The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home

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