JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



83 



CHAPTER XI. 



Town of Esquipulas. — A New Perplexity and Change of Route. — The 

 Curate. — His Domestic Establishment. — His Library. — Attending 

 Mass. — The Shrine of Esquipulas. — The Miracle. 



Our reception by the curate, the friend and relative of 

 Don Jose, was the most cordial and flattering. His house, 

 which was situated opposite the church, and provided in 

 front with a good portico, and in the rear with a spacious 

 yard, was one of considerable size, but not very conve- 

 nient ; having only two rooms, besides the sala, or par- 

 lour. One of these rooms was assigned to Don Jose and 

 Mr. M. ; the other the good curate insisted on my occupy- 

 ing, though it was his own bed-chamber and study. For 

 his own accommodation, a little cot, or field-bed, was 

 brought into the sala. 



The furniture of the house was more remarkable for its 

 classic simplicity, than for its elegance or convenience. 

 In the principal room, the only articles composing it were 

 a wooden bench, with a back and rests for the arms at each 

 end, placed against the wall, and before it a massive ma- 

 hogany table. This part of the household arrangement 

 had very much the appearance of a tribunal ; and when 

 the curate sat there — which he invariably did when any 

 one came to talk to him on business^-he looked like a 

 magistrate dispensing justice. Along the walls were dis- 

 tributed about a dozen chairs of no mean dimensions, and 

 of most antiquated fashion ; the seats and backs being 

 lined with sole leather, and studded with nails, the heads 

 of which were of polished brass, and as large as half dol- 

 lars. On the side over the mahogany table there was a 

 portrait of our Saviour, and opposite to this another por- 

 trait, representing a nuestra Sefwra. 



