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

Chapter "
sr All work had stopped on the
rich farm lands of the ribera-
The first winter rains were
falling over the entire District.
Day after day the gray sky,
heavy with clouds, seemed to
reach down and touch the very
tops of the trees. The reddish
soil of the fields grew dark un.
der the continuous downpour; the
roads, winding deep between the
naudwaIls and the fences Of the
orchards, were changed TO rush
- ing streams. The weeping orange
trees seemed to shrink and cringe
under the deluge, as il in ag-
grieved protest at the sudden
SINGER Of that kindly, friendly
land Of sunshine.
The Jucar was rising. The
waters, turned to so much liquid
s. clay, dashed red and Shiny against
the buttresses OF the bridges.
People living along the banks fol-
lowed the swelling Of the river
1in with anxious eyes, studying the
markers placed along the shores
90 note how the water was COM
Ing up.
sMunta?" asked the peo-s
pie from the interior. in their
as quaint dialect.
'.Munta!' answered the river
jewellers.
And the water was indeed slow
80 " rising. already threatening the
e city that had so audaciously taken
7root in the very middle of. its
bed.
But despite the danger, the
townspeople seemed to be feeling
nothing more than uneasy curio-
sspsity. No one thought OF mov-
ing across the bridges to take
9as refuge on the high land. Non
sense, The Jucar was always
flooding. You had to expect -o1ale-
while. Thank heaven there
was something to break the mo-
notony OF life In that sleepy town.
Why complain at a weeks va
cation? 1t was hard to disturb
the placid competency OF those
descendants of the Moors. Floods
had been coming since the days
of their fathers, their grand
fathers and their great-graI1d.
40 fathers, and never had the town
been carried off. A few houses
Eat the worst Why suppose the
catastrophe would be due now?
so 20 Alcira. As happens in any
decent family, there would be a
pf9fquarrel now and then a thrash
ing followed by kisses AMI recon
ss''s ciliation Just imagine-living
seven or eight centuries together!
Besides-and this the lesser people
thought-there was Father San
Bernardo, as powerful as God
- Himself in all that concerned
Alcira- He was able, single
handed, to tame the writhing mon
seter that wound its coiling way
underneath the bridges.
The cloud-burst lasted for two
whole days. The night of the
second day closed, and the roar of
the river sounded forebodingly in
the darkness. On its black sur
face lights could be seen reflected
like restless flashes OF flame
candles from the shore houses
and lanterns Of watchmen On
guard along the banks.
-. 81 In. the lower streets the water
II GStWas coming under the doors into
1, the houses. Women and children
~, were taking refuge in the garrets
81 while the men, with their trousers
rolled up to their knees, were
- splashing about in the liquid silt,
y
places of safety, or tugging at
Itsome donkey who would he balk-
III ing at going too deep into the
4 water.
aise All these people of the suburbs.
ssOn finding their houses flooded
iiif AaH the darkness of niSh-, lest the
- ssssfxtinR calm whtch tt.ey lad SO
ssiF aboastfully displayed during the
~. 81. 4 slaaytime. Now fear Of the super
II kEaTN
with childish anxiety they sought
ia. Protection of some Higher Power
s M avert the dange-. Perhaps
s'tfsfhis freshet was the final one:
issNf Perhaps they were the %icti .,s
3u5irSdsstined 10 perisn in the final
sl.,h flowDfall cf the city. Women he
tx. ,.gan to shrek with terror on
i;gs seeing their wretched lanes con-
III ;ssgerted into deep canals.
Ill ~ "EI pare San Bernat! Que ira
suen al pare San Bernat! Father
Il. Saint Bernard! Let them fetch
Father Saint Bernardo
The men looked at each other
fsas lneasily. Nobody could handle
;sssgTA matter like this so we'll as the
glorious patron. 1t was not high
IA, 4tinne to have recourse To him, as
lss had so often been done before, and
ssug get him to perform his miracle.
Iney ought I'd 30 10 iHS CITY
council and compel the big guns
Il sthere, in spite Of :hcir scepti-
s%cism, to bring the saint out for
1.-The consolation Of the poor.
10 In an hour & veritable army
was formed Mobs issued from
the dark lanes. padding IN the
water like frogs, and raising their
garcry: San Bernat! San Ber-
nat! the men, with their sleeves
and trousers rolled up, or even
n entirely naked save for the sash
hat Is never removed from the