Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-06-23

$3.50 04AZ - N"@
and failed to produce their spring.
crops of beans from which the ma
tives were won't to make their mes
Quital," or mesquite meal, from
which a palatable bread Is made.
The arroyos, which in seasonabie
years in their deepest spots, held
water, dried up. On the hills and
in the erstwhile green valleys not
a sprig OF grass grew. Livestock
and humans suffered alike. Stark
famine was over the land. hunger
and deathand suffering was in ev-
cry humble home.
God" said these good people.
'haS deserted us. We have prayed
and we have offered our all on the
altar of sacrifice. We are hungry
and athirst and our little children
are dying for the want Of food and
for clothing 10 hide their naked
ness. We have formed ourselves
into marching bodies, old men and
young, women and children and.
with our padres leading with holy
vessels, have trodden the highways
and byways, bareheaded and bare
footed praying with each step for
rain. But none falls. We have
gone as far as our strength will let
us go. We have failed and we must
die"
But the state or Texas and its
good people heard the prayer and
sent food and clothing to their
brethren down here on the last
frontier. The hungry and the
naked were fed and clothed. suffi-
cient food stuffs furnished for the
starving animals and most miracu-
lous Of all miracles. ii rained and
has continued TO rain ever since
and things as drouths are unknown
in Southwest Texas now.
Same In Mexico
The same conditions which nearly
| devastated this section Of Texas
prevailed on the Mexican side of the
Rio Grande with more or less in
tensity. The people of Mier. and
its contributing ranch territory. suf-
fered the same rigors and terrorS as
did their kindred in Texas. There
were marching parties on the roads
chanting hymns and S~upplications
for rain. The Little River OF Mier.
which finds its source in the Ger
ralvo mountains and its outlet in
the Rio Grande at Alamo, five
miles east Of Mier. dried IT'D and the
people OF Aqua Leguas found them
selves for the first time since the
founding OF the town in 1855. face
70 face with starvation and death
from thirst.
Anrfo 7 nrfr,- 4 A ,.sf-- -.--N ~
Mier and has its miraculous legend
OF a blessed female saint equal to
that Of Our Lady Of Guadalupe Of
Mexico City. story or which Il ia
miliar 70 most of us and does not
require repeating IN full IN this
story. Briefly told. it relates how
one Juan Diego an ignorant Indian
peon. while herding goats on e hill
Size n afternoon. vas suddenly
confronted by on Indian maiden or
rare beauty who told Juan TO 60
az once TO the bishop and convey to
nam tie commands Of God that he
was 70 erect a cathedral on the
very hill where Juan sat as q shrine.
where the Indians might worshiD
The Indian maiden then disappear
ed as silently as she had come and
Juan although half believing that
ne had been asleep and had dream
dc, nevertheless FASTENED to the
bishops palace and related his
story. He was thrown out bodily
and told 10 begone. the bishop be-
lieving him demented. Juan went
back 20 his hill and to his sheep and
no doubt forgot the incident. but
next day at the very same hour the
Indian maiden appeared for the
second time and for the second
tlme commanded Juan To 60 70 the
bishop with the Lords request.
Juan Frightened
Poor Juan was frightened out OF
his wits by this time. He feared the
wrath OF the bishop and the IN
canniness Of the Indian maiden. but
the latter. 50 the legend goes. babe
Juan to be Of good heart and to
unfold his coarse cotton serape and
to spread IL upon the ground. When
ne had done so the maiden then re-
quested that he double u ~ four
folds and carry il to the bishop and
there unfold II and AGAIN make the
request for the shrine. Juan did
as directed and on arrival at the
palace was admitted 70 the bishops
presence and Immediately unfolded
his sack cloth and 10. red roses fell
from its folds and a picture of the
Indian maiden. Our Lady OF
Guadalupe was painted on the
cloth. the same being kept to this
day among the holy relics OF Our
Lady Of Guadalupe and is said to
be Is beautiful and as fresh in col
or as it was on the day that Juan
received 1T. No roses we're ever
known to grow on the hill where
Juan herded his sheep, but. says
the legend. roses grew there that
day and have grown ever since, and
the picture OF Our Lady In such
wonderful colors on the poor poems