and delivered the message, which was: "That if I was not in Havanna, in three days from that day, that I should not be alive; that he was acquainted with people in Matanzas, who dare not disobey his orders; and if I divulged this to any one, my life would be in danger." Father Padro, who called on me, and made me this communication, took me to his house, where he had a young girl, nineteen years old, with whom he was living. He had been the cause of her ruin. She was a person of a fine mind and beautiful. He had persuaded her parents to give her to him. They, being poor, and she being young and beautiful, he made them believe, that it would not be any sin to live with him, as he had so much power with the Virgin Mary, that he could save her soul; this she told me herself. She had one child by him, but it was taken away from her soon after it was born. He told her that he was going to put it into a Convent, under the care of the Abbess. This is all she knew about the child. I could see that she was unhappy, and lived in much fear of him; but she could relieve her mind, at times, by going to the Priest, and making her Confession, as she believed in the Catholic church, and all that the Priests told her. I I left my American female friend, with whom I found so much consolation, for Havanna. Here I found myself with Manuel more unhappy and wretched than ever. had given up all hopes of ever leaving the island, or getting away from him. I felt myself lost, and gave up to despair. Then I would say to myself, "Oh! if I could only become a Christian, or could find some Christians to tell them of my trouble!" For I had no one around me, but what appeared so wicked to me, that I dare not tell them what my feelings were. Shortly after, I was taken very sick, and was brought very low. How to prepare myself to die I knew not, as I was as ignorant as any heathen of the way of salvation, and hell presented itself before me. Oh! judge my feel. ings from what your own would be.-Manuel then persuaded me, and insisted on my being christened, and L said I should then become a Christian, and would die happy. I consented to be anointed and christened, not believing that it could save my soul; but as I was living in the manner I was with him, I thought it could do me no harm in the sight of heaven. He said if I died as I was, he could not bury me.* The preparations were accordingly made, and I was removed from my bed to a death-table, as they call it, which is about four feet high, and seven feet long. Four death-candles were placed, one at each corner of this table, and the images of different Saints, with the Virgin Mary, were brought from the Convent into the room, and I was placed in the centre, laid out on the table. The image of the Virgin Mary was placed at the foot of the table, in full dress, with candles lighted up around her. Then there stood around two of those Capuchin Priests, and my physician, (who lived in the Convent, and dresses like a Priest in habits,) with a gentleman and lady, to stand my Godfather and Godmother, and my Priest and other individuals, who came in as friends.-I was very sick, near unto death, but in the terror and excitement it caused, I did not feel my weakness, or disease. On looking around me, as I laid on that table, I thought that those priests were so many devils; and that I was truly in Purgatory: I was afraid to look at them, as they went through their ceremony. But I know their customs: First, they burnt incense in the room, in an ark, which they take to be very holy. This is to burn the evil spirits out of the person, and out of the room. "He could not bury me." This feature of Romanism, that refuses the charity of a burial to a Protestant deceased, is traced by the poet Young, smarting with grief for the loss of a loved daughter, in these lines: what resource? "Denied the charity of dust to spread * Next, they rang a little bell, which they carry with them on such occasions. Then they knelt down, and laid my body, as they term it, by offering a prayer, a few words in Latin. Next, they sprinkled me with Holy Water; anointed me with Holy Ointment, Crossing my forehead, my breast, my hands, and my feet, with this ointment, all the time ringing the small bell, and repeating over something to themselves in Latin. After they got through with this ceremony, as I have said, the excitement and terror it gave me, made me almost forget that I was sick; and they then said I was a holy Christian, and that all the sins I had ever committed were gone from me; and they rejoiced over me, and said I had been weighed down and oppressed with evil spirits, which now were cast out of me, and I was made whole. They then put a Crosst round my neck, and told me, whenever I committed any sin, that I must take this Cross, and go to the image of the Virgin Mary for mercy; that she would always have mercy upon me; but charged me, whenever I felt as if I had done wrong, to go to some Priest, and to Confess it to him. I did recover immediately from my sickness, and I do believe it was owing to the effect this had on my system; but the Priests all said it was because they had made me a Christian; I was restored to my health again, in some measure, so that I was able to be about. I did truly feel as if I was another person, for my mind and feelings had now become stupified. I had now become foolish, like a child; so much so, that I could not remain in my house, wanting to be wandering, in the streets, alone. When out, I knew not where I was going; and when I saw any of the Priests, I would go up to them publicly, and cry to them, weeping, and tell them, they had set me crazy, that they had put Priestcraft on "At the time of my baptism, I was anointed with oil; a piece of salt was put in my mouth, the Priest breathing three times upon me, and touching my eyes, ears, and nose with spittle, speaking Latin all the while. They profess to take these ceremonies from the Scriptures." Miss Reed's six months in a Convent, p. 65. + This individual Cross is now in the Asylum at Yorkville. |