The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-09-01

ever he may be or what doing. In the streets, the shops, the horse-cars, the balconies, every one is kneeling-the red-trousered soldiers in front of the presidents palace, ladies on their way to church, school children, men of busi- ness, the sauciest Cholo and most igno- rant Indian, all with reverent mien and uncovered heads. Around the corner comes wonderful pageant, enveloped in clouds of incense. headed by bright boy ringing a bell, and followed by a military band with brass instruments. In the center, under a splendid canopy of cloth of gold, walks the bishop, at tended by black-gowneq priests, aco- lytes in scarlet and lace, white-robed monks of San Merced, and gray-cowled Franciscan friars.
 These processions are matters of eve- ry day in all South American cities; but for us they possess a singular fascina- ton, and we are willing to kneel with the multitude, earnestly hoping that the mysterious sacrament may carry con- solation to the departing soul in it's last extremity, or at least to those who are most to be pitied-the friends who have loved its earthly tenement.
 In a land whose institutions are up-- held by force of arms alone, soldiers are necessarily prominent feature;, and since the late revolutionary troubles they seem more numerous than ever in La Paz. Military parades are always frequent here, doubtless with view of impressing the people with the prowess of the army, and now hardly day goes by without a grand display of cavalry. and infantry, rank and file, evoluting around and around the plaza. Martial music is continually in the air. At sta ted intervals during every day compa- ny of soldiers comes sweeping down the hill from one barrack, or up the hill to another, -aarching behind brass band in full toot and halting before the presi- dents casa, where they render a selee- tion or two for the delectation of the populace. It is only the ceremony of guard-mounting and although it occurs every few hours, year in and year out, it is invariably attended by the same flourish of music and musketry. Be- sides all this, 1t has been the custom from time immemorial to have military music in front of the Palacio two nights in every week, and on the evenings of all siesta days, when three bands sta toned in a row, play alternately, each musician with a stopping soldier before him whose back serves as a rack for the. score; while gaily caparisoned officers off duty swarm like mosquitoes and crowds of people promenade around and raound the plaza. E ss&- .e-~ .*N
 All the soldiers are obliged to attend mass on Sunday morning ng-"clean shirt day,'' as it issirreverently called; and an interesting sight is to see them come marching in with shining bayo- nets over their shoulders, each division headed by it's officers.
 They completely fill the body of the church and the sound of the organ is drowned in the blare of trumpets. At a signal arms are presented, and down goes every musket upon the stone floor with a thud that shakes the building. and then the men stand as motionless asastatues until the proper time comes to fall upon their knees.
 Tn the Bolivian army a great variety of uniform is noticeable, each officer having apparently been allowed to 5ex- ercise his own taste in the equipment of
 his company, and amazingly have their individual fancies swung out in the matter of personal adornments. There are suits in gray and gold, in black and gold, iii blue and gold, in blue and red, in black and blue, iii gray and black; others all red, all gray, all blue; and caps of various shapes and colors in the same regiment. Some of the officers wear lang double-caped overcoats of scarlet cloth, others wear gray cloaks not unlike those of Franciscan friars, and others the graceful satin-lined cir- culars of black broadcloth characteris- tic of Spanish Hidalgoes. ;:
 The Presidents Guards" whom we see careering about the city in gorgeous
 array, are of course, thecrack regiment in dress and demeanor as far re- moved as the antipodes from the shab- .by, bare-footed common soldiers. The cavalry make the finest display, the of fcers on powerful white horses, a thou
 sand men clad in scarlet from top to toe and riding as only South Americans can. Without disparaging the valor of
 Bolivian soldiers, their general get-up reminds me of an historic incident
 which may perhaps illustrate their character. - It was many years ago, in some fracas between Peru and Bolivia, when the armies of the two countries rushed forth to battle with banners fly ing. So splendidly arrayed were they
 and so stunning and appearance did they make, that when one beheld the
 other, both sides turned pale and fled in confusion. Gathering courage at ! length, the rival generals, with such men as they could rally. returned to face one another, keeping at respectful | distance and talking through trumpets; when, after considerable parIeying, the war was declared 'off,'' both armies marched home in triumph with flags un- furled, and to this day the local histo- rians of both countries chronicle their side as victorious. -}A'
 FANNIE B. WARD.
 TWENTIETH CENTURY HoMING CLUB.
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