The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
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CHAPTER LIII 241<br />
CHAPTER LIII<br />
Il Buon Dí Si Conosce Da Mattina [137]<br />
Early the next morning the report spread through the town that many lights had been seen in the cemetery on<br />
the previous night. <strong>The</strong> leader of the Venerable Tertiary Order spoke of lighted candles, of their shape and<br />
size, and, although he could not fix the exact number, had counted more than twenty. Sister Sipa, of the<br />
Brotherhood of the Holy Rosary, could not bear the thought that a member of a rival order should alone boast<br />
of having seen this divine marvel, so she, even though she did not live near the place, had heard cries and<br />
groans, and even thought she recognized <strong>by</strong> their voices certain persons with whom she, in other times,--but<br />
out of Christian charity she not only forgave them but prayed for them and would keep their names secret, for<br />
all of which she was declared on the spot to be a saint. Sister Rufa was not so keen of hearing, but she could<br />
not suffer that Sister Sipa had heard so much and she nothing, so she related a dream in which there had<br />
appeared before her many souls--not only of the dead but even of the living--souls in torment who begged for<br />
a part of those indulgences of hers which were so carefully recorded and treasured. She could furnish names<br />
to the families interested and only asked for a few alms to succor the Pope in his needs. A little fellow, a<br />
herder, who dared to assert that he had seen nothing more than one light and two men in salakots had<br />
difficulty in escaping with mere slaps and scoldings. Vainly he swore to it; there were his carabaos with him<br />
and could verify his statement. "Do you pretend to know more than the Warden and the Sisters, paracmason,<br />
[138] heretic?" he was asked amid angry looks. <strong>The</strong> curate went up into the pulpit and preached about<br />
purgatory so fervently that the pesos again flowed forth from their hiding-places to pay for masses.<br />
But let us leave the suffering souls and listen to the conversation between Don Filipo and old Tasio in the<br />
lonely home of the latter. <strong>The</strong> Sage, or Lunatic, was sick, having been for days unable to leave his bed,<br />
prostrated <strong>by</strong> a malady that was rapidly growing worse.<br />
"Really, I don't know whether to congratulate you or not that your resignation has been accepted. Formerly,<br />
when the gobernadorcillo so shamelessly disregarded the will of the majority, it was right for you to tender it,<br />
but now that you are engaged in a contest with the Civil Guard it's not quite proper. In time of war you ought<br />
to remain at your post."<br />
"Yes, but not when the general sells himself," answered Don Filipo. "You know that on the following<br />
morning the gobernadorcillo liberated the soldiers that I had succeeded in arresting and refused to take any<br />
further action. Without the consent of my superior officer I could do nothing."<br />
"You alone, nothing; but with the rest, much. You should have taken advantage of this opportunity to set an<br />
example to the other towns. Above the ridiculous authority of the gobernadorcillo are the rights of the people.<br />
It was the beginning of a good lesson and you have neglected it."<br />
"But what could I have done against the representative of the interests? Here you have Señor Ibarra, he has<br />
bowed before the beliefs of the crowd. Do you think that he believes in excommunications?"<br />
"You are not in the same fix. Señor Ibarra is trying to sow the good seed, and to do so he must bend himself<br />
and make what use he can of the material at hand. Your mission was to stir things up, and for that purpose<br />
initiative and force are required. Besides, the fight should not be considered as merely against the<br />
gobernadorcillo. <strong>The</strong> principle ought to be, against him who makes wrong use of his authority, against him<br />
who disturbs the public peace, against him who fails in his duty. You would not have been alone, for the<br />
country is not the same now that it was twenty years ago."<br />
"Do you think so?" asked Don Filipo.