The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-05-15

into a shallow grave. The four bear.
ers were dirty and were chewing betel
nut as they trudged along under their
burden. Behind them came the dead
mans son appareled in pair Of blue
denim trousers. His body, naked to
the waist, was glistening brown after
bath, and he carried under one arm
a fresh Numbered camisa, or Chino
shirt, of white muslin, to be put on
when he reached the church. His two
supporters were, the brothers Of my
nuchacha, who lived in the same yard
and evidently had convictions about
standing by a comrade in misfortune.
The elder, a boy OF seven, was fairly
clean. but the younger, somewhere
between three and five, was clad In q
single low-necked slip Of filthy pink
cotton, which draped itself at a coquet-
fish angle across his shoulders and
hung down an inch or two below his
protruding little tummy. His smile.
which was of . most engaging nature.
occupied SO much of his countenance
that it was dificult to find traces Of
the pride which actually irradiated the
other two.
My curiosity was enough to make
me turn and follow them to the church.
There the body was deposited on the
floor at the rear, just below q door In
the gallery which led to the priests
house, or convento. The bearers squat
ted on their heels to wait while q
sacristan went to call the priest. The
dead mans son reverently put on his
clean shirt while the youngest urchin
sucked his grimy thumb and continued
to smile at me.
Presently priest came through the
door and leaned over the gallery, fol-
lowed by two sacristans, one Of whom
carried a censor and the other bell.
The censor bearer swung his imple-
ment vindictively In the direction OF
the corpse, while the other rang an un-
melodious chime on the bell. At this
all the babes fell on their knees. The
priest muttered a few lines Of Latin,
made the sign of the cross and instant
ly disappeared-to another chime Of
bells and final toss of the censor.
The bearers picked up the coffin and
the little procession went on its way
to the cemetery. The ceremony lasted
less than two minutes, but 1t cost
three out of my five pesos.
This incident illustrated perfectly
the friendless condition in which most
poor Filipinos live. Filipino lower
class people are gregarious, but not
social. They are ayerse to solitary
rural life and tend everywhere to live
in villages, but they visit little with
each other and seem very Indifferent
to the cordial relations which bind
our own laboring classes together. In
the same yard with the dead lavan-
dero lived at least ten or twelve other
families, yet no one could be found to
accompany him to his grave save two
little playmates of his son.
II the poor are fond of display the
rich outvie them. The pomp Of a
rich mans obsequies finds its begin
ming while he is yet alive. when the
padre goes in state to administer ex.
! treme JUNCTION. His vehicle, gilt
coach which resembles those of the
seventeenth century, is often preceded
| by a band, while within, the priest, ar.
rayed In embroidered vestments, re-
ceives with unsmiling grandeur the
genufections of the crowds in the
streets. After the epidemic of surra
had made a great scarcity Of horses in
the Philippines, the padres gilded
equipage had to be drawn by cebu
a very small and weary-looking bull
imported from Indo-China
When the rich man dies there IL
generally a wake of extremely noisy
variety, and a pretentious funeral. Five
o'clock in the afternoon seems to be
a favorite hour for this. In the rainy
season, when the sodden clouds hang
low in the sky, when the whole world
is drenched and dripping and the old
gray church is starred with candles
which do not illuminate but only serve
to dot the gloom, the occasion is lugu
brious enough. Fresh flowers are lit
tie used, but immortelles and stir, sci
designs accompanied by long stream
ers of gilt-lettered ribbons attest the
courtesy Of friends.
These upper-class dead are buried
in inches. or ovens, such as are found
In the old cemeteries of New Orleans
The cemetery, which is not usual.
owned by the municipality, but by thu
church, is surrounded by brick Of
stone wall six or eight feet high. sur
mounted by balustrade Of red baket
clay in an urn design. The cofiI
inches are in this wall and are ar
ranged in tiers Of four and five. Thu
top of the wall makes a fine promen
ade around three sides Of the inclos
ure In the center there is general,
| /, x,1r<rorv cbopo1 uhora the fuo