
lADY'S LOVERS
q Story OF the Philippines.
Bv w. o. McGEEHAN.

their arms ana Qudrtereu IHem-
selves in the Church of San Fernando
In the walled city. They accepted the
capture of Manila philosophically. Of
aourse, the stone floor of the church
was less comfortable than the cane
beds in their cool barracks, then occu-
pied by a noisy regiment of American
volunteers, but 1t was certainly more
comfortable than the muddy trench
near Malate. Moreover, they were be-
ng fed at the expense of the United
States government on savory stews
made of corned beef and hard tack,
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-
oropriated for various unseemly pur-
poses. The host is removed, and the
little red light that indicates its pres
.nce Is extinguished. Then the church
becomes a barracks, a prison, or a
fortress, as the occasion requires.
Sargento Pedro Flores, of the First
Spanish battalion, selected little side
tltar for his private apartment. Be
sause of his rank and reputation for
remarkable dizziness with the knife,
his title to the place was not disputed.
Above the altar stood life-sized cary
ing of a female saint, done hundrsdS OF
years previously by some Filipino mas
ter of the craft. The figure was tinted
in colors, at one period no doubt glar-
ing, but subdued by time into con-
summately natural, pale ivory. The
hair on it's head was human hair, and
fell about the shoulders in soft dark
masses. The face was rather pretty
than beautiful, thus serving to further
the illusion of naturalness. Pedro had
never heard of Galatea, but, looking
at that figure in the dim light that
s+ruggled through the dirty colored
windows, he at tiines almost expected
10 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 request him to
lssist her from the pedestal. But the
wooden lady remained motionless,
smiling pensively the same smile her
long-forgotten creator had given her.
Close to the altar rail was little
wooden box into which pious Filipinos
we're wont to drop offerings of cop
DER coins and small silver. When Pc
dro first settled in the little altar he
discovered that there was a tidy little
sum in this box. Of course he realized
that it was a crime unspeakable to rob
the church, but Pedro had not CEN
timo, and he was not altogether con-
tented with the American stew and
hard tack doled out each day. So in a
moment of temptation he thrust in
his hand and extracted large portion
of it's contents. He looked up with
guilty countenance 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 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 pa
Dire who collected the money in the
evening noticed no decrease in the rev.
enue. Her Spanish admirer no longer
said "Gracias, dona," but "Grac1asi
uuerido," which means Thanks, dar'
ling" and is decidedly familiar, not
TO say sacrilegious, in view OF the fact
that the wooden lady was a saint. But
that was partly the fault of the wooden
carver who had made the figure sc
human.
Now and then stalwart American
soldier visiting the church, would ap
proach and pass friendly greeting
in his broken Spanish. Pedro would
reply courteously and proffer cigar
cites, although he secretly resented
their intrusion, especially when one Of
these visitors removed his hat to The
wooden lady with mock politeness, anC
another addressed her jocularly in his
own tongue. 1t was not seemly, he
thought, that these heretics and out.
hnders should bask in the light of tie
wooden lady's smile. Moreover, these
ude Americanos had been discour.
;eous enough to drive the Fifteenth
Cazadores from line of earthworks
that had been constructed with much
hard labor, and which had been hello
impregnable. No doubt one of these
soldiers, discovering the secret Of the
box, would appropriate its contents
after the universal custom of soldiers
Private Clifford, U. S. ", strobe into
the San Fernando church one day with
the serenely independent air that be
trays the western man wherever hi
goaS. He looked with covetous eye!
attheancient banners of Spain hanging
from the rafters of the church-for hi
had taste for antiquities-and noted
with pang that there was no way OF
Rppropriating them unobserved. WheI
his eyes rested on the wooden lady hi
admiration found vent in an audible
murmur, which aroused Pedro from MI
siesta. The murmur was succeeded by
heavy sigh of regret. The war witt
Spain was over, and even had Their,
been that chance the figure was toe
bulky bit of loot for private to han
die Noticing Pedro, who was watch
ing him with suppressed rage, Cliffor'
said: Pretty figure, isn't it? Who i
she, anyway"