The daily morning oasis., 1920-12-29

of five million pesos of the great edifice still
est by an entire nation, after lapse of $50 years.
And it is magnificent edifice AT present cost
of labor and materials it could not be built for
fifteen million pesos.
Reaching the front of the edifice Joined
the stream of people working their way inside.
Nearly all of them were provided with long wax
tapers, Of various lengths and diameters, which
they lighted when inside, joining the innumer-
able throng of already lighted tapers that had
preceded them and coming out from the bright
sunlight into the crowded basica, in the dim
light of the interior at first one saw a couple of
thousand lights Pickering in the great void
Gradually the eyes became accustomed to the
"dim religious light" and one could see the great
auditorium completely packed with humanity,
most of the individuals holding lighted candles,
hundreds upon their knees, praying, with hare
and there small knot of worshipers singing
hymns, the entire combination of sounds making
subdued murnlur.
Through the center pourei the stream OF
humanity coming in at the entrance, working
their way slowly up to the altar, there was the
miraculous portrait of the Virgin, the centN
niece in the altar decorations. Some OF those
upon their knees arose and joinad the pressing
stream of people working its way toward the
altar. their places taken at by others falling
out from the moving mass Before the altar they
knelt in PRAYER, silent or audible, according to the
spirit of the individual worshiper giving way to
those behind passing on around the altar to SIDE
and back entrances then outside; unless they
elected to go to some of the stations OF the cross
in naves opening out from the baslllca where
there were other ceremonies.
From the back entrance whence ! emerged
there appeared down the street little way, an
other and smaller church. into which there was
pouring another stream of humanity. had been
an hour passing through the great church, and,
seeing evidences of other ceremonies in the open,
in the street beyond, 1 concluded to omit going
into the second sanctuary, going along to satisfy
curiosity about the street ceremonies. | found
the street as densely packed were the churches,
in the center circles OF natives bedecked with
antigua Aztex headdrasses and dressed in part at
least in costumes of the Aztecs. According TO ae-
vices upon one of the banners in each circle, OF
which standard there were always several.lt ap-
peared that the various circles were socltles OF
associations from towns and villages elsewhere
having made the pilgrimage in bodies. How many
of them there were did not count, but they fill
ed several streets and the public plaza
Each headress worn consisted OF broad
band of some stiff material about four inches
high, usually hexagonal or octagonal in form, IN
each face set small mirror, some round, others
square. vet others diamond shaped; and towering
above was clus ter of plumes of various colors,
some eighteen or twenty inches in hight.
Inside the circle were half dozen mandolin
plavers in line. facing out, bringing them face
Ito face with those an the outside, facing inward
The musicians were not in the Aztec costumes,
but wore the every day garb Of the "pelados"
(peasantry) of the country, with the cotton
shirts, jackets, pantaloons and sandals with the
big broad-brimmed hats Each line worked to
their left, bringing each mandolin player as ne
passed along face to face with each woman in the
circle. The music was in polka time, musicians
and dancers all stepping back and forth wlth
with bodies swaying, and turning in place at the
end of bar when the musician passed on. Parts
of the line which the music was not facing the
dancers faced their partners, taking the steps,
and shifting along at the end Of each bar
At times the dancing ceased, and to the
strumming of the mandolins all joined in chant
of some kind There must have been forty or
fifty such ceremonials all going at once, and ap-
parently all continuously.
Then there were street vendors of all kinds,
selling all sorts of merchandise and commodities:
Fruits, candies, nuts sugar cane, amaiets wa"
tapers, pictures of the Virgin, copies OF tne