The Redwood gazette., 1917-05-23

freely all MS remarks WITH
graceful and expressive move
ments Of the shoulders, arms
and hands and many raisings
and coverings Of his heavy eye
brows. In the larger hotels and
shops of course there are always
those who speak a curious lingo
they suppose to be English, and
with the aid of the universal
language of signs the idea is
readily gotten. But sometimes
one gets the signals mixed and
then queer results follow. One
day we strolled into an old
church and seated ourselves in
a back pew to accustom our eyes
to the semi-religious darkness
After a few moments the dim
outlines of the great interior be-
came distinct and we beheld a
forest of massive pillars and a
gorgeous marble altar adorned
with gold. There were few
worshippers bowed in silent
prayer here and there and lone
priest stood near the altar look
ing far off, as though his soul
were astray for the moment
and then he looked our way, a
smile o'erspread his countenance
for he knew us to be strangers
and moved slowly toward US.
AS he came to where we sat he
spoke a few words in the melo-
dious tongue of Sunny Spain and
bowed. Of course we grinned
foolishly in return-for it was
all Greek to us-and | arose to
greet him. And then he pointed
to the altar and-as l thought
waved me back for his hands
motioned as is our understand
ing of that signal. / stood still
as he started toward the altar
and then he returned and seemed
surprised at something. It
seemed that he had wished me
to follow him, so | did, and then
he turned a switch on a pillar
and lo-the altar was alight with
thousand tiny bulbs of flame
and I beheld a sight so beautiful
in that grim Old pile of stone
that for a moment | stood in
wonder-for there arose out of
the gloom the tall figure of the
man of Galilee-the sweet sad
face-the outstretched hands as
though bidding the little chill
dren to come unto him. And
yes-I was a child there in that
palace of worship-a wandering
child far from a place that man
calls home but near-oh so near
to the great thought of peace
| A Cuban Funeral.
A Cuban funeral is, to Amer.
lean eyes, one of the strangest
sights to be beheld anywhere
for the hearse looks at a short
distance so much like one of oul
circus wagons that the solemn
ity of the occasion is rather
rudely destroyed for the nom
ent, especially if one possesse!
an exaggerated sense Of humo1
for it is so begilded and gaily
beplumed that it might seem tt
be the triumphal chariot of some
celebration. And then the driver
and his aid wear brilliant rec
coats and bright cockades il
their hats and the horses pranct
along as though they appreciate
the performance.
It was one of those brillian
semi-tropic days that we jour
neyed out to Colon cemetery
there to stroll beneath grea
trees along the avenues of tn,
dead. mid storied urn and ami
mated bust" we pondered o'e
the frailties of man and the yer,
breeze sighed as it breathet
among the tombs. There was
toll of a bell and we beheld be
meath the entrance arch tn,
head of a funeral cortege. 1
seems that one can determine
the position in society held b,
the deceased, by the number O.
times the bell Of the cemeter,
chapel is tolled, and by the mum
ber of horses attached to tn
hearse. In this case the departed
one seemed to have been of con
siderable Importance for the bel
tolled five times and there were
eight horses on the hearse. Al
the carriages of the funeral pro
cession remain outside the GENE
terry gate and the mourners fol
low the hearse to the grave OF
/ foot. At the left Of the gate is :