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Show 110 BY PATH AND TRAIL. of the pillar what was a trifle to me, but a god- send to her and her family; upon which, without thanking me except by a courteous inclination of the head, she went up to the high altar, followed by her children to return thanks to God. Now all ' this might be very ignorant re ligion to an American Protestant, but to me it was true religion, and, what was more, an example of sincere faith. She trusted that God would supply what she wanted, she knew that he had said about his house being the house of prayer and she came to that house in faith to ask him for help in her troubles; and when she got what she wanted she evidently believed that her prayer had been heard, and therefore did not thank me, whom she con sidered merely the instrument, but God who had sent me. My companion and guide from the town of Jesus Maria was a quiet, honest representative of the Mexican half- breeds to be met with in almost every village of this peninsula. 1 1 Tell me, Ignacio, ' ' I said to him in a solemn tone, late in the evening when we were coming out of an ugly ra vine, " tell me of this La Llorona who haunts the moun tain paths and the lonely roads leading to the towns.,, is she worse than the Vaca de Lumbre, the gleaming cow, that at midnight suddenly appears on the Plaza del Ig-lesia and after a moment's pause bounds forward, and with streams of fire and flame flowing from her eyes and nostrils, rushes like a blazing whirlwind through the village. ' ' " Ah, senor, she is worse, indeed she is worse than the fiery cow, for it is known to everybody that while the vaca is terrible to look at, and on a dark night it is aw ful, she never does harm to any one. The little children, |
