The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-01-28
Dead Folk Down N Chill.
LET'S TALK ON GRAVES" EVEN THE
TOMB HAS ITS LUDICROUS SIDE IN
SOUTH AMERICA.
Especial Correspondence of The Journal.]

Especial Correspondence of The Journal]
CoNCEPCIoN, CHILL, Dec 3, 1908. A
sound of music attracted me to the
window this morning; and what do you
think | saw? A mahogany-hued peon
carrying on his outstretched hands
board about five feet long, and on the
board dead child attired in a red cali
co frock. The small corpse was that of
girl, apparently about five years old.
The legs were covered with white cot
ton hose "a world too wide for the
shrunk shank" d jaunty wreath of pa
per roses crowned the smoothly braided
jet-black hair; the cheeks were horribly
daubed with vermillon to simulate the
hue of health and the wide-open eyes
seemed staring into infinity. The plank
bearer was followed by two women,
evidently the mother and grandmother
of the deceased, who walked with an
air of conscious Importance as becomes
those who have furnished an ''angelita"
little angeD to swell the heavenly host.
Behind the women marched two men,
playing with might and main, one on
fiddle, the other on guitar, each in
tent on tune of his own, regardless of
the others performance, while the rear
was brought up by laughing, chatter
ing crowd of men, women and children,
most of whom gave indisputable evil
dence of unwise generosity on some
body's part in the way of chica. They
were on the way to the cemetery to in
ter the little angel over which they
had been dancing and drinking for three
days past-and which may have been
loaned two or three times in the mean
while to friends who were not so fortu-
nate as to have corpse in the family.
Among the more degraded class of Chi
lians it is general practice to make
death an excuse for orgies as wild and
ridiculous as those of an ultra-Iri
wake; and the body of a child especially
is often kept for festive purposes until
it becomes offensive to all who approach
IL
is a funny side even to funerals. A
member of the Z. S. n astronomical
expedition in Chilli made sew eral years
ago, tells the story of comm on occur
renee. He says: Returning late one
night from dancing party, had the
opportunity of witnessing festivities of
quite different character Passing a
a small casa, my attention was attract
ed by loud shouting and singing with
in. A woman who stood near the door,
seeing me paused, invited me in.
What is going on?' | asked. 1--WE are
watching an angel of Cod" she replied.
My curiosity being aroused by her an
SWer, entered. The room was crowd
I'd with men and women of the lower
classes, who were engaged i'll drinking
and clapping their hands to the music
Of two females, who sat on the floor,
guitars in hand, singing drawing dit
", the burden of which was the happl-
ness of somebody in heaven. But the
most prominent object was a kind of
rude altar, set round with lighted can
Hes and ornamented with tinsel flow
rs. IN the midst of these sat the life
,Ize figure of an infant, dressed in
1aWdry fnery, adorned with gauze
wings, its face profusey painted red
and white. 1t is the image of some
saint, | said to myself, and was turn
ug away, when a second glance con-
vlnced me that there was something
unusual about this figure. The hair
strangely vacant and flmy, and even
the finger nails were perfectly formed.
There seemed to be great deal too
much of art for nature, yet too much of
nature for art. | approached to scru-
tlnize it more closely, and was Mortified
10 discover that it was corpse. "What
IS that?' | asked of bystander can
angel, sir he replied. "a what?" "a
lead child, SIR | was afterwards in
formed that these Watchings are very
eommon throughout the rural districts,
aud that frequently they are continued
With music and dancing and drunken
less, night after night, until the corpse
becomes too offensive for endurance
among the better classes of CHILEAN
funerals are conducted on pretty much
he same plan as in other civilized
Countries, except that here the ladies
never attend them. 1t is customary
or all the friends and acquaintance of
he afflicted family to pay them visits
Il coincidence within ten days after the
obsequies. For month the monrners
ire expected to sit in one corner of a
iarkened parlor. The condoling callers
approach them, one after another, oc-
cupy the nearest chair for five minutes
or more while expressing their sympa-
thy for the living and regret for the
lead; then make their bow and retire,
as succeeding arrivals move up. A re-
treShment table is generally spread in
an adjoining apartment, at which Wis
Tors may fortify themselves for this
"nerous duty of friendship, or refresh
Themselves after it's nerformaDce