The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-04-17
PrudenciO's
Holy Week
Shirt By Eliza
Archard
Copyright, 1909, BY Conner
Eliza Archdrd Conner
) Copyright, 1902, By
Eliza Archdrd Conner

"HE coming of Easter Sunday is
for the civilized native of LII
III 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 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 it outside his trousers, so that
it is all ever visible to the eye Of man.
kind. Easter Monday, unless 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 wife to whom, strictly with
in his husbandly rights, he had ad-
ministered good sound beating 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 Observation-Disclosures
one might say.
have been his fourth or fifth, in Felici-
ana, the beautiful.
"There goes the prettiest Tay-gal in
Manila" quoth q 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 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
rounded, her eyes were large for Taga-
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 ninepip.
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 it 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