A Little flower among the Igorotes

Title

Language

English

Year

1924

Subject

Igorot (Philippine people) -- Religions.

Christians -- Mountain Province (Philippines)

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

Ines was a lovely little Igorot girl from Itogon. Her black eyes which peeped out under the blacker hair, that covered her open face, showed life, spirit and purity. Ines has been baptized; she was a Christian and as a Christian she behaved.

Fulltext

A Little flower Among the lgorotes Ines n-as a loYely little Igoro1 ;tirl from Itogon. Her blaek eyes whieh peeped out under the blacker hair. that em·ered her open face, showed life. spirit and puriy. Ines had been bapti?.ed: ~he was a christian and as a christian she behaved. She did not go to i;;chool for a long time. oh~ no . when father and mother are poor. when their riee and camote fields are few and high in the steep mountains. an lgorote girl has to work hard and early in life. But Ines had studied enough to know lier duties as a ··atholic g-irl. En•ry morning. before she took her basket to the hiJ.ls. she went to mass. How could she miss the renewal of the sacri lice of the cross, once offered for her by JesusHimself whomshelovecl? And after mass, hapoy, she went to the far away 1ields arid towards evening-. singing or pra:ring· Iler rosary under a hea\·y load. she slipped clO\l"n 11ie n;Jt·row mountain path homeward". And wiil she go to rest no\1· in her poor shack? ~ot yet. The rice muH tirst be pounded :;tncl lbe evening pra~·e 1· f'aicl. Now and then she talks \1·ith her few neighl.Jour g"irls about God and heaven, :<-nd tl1e happiness on · earth of those who sene God, and the glory in heaven of tho~e who lead a pure life. Ines was happy. Yer.r ha pp~· the result of a pure Goel loYing conscience. , Ines had reached the age at which Ti:rorote girls are given a way in marriage by their parents to a lloy. Ines had dreaded that moment. Tha t moment came. She must marry . But, her future husballd \\·as a pagan. One evening, her father called her and said: ·•Ines, next week you will ba\"e a 1111;.\)1\nd. You wil1 iro and live with X .. , l11es did not answer but tliat nig·ht >'he did not sieep at!d. ins1ead0f ~tretch tllg <111t her tired body on lhe woodEn tloor. ,;lie pas:oed tlte dark hom·s in prayer. Did not our Lord aim prax while in ng-c.11y'? And while in prayer. did He not accept death'? ''-"as it, not iweferable for Ines to clietha11 to ha l'e to liYe wHh a pag·an. in ,,in? \\"hat 11 terril>le agony she endured'. Tl1e next t1'·o day!'. Ines went to 27 maf;; ver~· early. she recehed Holy Communi0n. but, instead of singing "!Jile at" ork. her lips formed in silence the prayer !"he had offered that long lonely nigllt. aJter tl1e t.Prriu!E' news of ber eornin11· marri:ig'€ had been broken to her. Fom· clays more and she would be forced 10 1i ,.e with her hul'band. She shiYered at the thought. She paE~ecl another night in prayer. her prayer was always one and the same Tbe uext mornin;r IrES ~Hs ti1cd 28 Her head was hot and weary. Her limbs refused to carr~· her to church. Ines lay down on the ca rabaoskin. her bed, on the floor. She smiled. No, she was not snrry she could not f!O to church. Had the priest not often said how good God is, how He always hears a fervent, confident prayer? The father and mother or Jnes were not anxious about their girl. FeYer often prostrates the overworked Igorote. No, tomorrow, or the day· after tomorrow. Ines would be better. The priest did not see Ines at the Communion rails that morning·. Another morning dawned, Ines felt hotter and hotter. She shivered t.hru her whole body. But Ines smiled while her father and mother gave her the food she needed while they would be in the mountains for the whole day. ~evertheless they came home a little earlier that evening. Ines might need water. How her eyes shone under the black hair that coYered her face. She smiled a heavenly smile. Her parents would call the Father. The Father has wonderful medecines, oh~ he cured so many who ot.herwise would have gone to the pitiless grave. The F'ather came. Ines was perspiring-. Smiling-, >he said she \l"as ' well, very well,but she would like to confess. After her confession she told the priest the news of the last fourda.Ys. she told eYen how and what she prayed for. ·what? Jnes would rather die than marry a pagan. She preferred a cold grave to what her parents deemed a happy marriage. God would have pity on her, she said she had prayed fervently, God coL1ld not refuse her demand. The next morning, after mass, the Father brought the hea,·enly Master of life and death to Ines' poor shack. The girl smiled from under the shadow of appraching death. He co uld not repress a tear. He knew Jnes· prayer was heard tLough yesterda y he could' not beliern it. That same morning. at the time Ines usually climbed the mountains after mass,] nes climbed again, higher and higher. smiling, g·lorious: the angels of the heavenly Sion sang a welcome to a vol un1"ary martyr of purity: an Igorot girl from Itogon, )lountain Province. Ines' prayer wa;;: cro\\ ned. Say, are there not saint!' ~till? and do not the Igo rotes desen·e the help ur their christia11 !Jrethren or the Philippines?

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