Show Mistress of J Sc 11 13 0 Vi Virginia SUver Bartlett Slivers Stivers UarL 11 eLL H H H H Service REVEILLE In one one of the annals of California history there are these paragraphs Turn now to 0 th the he N Northern coasts coall to the he Bay of 01 San Diego Dieso whose waters en had lain for lor more mart than ahan a century and anda ando a o hall half undisturbed by European keel whose adores hore had known Moun no tread read oj of iron heel since ince Sebastian was seas there here The Th native inhabitants inhabitant re yet preserved a traditional remembrance of 01 white and end bearded visitors kept kep dive alive perhaps b by an occasional rumor wafted overland from Irom the he southeast and by di distant tan glimpses of 01 the winged galleon which year after year bore its iLl oriental treasure down pa past this thi port por which to so 0 far lar al as can be b. known was never entered And now the aboriginal solitude it is to 0 be b. forever forever for for- ever broken brohn On the day of 01 April 1769 the San Carlos Carlo otherwise called rolled the he Golden Fleece comes come in sight ish On board were Lieutenant Lieu Pedro Pages Fages with wih twenty five Catalan volunteers volunteer Pronounced CHAPTER 11 I 1 Il l 1 1 lIt It was autumn of the year 1783 Senor Don Pedro Fages Pages Civil Governor of the Upper and Lower drank a toast to 10 his hi Most Catholic Majesty King KIne Carlos Carlo III of Spain then flied filled his cup and raised it to the priest In Franciscan robe and cowl sitting opposite him across the hewn hand-hewn table To your Reverence he be said laid To Fray Serra pious priest Intrepid missionary tireless traveler and if I may good sol sol- dierl lIe He drained the cup and wiped his short mustaches and beard with a brown hand band Serra smiled slowly A thousand thanks Senor el Goberna Goberna- dor he began ceremoniously But Fages stopped him with a twinkle in his bis eye No no no Padre I None of that when we are here bere alone You and andI I have enjoyed too many privations together have bave gone cone thirsty and hungry hungry hun bun gry have eaten mule meat or worse too many times for us to stand on ceremony when we are by ourselves even though you are Padre Presidents Presidente of the Missions in California and I I. I Governor of all aU the finished the priest But I had bad believed be be- that is it had bad come to tomy tomy tomy my attention that his Excellency believed there were times when he be was not greeted with the proper respect respect re re- re- re when he deigned to visit the Mission San Carlos at CarmeL Fages laughed Oh that That complaint was simply necessary to show some lome of these priests that a healthier respect for the Crown was wasa a desirable trait in them That never applied to you Padre We are in a country where we weare weare weare are unable to demonstrate the recognition recognition rec rec- recognition due your worthy person The King himself would understand the lack of these ceremonies He i would not be displeased however but edified I believe belleve and he be would rejoice to witness that what Is possible possible pos pOSe sible ible to do Is done Fages still sUU smiled though the others other's others other's others other's oth oth- ers er's tone implied a r rebuke buke Scold me me Padre If you will I deserve it It I 1 suppose But I have bave been thinking of something deciding de de- tiding something And today I have bave sent lent messengers with the results of my decisions to the Viceroy in Me Mex- Mex ico And what do you suppose the thi message is The priest caught his breath and moved his bill fingers uneasily toward his beads Although he seemed to tobe tobe tobe be studying a corner comer of the brush ceiling over the Governors Governor's head bead he was reading Fages and Fages knew It Years of a wary comradeship comradeship com corn had bad taught Serra to read evel every expression in the others other's face He lie had seen leen it light with a strange loner inner fire lre when some ome vista of this new California unrolled itself before before before be be- fore Fages Fagel seen it grow lean ean and tense through long days of starvation starvation tion and burning heat or gray cray and drawn when the Governors Governor's small company of Catalonian soldiers fell one by one one prey to the scurvy But Buthe Buthe Buthe he could never never quite tell teU whether the lines thai that branched from the twinkling twinkling twin twin- kling brown eyes eye I came from squintIng squinting squint squint- ing big against the blazing sun lun or gr from sudden udden rollicking laughter lau Now be realized he be had never seen quite this expression before He felt felta a little auttIe excitement communicated to himself from Fages' Fages feverish eyes A little excitement an and quite a littie little lit lit- little tle tie fear tear This message had message had It to do with i him m Were some ome of his cherIshed cherished cher cher- plans plan for tor furthering the Church in California to be frustrated ed He Ha breathed heavily I dare not suppose You will wUl have to tell teU me Pages Fages pushed back his chair and began beean pacing back and forth down the dirt din floor noor of the long roomI roomI roomI room I have bave been thinking and I have bave decided that it Is 1 not well for tor man manto manto manto to live alone That Is natural Isn't It it Il Padre and a teaching of the Church Ah yes So I have bave this thI day sent word to the Viceroy that I wish to have bave my wife Join me tore here Serra also rose to his feet H lie He remembered now that he be had bad seen before the expression that smoldered smoldered Imol- Imol dered in the Governors Governor's eyes but butIn butin butin in the eyes eye of other men Ahl he be said softly Ahl Your wife I see ee So you want her ber in California with you Naturally lie He walked to the low door and stared thou thoughtfully at a group croup of ot Indian children playing some ome absorbing absorbing absorbing ab ab- game came with a hoop boop and a adart adart adart dart while a circle of elders watched them lazily In the afternoon sun un shine Strange Pedro Fages I always alway think of you as 81 a man among amone men men a soldier an explorer A mans man's mansman mansman man entirely But of course you are married It must be a long longtime longtime longtime time since you have seen your wife yes yes yes' A long iong time Ume he answered in a alow alow alow low voice A long lone long lone time Ume Eight years I have a son IOn too Padre And the last time Ume I saw law him he be was wasa a few days daYI old Now that I feel I am going to stay tay here somehow the need for that son Ion and his bl mother has bas become more than I can bear And needIng needing need need- ing tug them so 10 I must talk to you about t b bP a n P. P m i I t 1 Y S x There Are Still SLUT Thousands Thousands- Wandering In Benighted Darkness Darkness Dark Dark- ness Dess In This California them I think they can be happy here bere I am The living quarters at atthe atthe atthe the presidio are not so bad bad- and andoh andoh oh Padre what a garden I have bave planted I Hundreds of peach trees tree and figs and pears And I have bave a vineyard that Is doing well in the sandy soil loil around the pr presidio Yes it is II home to me and must be to them God grant that it may And your wife wife she she is not used wed to pioneerIng pioneer- pioneer Ing Fages frowned and began pluckIng pluckIng pluck pluck- Ing his beard That the rub She isn't But ButI I have bave written Viceroy Mayorga and Felipe de Neve to persuade berto her ber herto herto to come She can not withstand them The Dona Eulalia Eulalla my wife is years younger than I and when we married in B Barcelona she was wasa a reigning belle I never could understand understand understand un un- un- un why she married a rough old soldier like I am But she did and here bere she must come Of course she must And she will Wives submit yourselves to your husbands Ah All Senor el Gob Gobernador Gober- Gober r- r nador How easily your plans go forward You have but to command command commend com com- mand mend and lo 10 the deed you have bave commanded is done while I The Governor took the priests priest's arm and the two walked out into the little garden In front of the priests priest's quarters There was great I activity all around the mission establishment es es- Indian neophytes were wert going coin and coming comine on various er ere rands rand Up from the orchard came a troupe of children los 10 whose miniature bows bow and arrows arrow had bad kept the predatory birds bird from the fruit In 10 the vegetable garden carden gardena cardena a few stooping Indian girls still till dug weeds while others other who had bad finished finished fin fin- their stints ran to join the hoop dart game came with their fel tel lows lowi Fages Fage drew a deep breath as II he be looked about him and remained quiet quiet qui qui- et et But the priests priest's eyes were upon him bim with an unspoken entreaty which he could not Ignore What worries you now my good Father he be asked affectionately The missionary folded t his s hands bandl In the sleeves of his robe and began beean speaking It is i. this The fall taU of ot the year Is upon us What crops we have bave will soon oon be gathered the fruit will willbe willbe willbe be dried the corn com stored And the mountains shall baD drop down new wine A busy happy time But Dut to tome tome me a sad lid and thoughtful time Ume It ItIs Itis Is II autumn and nature prepares for sleep leep And I am recalled to my long lone sleep leep and my body's body mor mor- Ai Ai my poor poor old body ody bodyl I IDon Don Pedro looked at him quickly You are not well How is your Jour leg lee That is nothing Since the young mule driver put some lome of the ointment ointment ointment I ment upon it that he be uses on his beasts I have bave not thought much about it St But you must know I do donot donot donot I not regret my miserable carcass Its U. due infirmities It is only that I fear I shall be called to my undeserved undeserved un un- deserved reward before I have ave finished finished fin fin- the tasks I have bave set let myself to do for tor the glory of God in Call Call- fornia Padre mio if you should be beI betaken betaken I taken from us are this night which God forbid you have bave accomplished more than seems humanly possible for forone forone I Ione one man to do You have bave performed performed performed per per- formed miracles miracle wonders The other groaned Nothing Nothing A few hands hands- ful of souls brought to salvation when there are still sUlI thousands wandering wandering wan wan- dering in benighted darkness In this California It is not enough Stronger Strong Strong- er and stronger every day evel every hour bour I hear bear the command to bring bringiA In iA more souls I seem leem to see whole armies of dark unsaved spirits their arms lifted begging pleading prayIng praying praying pray pray- ing for the Church to rescue them from never-ending never damnation 1 I H He raised his clasped hands bands toward towar heaven and gazed upward The Governor stared at the missionary mis mis- then averted his eyes a as though embarrassed Ah my son the father con contin tin tin- ed you ou love ton California Why do you ou stand In the way of her ber further development Why do you Impede I the le progress of Mother Church Why oh why do you not lend your our assistance your Influence to tole the le founding of that mission on the Santa anta Barbara Channel which is II so 0 dear ear to my heart He took a step toward the Gov Coy emor with out flung hands bandl stoned eloquent Fages avoided the missionary's missionary yes eyes eyes which met his only at moments moments moments mo mo- mo- mo ments like this and which burned with fanaticism unfathomable to the i soldiers soldier's understanding He Ue felt fell miserable mil mis erable rable small maD a shriveled cringing monster groveling In the path of a flaming archangel archangel- He rolled his eyes helplessly for tor another point on which to rest them than upon the fervid missionary A good round soldiers soldier's oath would have bave lave helped him He hesitated to mouth it it but whispered It to himself himself him him- self gaining strength from its pun pun- gency I can not promise you that mission mission mis mis- sion lion he be replied shortly There is I. already a presidio established at Santa Barbara and more soldiers soldier can not be spared for a mission And why not nott Two soldiers out of a whole Thole ole garrison I Only two to establish a mission What could be bemore bemore bemore more Important Pages Fages' patience fled Good Father you attend to your affairs of the Church and I will attend attend attend at at- tend to mine of the State Only two soldiers soldiers' you say I need every so- so diet In the province and more besides besides be be- sides Ides to protect California The priest turned on his bis heel and walked into his house The Gover Cover Governor nor followed him firmly Plo Pio an Indian boy was lighting the candles ordered the priest The b boy cast a frightened look at atthe atthe atthe the angry faces face distorted by the candlelight and scuttled out Priest and nd soldier faced each other across the table able You know well I am a good churchman continued the Gover Cover nor I am not a pious pioul man by nature na ture tare but hi to my lenience with you ou Franciscans in California I have almost almost almost al al- al- al most overstepped my authority Why In Mexico they call me a a priest pries I lover loverl They The do misjudge you murmured murmured murmured mur mur- Serra with a touch of f sarcasm sar sar- sar No more than you do I have done what 1 I could tor for the Church and for these worthless Indians Indian who In my mind seem leem better of off offIn offIn In their native savagery than living under the yoke of slavery which the Church has laid upon them TO BE DE CONTINUED |