THE CHURCH AND ITS CEREMONIES. 163 



<>M tin- mierrtaiiities .f 111'.-, iunl tin- ! | til' ol.tiii uiiig &u many of its comfofU a* 



|..,.s>il.lr during the- years l.-t'i (< them. A rumor having npreal hy th<- human ti-k-^raph that 

 the ilnur \\iiiilil he ehi.sed at 8 o'clock, every one who had not followed t., tin- church in ]ruce- 

 si(.n emwded t" *ee the display, and the edilier was densely thronged until the lat infitant the 

 ixhu of garlic and paper cigaritut* from BO many unwashed peons being altogether unlike the 

 " gales from Araby." 



On the following morning a grand procession came off from Santo Domingo to the cathedral, 

 \vithin \vhieh, as a token of especial regard, the body was to obtain its final resting-place. 

 Ah.M'nce from town prevented my seeing this part of the exhibition ; but the assistants told me 

 the features of the corpse looked to have been tampered with, and there remained an idiotic or 

 unearthly leer most painful to behold. Arriving at the cathedral door, the clergy and 

 municipal board contended for precedence each claiming the right. Whether supported by 

 the rights of law or the moral force of virtue, none ever successfully resist the demands of the 

 priesthood here, as they might well have known, and, to avoid the scandal of public contention, 

 the city fathers withdrew. Nor is it on public occasions, or respecting public events, that the 

 clergy wield such power. Each household is controlled by them, and no husband or father 

 has the authority over his family possessed by the confessor. In fact, it is not unfrequently the 

 case that the views and opinions of the father are wholly disregarded, if at variance with those 

 of the spiritual adviser ; and thus heart-burnings, bickerings, estrangement, and immorality 

 creep in. 



The individual whose decease has been the subject of these paragraphs, appears to have been 

 an exception among the multitude; and his memory will be cherished for the many acts of 

 benevolence and kindness adorning a long life of usefulness, that rendered his name "familiar 

 as household words." No dismembered family, no betrayed woman, no half score of nieces, 

 were left to curse him ; but the intelligent, the poor, and the afflicted lamented a companion 

 ant 1 friend departed. Few possessed his powers of self-denial, or would have thought they had 

 a right to decline the exalted positions which had been tendered to him, viz : the bishopric of 

 Coquimbo on one occasion, and the archbishopric of the republic on another. Yet he evidently 

 preferred the more useful and humble sphere indicated by the course of his divine Master before 

 popes and bishops were known on the earth. 



Ceremonies in honor of Don - ."The board of directors of the Asylum del Salvador, 

 having determined to celebrate exequies in memory of the beneficent founder of that institution 

 of mercy, Don - , we make known to you that they will take place at the chapel of the 

 Asylum on Monday next, 19th instant, at 9 A. M. We hope that you will favor us with your 

 presence. May God preserve you," &c. 



Not willing to omit rendering homage to the manes of a gentleman who had devoted a portion 

 of his life to ameliorating the condition of his kind, or to slight an invitation so prettily worded, 

 (in the original,) it was not difficult to reach the chapel named at a reasonable hour. Even to 

 dinner one need not haste in Chile ; an hour later than the time named will be quite early enough 

 in almost all cases. On the present occasion, however, it was eleven o'clock when I reached the 

 chapel. 



It is a small though tasteful building, belonging to the house of refuge in Yungai, and adjoins 

 the normal school of agriculture. Its only windows are in the western end above the altar, and 

 these were covered with drapery of black cambric. The main door of entrance and side-walls 

 were also draped in black. Above the altar was an effigy of the deceased, (he had been interred 

 for weeks,) with his sword and its scabbard crossed over the lower portion of the body, and the 

 insignia of merit which a grateful country had awarded for important services. On either side 

 was a large vase, from which poured a flame of burning spirit, blue and mystic; whilst 

 about the altar, and around a table covered with a black velvet pall that occupied the body of 

 the church, there were long wax tapers. A large silver urn stood on the table. 



Before the altar eight priests were engaged in the ceremonies, of which a dirge formed the 



