FICTION AND TRUTH.
Here closes my story, but not my work. The information which some
writers might have put into a preface, I have purposely reserved, as
the choicest part of my volume, for its conclusion.
I hope that A. L. O. E. may be pardoned for giving to the hero of her
fiction the name actually borne by a noble Spanish evangelist now a
standard-bearer of the gospel in Seville. Her tale has failed of its
purpose if it has awakened no interest in the good work at this time
going on in Seville, as well as in other cities of Spain. To give an
idea of the nature and success of that work, and to place the true
beside the fictitious Aguilera, she has but to transcribe from an
"Occasional Paper," published in September 1873, by the Spanish
Evangelical Mission.[25] This date is about five years later than
that chosen for the preceding story, and belongs to a period when a
fresh revolution had convulsed the country of Spain.
"Our missionary agents at Seville have been called to pass through a
season of great anxiety and of considerable danger, in consequence of
the insurrections which took place in June and July, and the
subsequent siege of the city. Through the love and tender mercy of our
Heavenly Father, our friends were preserved from all harm, as were
also the churches, mission-houses, and schools."
An extract from a letter written by an English eye-witness of the
alarming insurrection which took place in Seville in that eventful
summer of 1873 then follows.
"A terrible scene took place. The people gathered in many thousands,
and vociferously demanded the heads of the members of the Junta, who
were at this moment prisoners in the Ayuntamiento. The Plaza Nueva,
now Plaza de la Republica Federal, and the Plaza de San Francisco,
were filled with people who savagely shouted, '_Que muera!_' Several
hundred volunteers had already formed a circle, expecting the
prisoners to be shot. The governor tried in vain to appease the
people, who, like so many hungry tigers, yelled for the lives of the
unfortunate men. Then a heart-rending scene took place. The wives and
children of the prisoners, pressing through the crowd, knelt in the
midst of the circle, and begged the people to spare the lives of those
who were so near and dear to them, the children imploring with tiny
outstretched arms; but all in vain. '_Que muera!_' (Let them die!) was
the only response.
"Suddenly Aguilera, our evangelist, accompanied by a few friends,
appeared on one of the balconies facing the Ayuntamiento, and gave a
heart-stirring address to the people. He spoke so loudly that I could
hear him distinctly on the other side of the Plaza. The crowd at first
would not listen. Some said, 'He is a traitor!' others, 'He is a
Protestant!' and many shouted, 'Shoot him!' But by degrees the shouts
subsided, and the crowd soon became thoroughly moved by his earnest
words, and broke forth into hearty cheers and cries of 'Let them
live!' Thus did Senor Aguilera by his courageous conduct save the
lives of the unhappy prisoners, who would otherwise have been
sacrificed to the blood-thirsty mob."
In another letter,[26] written less than a month after the preceding,
a Spanish missionary, the Rev. F. Palomares, gives details which can
scarcely fail to interest those who care for the progress of our
Lord's kingdom in Spain.
"The events at Seville during the last few days have been most
serious. We passed three days of greater anguish than we had ever
before experienced. A barricade was erected in front of the door of
San Basilio Church,[27] and a cannon was placed by the volunteers in
the door of the schoolroom. On seeing these preparations, I had the
English flag, and that of the Red Cross or hospital flag, hoisted on
the church. I invited the neighbours, without distinction of religion
or politics, to contribute bandages, medicines, and other necessaries
for the wounded. This they did most willingly. A committee was formed
to assist me in conveying the wounded, not only to our own hospital,
but also to those that were in the vicinity of the fighting. All this
was done with great risk to our lives, but our Lord Jesus Christ was
with us on all occasions. At the same time I occupied myself in
gathering under the roof of San Basilio the women and children, the
sick and aged. By this means consolation and shelter were offered to
more than fifteen hundred persons during the three days of danger, who
left us with expressions of gratitude."
A few more touches from the pen of an English missionary at Seville
must be added to fill up the picture from real life now placed beside
that which is the mere creation of fancy.
"Thanks be to the Keeper of Israel, and praises to His name, for His
loving-kindness towards us in having kept us from all harm. The
churches, houses, and schools connected with the Mission, although two
of them are very near the scene of destruction, were not injured in
the least. The June insurrection ended, comparatively speaking,
pacifically; but that of July, I am sorry to say, was the cause of
much bloodshed and loss of property. No one knows the precise number
of the dead and wounded. The [Madrid] newspapers announce them to be
about 800, but that is probably an exaggeration. The city had the
appearance of a vast camp. Barricades were erected in all parts of it.
On Sunday, July 27th, the Government troops could be seen advancing
from the top of the Giralda. No one, excepting women and children,
were allowed to leave the city.
"It was uncertain which part of the town the troops would attack, but
the general opinion was they would attack the [Macarena] district in
which San Basilio is situated; consequently many of the inhabitants of
the adjacent quarters emigrated towards the cathedral and the river. I
was at that time at San Basilio, making arrangements with Senor
Palomares for the reception of the wounded. The church was filled with
women and children, who were invited to take shelter under the English
and Red Cross flags. I could not help remarking to Senor Palomares
that God would probably bring good out of this evil, by causing some
of those bigoted Roman Catholic families, who were now sheltering
themselves under the roof of a Protestant church, to take refuge under
the blessings of the gospel, and so save their souls from everlasting
destruction.
"The bombardment commenced at half-past two on Monday, and continued
till Wednesday, when the troops succeeded in taking possession of the
city.
"Senor Palomares, myself, and several members of the Red Cross went
out on Tuesday evening to bring in some wounded; but we could not get
beyond the barricade of San Jose, for the balls still rushed by. It
was a sad scene to behold. The whole neighbourhood had been saturated
with petroleum, and the pillars of smoke and fire were terrible: I
have never witnessed in my life such a scene before. The disasters of
Bourbaki's army, of which I was an eye-witness, seem to me less than
what I beheld during the three days of the bombardment of Seville.
"It is most astonishing and worth while mentioning that, whilst the
houses to the right and left, before and behind, our (Garci Perez)
school are more or less damaged, it should have escaped without even a
ball-mark; and that, whilst houses only a few yards distant were
burned, and a large cork manufactory not more than ten yards from it
was almost totally destroyed, it should have escaped without injury.
"Our schools were only discontinued for a few days, and they are now
as well attended as before. May the Lord have mercy on poor Spain, and
cause the light of His gospel to shine in her midst!"
Let the reader of these pages breathe a fervent "amen" to this prayer;
nor let him content himself with this sign of sympathy with those who
maintain so holy a cause. Men and money are needed; the conflict is
going on at this moment, the battle is not yet decided. Such Spaniards
as Cabrera and Aguilera still contend in their nobler Plaza de Toros
with fierce bigotry and superstition: a formidable enemy is before
them; but their weapon is the Word of God, and English friends,
faithful and firm, stand at their side. When in eternity the ancient
martyrs and the modern spiritual heroes of Spain remember in the
mansions of peace and bliss the struggle in which they once bore so
noble a part, may my reader be able with humble joy to exclaim, "I was
no idle spectator of the struggle! Such help as I could give I
willingly gave, and I--even I--may now, while ascribing all glory to
the God of hosts, join in the song of victory and the psalm of
thanksgiving--for the triumphs of the Gospel in Spain!"
* * * * *
Another Occasional Paper, issued by the Spanish Church Mission whilst
this volume was passing through the press, gives a cheering account of
the progress of evangelical work in Seville. The number of children
under religious tuition is a peculiarly encouraging feature of this
work. Portions of Scripture, illuminated by English hands, are hung up
not only in schools, but some of them in private houses, to the great
annoyance of Romish priests. Though Spain is yet convulsed by civil
war, and fierce bigotry has not ceased to oppose the truth, an
Aguilera still holds his glorious post in Seville; and in the city
where so many martyrs once died in flames kindled by the Inquisition,
Spanish lips are now preaching the doctrine of justification by faith.
FOOTNOTES:
[25] Office, 6 Duke Street, Adelphi, London.
[26] What follows is a translation.
[27] A large _Protestant_ church in Seville.
End of Project Gutenberg's The Spanish Cavalier, by Charlotte Maria Tucker