The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-04-21
Prudencio's
Holy Week
Shirt By Eliza
Archard
Copyright, 1909, by Conner
I7i-l 4rchdFfi CDnucr
} Copyright, 1909, bH
D Elizd orchard Conner

"HE coming of Easter Sunday is
for the civilized native of Lu
zon the one annual event
around which all others move.
Weeks beforehand the Tagalo mascu-
line prepares his Easter wardrobe.
The Tagalo feminine does not count
for much. She. too. does her little best
to dress her part for Easter Sunday.
but all the bravery of her attire Is
thrown into total eclipse by the splen-
dor of her male counterpart's holy
week shirt And thereby hangs a tale.
To Prudencio. house servant and val
ct in Manila, year of our Lord 1900, his
holy week shirt was to be much more
than an ordinary holy week shirt. 1t
was TO be also his wedding garment.
and shirt means much to Tagalo. for
he wears il outside his trousers. so that
ii is all ever visible to the eye OF man.
kind Easter Monday. unless n wicked
hoodoo or an evil eye interviewed. Pru-
dencio was to take the lovely and be-
witching Feliciana. maid of the Sonora
Americana Wyse. to be his bride.
True. Feliciana had erstwhile been
bride TO Senor Jose Carvalho's coach
man. Agapito. but Agapito had drop
ped out. whether dead or derelict no
body knew. Nobody cared. Feliciana
counted herself widow and counted
herself well off. That was enough.
For the matter of that. Prudencio him
self had been previously bridegroom.
He had a wife to whom. strictly with
in his husbandly rights. he had ad-
ministered good sound beating a few
months previous to the opening of this
story. Thereon she had left his bed.
Her board she always had earned for
herself. Prudencio accepted the situa-
ton like philosopher. and he, too.
counted himself widowed-widowered,
one might say.
He met his second fate. or 1t may
have been his fourth or fifth, in Felici-
ana. the beautiful.
There goes the prettiest Tay-gal in
Manila" quoth a soldier who saw her
passing the American tented camp on
the Luneta- His comrades groaned
down him and his pun alike, but they
accepted its sentiment
Feliciana had magnificent purple
black hair. creased to kill with cocoa
nut oil. 1t was wound In a knot at the
back of her head and stuck through
| with ornamental gilt pins, the gift of
| the sonora Americana and the envy of
| every Malay woman who saw Felici-
| ana drive bareheaded along the Luneta
in the carriage with her mistress. Her
| arms and hands were strong and
II dnH hnr lo g.
10 eyes and so burning bright that
when once she glanced coquettishly at
Prudencio their electric rays penetrat-
ed his ever susceptible masculine heart
and bowled him over like a ninepin.
Feliciana's fiery red cotton skirt was
at least two inches longer tailed than
those worn by the common run Of Ia
gallo ladies' The tiny pima cloth waist
she wore made no attempt to conceal
the full. nobly outlined neck. for itself
was low necked, after the fashion Of
bodice Of all Tagalo women. whether
plump or shriveled- To the credit of
this fascinating girl 1t may be said that
her feet. whether bare. as she usually
wore them. or slippered, were generally
fairly clean. Again something rather
uncommon-her teeth were all there.
and they were white when not stained
blood red with betel nut chewing. But
blood red teeth were no Disagreement
in the eyes OF the lost in love Pruden-
clio. While the fit was on him he would
have adored his divinity had her teeth
and lips been potato bug green
Prudencio was not plump and merry
like Feliciana. but in fine contrast to