San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-29
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and white robes appeared, bearing
painted church banners with gold
and silver fringes. Before them
was carried a tall gilt crucifix.
They were all singing. Sidonia
understood no Latin, hut to or
binary .church-attending folk it was
as familiar as their neighbours con-
versation. The feeling of expect
ancy was becoming breathless.
Joyful, hallowed and glorious
things were happening.
Now came acolytes strewing
dried rose petals and swinging sill
Der HURDLES, from whose perfora-
tions gushed the smoke of incense.
An exotic odor, like the palpable
SAVIOR of prayer, overlaid the odors
of the street. People were going
down upon their knees and uncov-
ering their heads, for the shrine
was coming.
More acolytes-two by two
bore great candles of yellow wax,
guttering wildly or displaying
blackened, wind extinguished
wicks. Holy water was sprinkled
right and left upon the people by
a priest in the golden vestments
of thanksgiving, who dipped a
miniature broom of bound twigs
into a silver vessel shaped exactly
like bucket.
And then the shrine itself, car
ried on poles. A long, narrow cof-
fer of enamelled goldsmith's work
with sides of glass. 1t enclosed
the interrupted body of the. city's
saint--a bishop dead over a CEN
fury before. He lay in his robes
of office, the mitre upon his head
that was supported by a white
satin pillow, a golden crozier set
with crystal and amethysts laid be-
side him. The sunken profile of a
withered, yellowish face was visi-
BILE, and two folded hands, shrunk
to strange, brittle-looking claws of
the hue of parchment.
Every head was bent. Hearts
We're uplifted and clarified as with
a heavenly dew. A pang of de-
licious and softening emotion
struck through the soul of the
crowd
Immediately below the wide-set
windows of the house of wealth
there was smothered groan. The
crippled beggar, his crutches still
under his armpits, stood now upon
two feet instead of one. At the
moment of the shrine's passage a
convulsive shudder had taken him
"a shudder of fear and faith.
The contracted sinews had relaxed
as the might of the dead saint
combated by his terrified will and
abetted by his terrified belief
touched him like the fingers of
God. TIL whites of his eyes
showed and the teeth chartered in
his head.
"A miraclem exclaimed some
one hoarsely, for the shrine had
passed.
"A miracle! A miracle"
The beggar was clapped upon
the back by dozen hands. Tears
streamed from the eyes of men and
women. He remained mute, shiv-
ering. Inwardly he was as i'm
potently furious as a trapped rat.
His livelihood had been filched
from him. He would have to
work.
A blare of trumpets-right I'M
der the watching easements, as it
seemed. And here were the trunl-
peters - carlet-clad youths on
horseback.
"The Young Lordv
Every head craned forward,
every throat uttered cry. For
the moment even the welcome of
the church bells was inaudible.
"Gervais! Gervais"
A tall horse, its white housings
embroidered with silver fleurs-de-
lys, leaving nothing visible save its
onyx-dark eyes, seen through eye
nOlcS, anu us ildsSiht Ioolo anu
bearded fetlocks, came slowly, step
ping upon the thrown roses that
were already partly trodden into
the slush between the coy and UNI
evenly set cobblestones. More lib
Grated pigeons fluttering sky.
ward. Flowers fell from above.
There was a confusion of beating
wings, tossed roses and waving
hands. Men and women, mixed
with the pikemen, who were un-
able to hold them back, pressed
round the caparisoned horse. The
street seethed like milk that is
about to boil over.
The rider of the horse, in COM
plete armor, but bare-headed, sat
him beautifully, gathering up the
gold-embossed crimson bride in
one ungauntleted hand. His face
was set like a mask, with little