04-087 [Misc.]
1883.09.15 Manila
From: José M. Cecilio
To: Jose Rizal
Updates on Chengoy’s employment — Paris is the grand city, according to Zamora — Rizal now speaks French — News of Manila lasses — Leonor again — Inquiring about Rizal’s literary activities.
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Manila, 15 September 1883
MR. JOSE RIZAL
MY OLD FRIEND AND DEAR NAMESAKE,
If I do not continually inquire about you at Tomasina House where I know they receive letters from you every mail, undoubtedly I would have been surprised by these words which you put at the head of the superscription of your letter of 20 July last that is in my possession which says: Iles Philippines. To have a friend in Paris and receive from him a letter has always been my constant desire.
You are right that we lack topics to write on. For your satisfaction I tell you that I have won a post of Aspirant for Official of Administration. Since 15 June last I have been occupying my new position in the Administracion Central de Rentas y Propiedades [Central Administration of Revenue and Property] to which I belong but for the convenience of the service, I continue serving in my old Intendencia General [General Administration]. May God will that it may not become espirante [expiring]! Because, despite what has been written that the first distinctive character of these posts is absolute immovability, am not so confident that I shall always live with this employment.
You say that you would give me temptations to go there if I obtain one of these posts. Since before they were giving me, but what was lacking was money. Now you will say that I can easily carry out my wish, but I see that here it is the same to find ₱10 as ₱20. This is for the question of residue.
Friend Zamora has been in the city since more than a week ago. He arrived on the same boat that brought your letter which I am answering. He is stout and I chatted with him for a couple of hours. For this man the grand country is Paris, whose language according to him you already master. This news makes me very glad and I hope one day I shall receive a book in French whose author is my Co-Babylonian. You already know that unfortunately I do not know that language, but I am going to read the book from beginning to end.
He has told me of your new Spanish girl friends whom he invited to his farewell party at Madrid. Some of them are daughters of a colonel. He said that all of you danced very well to the music of the piano and hand-organ.
I have learned about what had happened to you in that populous city through one of your letters addressed to your will family which was quite long. It is lucky that you found a good exit in that dispute on Japanese characters. How women are.
Until now Margarita, Pololeng, and Mamerta are not yet engaged, but the one who has married magnificently is Icang Ocampo of Biñang with the widower Mr. Mariano Buenaventura.
No star shines in Orang’s house. I believe that since you left, and consequently the gang was dispersed, the sky of many houses has become dark.
Captain Cordero is more faithful than a Swiss. He does not leave his T…
Your cousin Leon no longer lives at the Tomasina House but on Trinidad Street, Sta. Cruz, at the house of the late P. Porong, who was precentor of the Cathedral, with his brother, Lopez and companions. This cousin is no longer engaged in hunting and fishing as you formerly knew him but to national letters, because, as a budding lawyer, he wants to be a literary man like you.
Lucky are you who know there a Pilar[1] that is not of stone and more consoling than Consuelo.
Friend Gella is here; he lives in Sta. Cruz (Quiotan, near the house of the Pantojas). He rents it and he has pupils whom he teaches Latin in the name of I do not know which professor. The man has necessarily to live in this way because they are four brothers who are now in the capital — three men and one woman. This friend does not live so happily as before with his J… for the reason that he has met one in Calibo this last vacation.
If you would know what jokes I make to the one who loves you so much in this country, you would die of laughter. I do this to her so as to console her somewhat in her distressing situation. I do not know how to talk to you about the love of this girl for I cannot find adequate phrases for it.
According to what Zamora told me, he was of the opinion that you would graduate in medicine at Paris.
Will it be a long time yet before I shall read in some newspaper that you have produced a work? Are you not engaged in journalism?
It is very much feared that cholera may visit that land.
I will not end this letter without telling you that it will be a long time yet before you will receive a letter containing this or a similar statement: “Dear Namesake, at last I am going to put the halter on the neck.”
Your very affectionate friend who sends you an embrace and until the next,
CHENGOY
[1] Pilar here is a proper name; but literally it means pillar.