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 XI 63<br />
now seems to have become so shamefaced that he cannot endure the sight of a piece of painted cloth and that<br />
he fears the knots on a cord. But all this proves nothing more than that there is progress on this side also and<br />
that the devil is backward, or at least a conservative, as are all who dwell in darkness. Otherwise, we must<br />
attribute to him the weakness of a fifteen-year-old girl.<br />
As we have said, Fray Salvi was very assiduous in the fulfilment of his duties, too assiduous, the alferez<br />
thought. While he was preaching--he was very fond of preaching--the doors of the church were closed,<br />
wherein he was like Nero, who allowed no one to leave the theater while he was singing. But the former did it<br />
for the salvation and the latter for the corruption of souls. Fray Salvi rarely resorted to blows, but was<br />
accustomed to punish every shortcoming of his subordinates with fines. In this respect he was very different<br />
from Padre Damaso, who had been accustomed to settle everything with his fists or a cane, administering such<br />
chastisement with the greatest good-will. For this, however, he should not be judged too harshly, as he was<br />
firm in the belief that the Indian could be managed only <strong>by</strong> beating him, just as was affirmed <strong>by</strong> a friar who<br />
knew enough to write books, and Padre Damaso never disputed anything that he saw in print, a credulity of<br />
which many might have reason to complain. Although Fray Salvi made little use of violence, yet, as an old<br />
wiseacre of the town said, what he lacked in quantity he made up in quality. But this should not be counted<br />
against him, for the fasts and abstinences thinned his blood and unstrung his nerves and, as the people said,<br />
the wind got into his head. Thus it came about that it was not possible to learn from the condition of the<br />
sacristans' backs whether the curate was fasting or feasting.<br />
<strong>The</strong> only rival of this spiritual power, with tendencies toward the temporal, was, as we have said, the alferez:<br />
the only one, since the women told how the devil himself would flee from the curate, because, having one day<br />
dared to tempt him, he was caught, tied to a bedpost, soundly whipped with a rope, and set at liberty only after<br />
nine days. As a consequence, any one who after this would still be the enemy of such a man, deserved to fall<br />
into worse repute than even the weak and unwary devils.<br />
But the alferez deserved his fate. His wife was an old Filipina of abundant rouge and paint, known as Doña<br />
Consolacion--although her husband and some others called her <strong>by</strong> quite another name. <strong>The</strong> alferez revenged<br />
his conjugal misfortunes on his own person <strong>by</strong> getting so drunk that he made a tank of himself, or <strong>by</strong> ordering<br />
his soldiers to drill in the sun while he remained in the shade, or, more frequently, <strong>by</strong> beating up his consort,<br />
who, if she was not a lamb of God to take away one's sins, at least served to lay up for her spouse many<br />
torments in Purgatory--if perchance he should get there, a matter of doubt to the devout women. As if for the<br />
fun of it, these two used to beat each other up beautifully, giving free shows to the neighborhood with vocal<br />
and instrumental accompaniments, four-handed, soft, loud, with pedal and all.<br />
Whenever these scandals reached the ears of Padre Salvi, he would smile, cross himself, and recite a<br />
paternoster. <strong>The</strong>y called him a grafter, a hypocrite, a Carlist, and a miser: he merely smiled and recited more<br />
prayers. <strong>The</strong> alferez had a little anecdote which he always related to the occasional Spaniards who visited him:<br />
"Are you going over to the convento to visit the sanctimonious rascal there, the little curate? Yes! Well, if he<br />
offers you chocolate which I doubt--but if he offers it remember this: if he calls to the servant and says, 'Juan,<br />
make a cup of chocolate, eh!' then stay without fear; but if he calls out, 'Juan, make a cup of chocolate, ah!'<br />
then take your hat and leave on a run."<br />
"What!" the startled visitor would ask, "does he poison people? Carambas!"<br />
"No, man, not at all!"<br />
"What then?"<br />
"'Chocolate, eh!' means thick and rich, while 'chocolate, ah!' means watered and thin."