The Social Cancer: A Complete English Version of Noli Me TangereRizal, José
History
The Social Cancer: A Complete English Version of Noli Me Tangere
Rizal, José
Historical fiction; Philippines -- History -- 1812-1898 -- Fiction
After the music came a banner on which was pictured the same saint, but
with seven wings, carried by the Tertiary Brethren dressed in _guingón_
habits and praying in high, plaintive voices. Rather inexplicably,
next came St. Mary Magdalene, a beautiful image with abundant hair,
wearing a pañuelo of embroidered piña held by fingers covered with
rings, and a silk gown decorated with gilt spangles. Lights and
incense surrounded her while her glass tears reflected the colors
of the Bengal lights, which, while giving a fantastic appearance to
the procession, also made the saintly sinner weep now green, now red,
now blue tears. The houses did not begin to light up until St. Francis
was passing; St. John the Baptist did not enjoy this honor and passed
hastily by as if ashamed to be the only one dressed in hides in such
a crowd of folk covered with gold and jewels.
"There goes our saint!" exclaimed the daughter of the gobernadorcillo
to her visitors. "I've lent him all my rings, but that's in order to
get to heaven."
The candle-bearers stopped around the platform to listen to the _loa_
and the blessed saints did the same; either they or their bearers
wished to hear the verses. Those who were carrying St. John, tired
of waiting, squatted down on their heels and agreed to set him on
the ground.
"The alguazil may scold!" objected one of them.
"Huh, in the sacristy they leave him in a corner among the cobwebs!"
So St. John, once on the ground, became one of the townsfolk.
As the Magdalene set out the women joined the procession, only that
instead of beginning with the children, as among the men, the old women
came first and the girls filled up the lines to the car of the Virgin,
behind which came the curate under his canopy. This practise they had
from Padre Damaso, who said: "To the Virgin the maidens and not the old
women are pleasing!" This statement had caused wry faces on the part
of many saintly old ladies, but the Virgin did not change her tastes.
San Diego followed the Magdalene but did not seem to be rejoicing
over this fact, since he moved along as repentantly as he had in
the morning when he followed St. Francis. His float was drawn by six
Tertiary Sisters--whether because of some vow or on account of some
sickness, the fact is that they dragged him along, and with zeal. San
Diego stopped in front of the platform and waited to be saluted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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