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Show MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE 169 The ordinary customs incident to home-life in Anglo American communities did not obtain in the early days in New Mexico; nor were there any of the customs ordinarily RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION prevalent in European Latin countries, in AND HOME LIFE educational matters, other than those incident to religious instruction and formalities. There were no public schools, and the education of the people, except in some of the wealthiest families, was very limited, and in many instances entirely neglected. There was, however, a branch of learning which was most scrupulously maintained from long as it lasted in this it is true, have framed a Order, but entirely suited ee te superiors; good. _ ‘The Penitentes, who country, when I was a young man. The Penitentes, constitution somewhat resembling that of the Third to their own political views. In fact, they have but they do what they please and accomplish nothing were formerly distributed mostly over the whole ter- ritory of New Mexico, have, since 1850, retreated towards the north, especially in the counties of San Miguel, Mora, Rio Arriba, and Taos, where they have the darkness of the woods to add more mystery to their nocturnal performances. They were divided into two classes of members: Those of ‘La Luz,’ The Light, consisting of the ‘Hermano with particular titles, and the Mayor,’ Chief Brother, and other directors common brothers called ‘De Las Tinieblas,’ or Of the Darkness. The men of the Light wore their dress, while those of the Darkness had their faces covered and no other clothing but light trousers. This arrangement was made in the ‘morada,’ the private meeting hall of the Pen- ttentes, the roles to be performed publicly were distributed; these were the flag- ellation, the carrying of the crosses, the singing, etc. Those who had to flagel- late themselves were furnished with a scourge terminating sometimes in a prickly pear articulation (cactus opuntia), or some pad of heavy and coarse stuff. The cross-bearers were furnished with heavy and rude crosses. Another Preparation, and the procession was ready to start. It consisted of the rubbing with a piece of flint of the skin of the flagellants at the place the lash would strike, in order to have some flowing of blood without too much injury to the body. Charitable This Brother, operation of the was performed association. At by this the time ‘Hermano Carttatwo, the procession emerged from the ‘morada’ to go to a designated place where a cross had been planted for the occasion. The order of the procession was the following: First, the flagellantes,’ next the cross-bearers and the directors chanting in low tone the psalm, ‘Miserere,’ with accompaniment of the rattling of iron chains dragged on the ground, and of a cracked flute, all of this producing a kind of infernal harmony. We have seen and heard it a couple of times, and the Most astonishing feature of the ceremony was to see it followed by numerous = old women, devoutly saying their beads. ‘We will overlook in this writing many strange accounts that the news- Papers give from time to time of the ceremonies and performances of the like the crucifixion of one of the brothers, which on certain ocPenitentes, Casions have, they say, caused the death of the victim. From 1859 until 1866, When we lived in New Mexico, we never heard of such criminal extravagances. in Lent, and ‘The processions of the Penitentes took place on every Friday on the three last days of Holy Week, and these were never countenanced by the they Mexico, New in Church; on the contrary, since there have been bishops |