The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-12-17

the delay, began to ST out against
tie priest. Tho good sense OF
that canny churchman was liver
less in the face Of superstiti0ns
instiIled by centuries Of fanati-
cism.
since you will 1t so, SO let 1t
be-" he said gravely. Let the
saint come. forth, and may the
Lord have mercy on u.s.!
A, frenzied reclamation hurst
from the crowd, which now filled
the whole square In front of the
church. The rain continued fall
ing, and above the serried ranks
OF heads covered with skirts,
cloaks. and an occasional UNI
brella. the flames of the tapers
flickered, staining the wet faces
red.
The people smiled happily In I'll
their discomfort from the down
pour. Confident Of succ ass, they
were foretasting gleeflllly the
terror of the stream at sight OF
the blessed image ente:ITg its
waters. What could not San Ben.
nardo do?
The procession was rapidly or.
gained Along the narrow lanes
Of the island where the rain
coursed in streams, people kept
coming in droves.
The whole neighborhood, almost,
had assembled in the square, de-
spite tire increasing rain. Many
had come to scott. What a farce
Ii ali would be! They did we'll
however, to wait two lays The
rain was almost over. It would
probably stop by the time they
got the saint out.N
II double file of tapers the PRO
cfssiGn egan to. move between
two lines Of tightly jamned spec
tators.
.sVitoI Ell pare san l3ernat!
Hurrah for Father San Ber-
nardo! a multitude Of lloarse
voices cried
'tVitol les chermanetes! Hurral1
for his martyred sisters!" otlterc
added, to correct the lack of gas-.
lantry displayed by the mos en-
thusiastic OF the idOlators in put
ting ladies last.
For the sisters, the holy mar
tyrs, Gracia and Maria, also fig
ured in the procession. San Ter
narCin never went anywhere alone.
AS even children in baby.schoOl
knew. not a power on earth, not
all the men and horses in the
orchards put together. could hit
the saint from his altar unless
his sisters went first. That was
one Of his miracles long .iccreuit-
ed by tradition. He had very
little confidence in women less
pious commentators said-and not
willing to trust his sisters rut OF
sight, he insisted that they pre-
cede him whenever he lett his
pedestal.
The holy sisters appeared in the
church doorway, swaying on their
filters above the heads OF the
worshippers.
ssVitol les chermanetes.'
And the poor cnermanates, drip
ping from every fold Of their vest
ments, came out into that dark,
tempestuous, raln-soaked atmos.
plere that was rent by sheaves IT
crude light from the tapers.
The musicians tuned their in
str1ments, ready to break into the
Royal March! In the brilliantly
lighted doorway something shiE-
ing could be seen laboriously ad-
vancing, swaying this way and
that, as II. the waves of an angry
sea were rocking 1t.
The crowd again began to
cheer, and the music sounded.
'.Vitol Ell pare San Bernet.:"
But the music and the accla-
nations were drowned by deaf
ening crash, as II the island had
suddenly burst into a thousand
pieces, dragging the city 10 the
depths OF the abyss. The square
was shooting q flsillade OF lightn-
ming flashes, a veritable cannon
ade, Those ancient arms, blunder-
buses, muzzleloaders, pistols,
crammed full Of powder, could
roar like artillery. All the guns
in the neighborhood were saluting
the appearance of the saint. And
the crowd, drunk with the smell
OF powder, began to shout ana
gesticulate in the presence o. that
bronze image, whose round, kind
" face--tl1at of d healthy we'll
fed friar-seemed to culver with
life in the light Of the torches.
Eight strong men, almost naked,
came forward staggering nncer
the weight Of the metal SAINT.
The crowd surged against them,
threatening to upset the statue.
The women, showed hither and
thither and almost suffocated in
the jam, burst into tears as their
gaze fell upon the miraculous
image.
"Ay. Father San Bernardo:
Father. San Bernardo! Save us!
Save us!'
Others dragged children out
from the folks Of their skirts,
and held them out above their
heads toward the powerful guards.
Lift. him up! Let him kiss
the saint!'
And those muscular peasants
would pick the children up like
dolls, now by an arm, now by a
leg, now by the nape Of the neck,
raise them to level with the
saint, that they might kiss the
bronze face, and then toss them
back into the arms OF their
mothers.
Behind the glorious saint march
ed Rafael and the gentlemen or
the Ayuntamiento with long wax
tapers: and after them the curate,
grumbling as he heard the first
dashes of rain beat on the large,
red silk umbrella which the
sacristan held over him, and felt
the impact of the crowd of or
chard folk, that was mixed at ran
dom with the musicians. The lat
ter, paying more atten ton to
where they stepped than to their
instruments, played a rather dis
cordant march. Guns, meanwhile.
continued to blaze away.
Signs, walls. ordinations OF