"I Wanted a Husband . .."

In Mexico one day last week, thousands of Senoritas were relying on 13 pennies and a prayer to land a husband. The day was June 13, the 720th anniversary of the death of St. Anthony of Padua. An old Mexican custom guarantees that if a girl begs 13 centavos from 13 men, burns 13 candles and prays to St. Anthony on his day, she will get her hombre.

Three teenagers, certain their quest would be blessed, trooped into Mexico City's Church of San Juan to raise fervid dark eyes to the statue of St. Anthony, encrusted with silver hearts which are the gifts of successful supplicants. At the same church, Delia Ruiz, 24, lamented: "He pays no attention to me. I won't come any more. If he wants to help, he knows where I live." But Felipa Moreno, 27, had a glowing testimonial: "I can never thank San Antonio enough for the beautiful accident he provided me. Four years ago, I wanted a husband very badly. After my prayers, I was in such a state of ecstasy I rode the bus three blocks past my stop and jumped off while it was still moving. I broke my leg, and a strong man picked me up in his arms and carried me to a drugstore and phoned the Red Cross. For a month he visited me daily. Now he is my husband."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.