Show Mistress Mistress' of Monterey VIRGINIA STIVERS BARTLETT C Stiver Servin I. I CHAPTER XV XV lZ 12 Then happened Well in the meantime I had qui qui- etly moved to the table picked up this letter and Upped slipped it into the sleeve of my habit But the father did not notice He seemed teemed quite distressed and dismissed me sayIng say say- Ing ine he would call caU for me again And here bere 1 la 11 the letter Read it it There is I. the usual preamble Then It goes on thus thu Upon reachIng reach reach- Ing ine here these thee padres withdrew them themselves elves They passed the day in sleep and Idleness and the night in outrages disturbing the repose of those who having spent pent the day in work mUl mutt must needs need sleep at night They behaved indeed like Uke sons of darkness breaking the Jars where the chocolate of the community is kept stealing the pots chocolate-pots to beat them for drums and appropriating appropriating the balls baUs which were kept by bythe bythe bythe the community for the recreation of the religious bowled them through the dormitories at unseasonable hours houri of the night with result to the religious of terror and sion Ion And they scaled the walls of the mission establishment by night scarcely on deeds of virtue bent Scarcely crowed Fray Mariano Mari Mari- Mariano ano sitting up on the edge of his cot and rocking back and forth Scarcely I Al AI por Dlos Dios that is fine finel Brother you did a noble deed to get that thai letter letter I The other rose and walked over overto overto overto to the table and poured wine for both of them Now I 1 want to speak of something else seriously to you The other day when the Governor and his party were here at the mission for the confirmation of his spoiled little Excellency Excellency Excellency Ex Ex- young Pedro I overheard many things One of them was that because you and I had not turned out to be the shining lights Serra had hoped us to be the founding found ing tog of the Mission Santa Barbara could not take place He gazed sternly at the other Oh tut tut tut Arent Aren't you ashamed Brother Stop it hypocritical wretch I So SoI I have been thinking that if we mended our ways things might turn turnout turnout turnout out so that we could be if not actually the founders of that mission mission mis sion ion at least those in charge of it itIs itIs Is that not worth thinking about Fray Rubi gazed open-mouthed open in admiration Splendid I Oh what a brother have II What a mind what a soul Yes let us do that I shall be Father Father Fa Fa- Fa ther Superior and you shall be my subordinate Oh no nol I shall shan be Father Superior Superior Superior Supe Supe- and you the subordinate I Iam Iam Iam am No I shall shaD be superior you misbegotten misbegotten mis begotten dog Fray Rubi dashed his wine-cup wine at Gills Gill's face The other screamed and reached blindly before him but Rubi had I retreated to a corner comer for In the doorway stood the Father President looking in is at them shielding with a protective gesture the Indian youth Plo For a moment the padre stared at the two then covering his eyes with his hands stumbled away limping painfully to his own cellAs cell As though his legs could not support I him he sank ank on his knees knee beside i his hii bed and resting his hi head on I Ithe the rough uncovered planks wept Pio Plo stood awkwardly beside him watching compassionately the thin heaving should shoulders era Padre mio he said at last very softly Padre mio come Plo Pio is here beside you Do not grieve Father He JIe laid a timid brown hand on the priest Serra raised his ravaged fa face e to the Indian Yes Pio Plo you are beside me Thank God for that Thank God for you my own my true little son He lie allowed Pio to lift him to the cot I have been beena Pio Plo he groaned a sinner I have tailed failed somewhere somehow or else I would not be now forsaken I had gone to those two with love Jove and forgiveness In my heart to beg them to help me to tobe tobe tobe be my eyes since my spectacles are gone And you saw laW them Pio Plo Your innocent eyes saw laW them Ah why have they been sent to me for forI I 1 do not remember any sin In I have committed black enough to deserve I Ithem them as a punishment No Father Say it not You are areno areno areno no sinner Dear son on The father smiled faintly Little loyal Joyal one You are all aU I have Pio it seems eem Everything Every Every- Everything thing else is tailing falling away from me my right of confirmation my beloved be loved mission million to Santa Barbara my friendship with Don Pedro and now these messages that have come today today today to to- day denying me even hope bope for the future Plo PIo he be said suddenly you can read A little Father Good You shall read to me the dispatches that arrived on the San Antonio You who have been my legs It must mul m t now be my eyes I have looked at these letters once but I 1 Ican Ican can scarcely see ee so read my myson myson son eon and carefully I may have I. I been mistaken when I read them I The boy read slowly painfully stumbling over the stilted official phraseology of the letters lettera from the Viceroy and the Father Guardian In Mexico There was no hope for tor the Mission Mission Mis Mis- sion slon Santa Barbara The Governor Don Pedro Fages Fage had not recommended recommended mended the Idea It was waa regretta ble the two Franciscans Fray Mariano Rubi and Fray Bartolome Gill were unsuitable but it was hard to get decent men to leave Mexico and go to the distant province of California There was waa a friendly personal letter let ter from the Father Guardian but that gave Serra no com com- fort Serra was warned against using using us us- ing his temporal influence as there were rumors abroad that the missions missions mis mis- in California were to be turned over to the Order of and the Franciscans returned to No no faltered the No Plo Pio you do not read that truly tru tru- tru ly lyl California to be delivered to the Dominicans But California is 11 San Francisco's own country cho chosen chosen ho sen by his own wish never should It be in other hands than f ll t I N J JF F 1 k n w wrye rye Slipped Blipped It Into the Sleeve of My Habit those of the Brothers of San San Francisco Fran cisco Ah Al it is just a rumor rumor it could be nothing else God forbid that it should 1 Serra clasped his hands and was still Are there no more letters lettera he asked calmly Here is one but it t Is not from Mexico Padre It is from his Ex Ex- Ex- Ex Don Pedro Pedrol Read it It It The note was curt brief The Governor had received dispatches from Mexico regarding the founding found ing of the Mission Santa Barbara and he presumed the holy father had bad received the same intelligence It was unfortunate the holy father hadnot hadnot had hadnot not seen fit to communicate with him or shown any disposition to enter en ter again upon friendlier relations He lIe himself and La Gobernadora with an escort were leaving on the I San Antonio when she sailed for forthe forthe forthe the Presidio and Mission of San Francisco where La Gobernadora would be confined by the eminent doctor who was stationed there And that was all The father rose painfully from his cot and stood In the the center cepter of the little cell his hands to Heaven leaven Deserted I Betrayed The face of all mankind is turned against me but Thou 0 O Father art with me met Thy rod and thy stall staff they comfort me mel Thou art with me always alway And I Padre whispered Pio Plo kneeling at the fathers father's feet I 1 am with you always The Missionary put one hand on the Indians Indian's bowed head and with the other still upraised stood with rapt face his lips murmuring pray pray- ers era Pio Plo could feel the heat of the trembling hand even through the thick thatch of his hi hair and close cloe to the father father as he was Wal could feel his bis limbs t trembling At last Serra spoke to him It is 11 finished Pio Plo And If all the years year that I have toiled tolled have brought me m. nothing else It Is I. enough that you are ar here simple loving righteous Pio mi II He smiled at the boy and turned again to his hi cot He II knelt beside beld It But Padre will you fOU not lie He down questioned the anxious boy This attitude is II more mort comfortable comfortable com com- son on for It Is one to which mv my body is 11 more familiar than an any ny other Pio Plo will you try to find Md and bring brine back my spectacles to me met For now I have many many letters to write and the time Is I. getting short hort ay short hort Plo tightened the red sash ush around his hi waist walt and straightened proudly Father it shall haU be ba done At once He lie dashed out of the cell through the mission grounds and In Inthe inthe inthe the direction of the village of the gentile Indians Indiana Serra did not feel the hard floor beneath his knees nor the hard boards in which his hla head heed rest rest- ed He lie was pondering deeply sadly sad sad- ly lJ praying to keep the bitterness from his hi thoughts He lie began dreaming of the past of his hi earlier da days In California Episodes which he had forgotten long lone since came into his hi mind His ID first firt baptism of an Indian child chUd the sweetness of a hedge of wild roses rose along alone a newly broken trail a sunset glow on the white peaks ak of the lofty sierras With each of these impressions impression sion came the figure of Pedro Fages whose eyes saw law the same lame beauty and whose heart loved It as a. asbe ashe he be did AI Al ml companero he sighed you have deserted me Friend brother The room grew dark A swallow darted in the low doorway circled the cell ceU and flew new out with a silky rus rus- rustle lie tle of swift wings Serra smiled Father Francis he be whispered whispered whis Father Francis I recognize rec ree- recognize thy messenger Then he lay very still Into the room after a long while darted Plo Pio as IS swiftly and noiselessly noise lessly leasly as 81 the swallow Padre min he crowed Padre Look your spectacles There was no answer from the priest Plo leaned over him breathlessly Look he said I have them your spectacles Father At last Serra stirred Ah Ab bless you my child he said ald In a faint voice Now light the candles for there Is work to be bedone done Plo lighted the candles If H the father had not been so engrossed In his own thoughts he would have seen Icen the youths youth's face was bleeding that one eye was closed and that his bis hair was standing wildly on his usually sleek head The father fitted his spectacles over his hi ears eara took them oil off and adjusted the steel teel bows a bit wiped the square lenses lense with the corner comer of his his' brown robe and picked up his bis quill He must summon his brethren to him First Firt there were those staunch countrymen of his Fermin Lasuen Francisco Palou Islanders like himself him self Ah but Crespi but lately he had been laid to rest beneath the altar of the church here at Carmel And Jose Antonio Murguia the Builder but he be too now slept in the beautiful church at Santa San ta to Clara which he had budded and whose dedication he had not lived to see So many of the pioneer Franciscans Francis Francis- cans were dead Garces El triano killed by the very Indians whose souls he was bent on saving laving and that other martyr of the early days daYI of the Mission San Diego Fray Luis Lul Jaime whose body stripped tripped bruised bloody and pierced with arrows had been found after an Indian Indian In In- dian raid with only the consecrated hands hand left unscathed Serra sighed deeply and breathed a prayer for those sainted souls outs California had exacted her toll from the Franciscans but there were many left praise God And to them he must write to Mission l. l Mis Ion slon San Buenaventura San Gabriel Gabri el Arcangel San Juan Capistrano San Diego de Alcala Santa Clara San Luis Obispo de Tolosa San Antonio An tonio de Padua and San Francisco de Asie As A. he leaned over the table his head bead was light with fever and the quill In his hi hand shook hook For a mom moment moment mo mo- mo- mo m ment nt ho he needs must lay his hi head down on the clean page pare before him and close his eyes Yet he must write though well he knew those brothers of the farther missions missions mis mis- slon would never reach him In time But Palou his hi closest brother broth broth- er es his hi countryman he must come He lie roused himself and started writing en ending dine the letter let ter Good Brother Palou come and assist me to die For hours hour into the night the little cell ceU was quiet except for the scratching of the pen and the gentle clicking of his hi rosary when he rested rested rest rest- ed from his writing Once Pio slipped In in and put fresh candles In Inthe Inthe Inthe the candle lie He curled up at the fathers father's feet and was soon asleep As A. he wrote a white fog foe moved silently In from the sea ea traveling Inland to the gr great at valleys valley of the Salinas SaUnas the San Joaquin the Sacramento Sacra mento drowning all aU things In to thick white vapor Along the flung far coast golden beaches strands jutting promontories and forbidding rocks rock the tides tide of mornIng morn morn- Ing raced The letters were finished all but one Serra walked to a wooden shutter opened It to the cold dawn A breath of fog drifted into the cell like a wraith and warmed itself at the candles candies He seated himself again With a prayer he pulled a clean page toward toward to to- ward him and wrote slowly To Be Bo Delivered After My Death To His ID Esteemed Excellency Don Pedro Fages Gobernador Gen eral ral of the Baja Bala and Alta Lifting his spectacles he wiped away some lome tears teara that had gathered beneath the thick lenses lense then wrote My beloved son on Just as II he finished Plo Pio awoke and the swallows were aware that it was dawn Serra read the letter sighed end and I signed ed it with his hi rubric Fr Serra CHAPTER XVI Don Pedro Pages Fages agreed with Angustias An An- that it was waa Indelicate for La Gobernadora to be confined by a physician a man But the lady herself her self when she learned that a very learned man of medicine was wu stationed sta ta at the Presidio of San Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- cisco made up her mind that she would not remain In Monter Monterey y to tobe tobe tobe be delivered by the midwife from the Mission Carmelo who also delivered de livered ll the Indian women The Governor himself greatly worried by the news new he had received re reo from Mexico concerning the possibility of the missions of California Call Cali fornia being put under the guardianship guardianship guardianship guardian guardian- ship of the Dominican Order felt the need of discussing the situation with Serras Serra's countryman Francisco Palou the It at t tSan San Francisco Fray Palou was wise liberal friendly and with him Don Pedro felt he could discuss discus his hll Impasse with Serra and other mat tars tera TO DE CONTINUED |