| Show mistress of monterey M ZI aw y T Virg liala stivers bartlett VIRGINIA STIVERS BARTLETT so so W service r REVEILLE in one of the annals of california history there are these paragraphs turn now to the northern coasts to the bay of san diego whose waters had lain for more than a century and a hall half undisturbed by european keel whose shores had known no tread of iron heel since lines sebastian Vii caino was there the native inhabitants yet preserved a traditional remembrance of white while and bearded visitors kept alive perhaps by an occasional rumor wafted wafred overland from the southeast and by distant glimpses of the white winged galleon which year after year tore bore its in oriental treasure down past thi this s port chich so far as can b be e known was never entered and now the aboriginal solitude is to be forever broken on the day of april 1769 the san carlos otherwise called the golden fleece comes in sight on board were lieutenant pedro pages fages with twenty five jive Cat catalan alart volunteers pronounced Fah hays CHAPTER I 1 it was autumn of 0 the year 1783 senor don pedro pages fages civil governor of the Cali fornias upper and lower drank a toast to his most catholic majesty king carlos carios III of spain then filled his cup and raised it to the priest in franciscan robe and cowl sitting opposite him across the hand hewn table to your Rever reverence encel he said to fray gunipero Juni pero serra pious priest intrepid missionary tireless traveler and if I 1 may good sol dierl he drained the cup and wiped his short mustaches and beard with a brown hand gunipero Juni pero serra smiled slowly A thousand thanks senor el goberna dor he began ceremoniously but fages stopped him with a twinkle in his eye no no padre none of that when we are here alone you and I 1 have enjoyed too many privations together have gone thirsty and hungry 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 presidente of the missions in california and I 1 governor of all the Cali fornias finished the priest but I 1 had believed that is it had come to my attention that his excellency believed there were times when he was not greeted with the proper respect when he deigned to visit the mission san carlos at carmel pages fages laughed oh that I 1 that complaint was simply necessary to show some of these priests that a healthier respect for the crown was a desirable trait in them that never applied to you padre we are in a country where we are unable to demonstrate the recognition tion due your worthy person the king himself would understand the lack of these ceremonies he would not be displeased however but edified I 1 believe and he would rejoice to witness that what is possible to do is done pages fages still smiled though the others tone implied a rebuke scold me padre if you will I 1 deserve it I 1 suppose but I 1 have been thinking of something deciding something and today I 1 have sent messengers with the results of my decisions to the viceroy in mexico and what do you suppose the message is the priest caught his breath and moved his fingers uneasily toward his beads although he seemed to be studying a corner of the brush ceiling over the governors head he was reading fages and pages fages knew it years of a wary comradeship rade ship had taught serra to read every expression in the others face he had seen it light with a strange inner fire when some vista of this new california unrolled itself before pages fages seen it grow lean and tense through long days of starvation and burning heat or gray and drawn when the governors small company of catalonian soldiers fell one by one prey to the scurvy but he could never quite tell whether the lines that branched from the twinkling brown eyes came from squinting against the blazing sun or from sudden rollicking laughter now he realized he had never seen quite this expression before he felt a little excitement communicated to himself from pages fages feverish eyes A little excitement and quite a 11 little fear this message had it to do with him were some of his cherished plans for furthering the church in california to be frustrated he breathed heavily 1 I dare not suppose you will have to tell me fages I 1 ages pushed back his chair and alg began an pacing back and forth down the dirt floor of the long room 1 I have been thinking and I 1 have decided that it is not well for man to live alone that is natural it padre and a teaching of the church church ah yes so I 1 have this day sent word to the viceroy that I 1 wish to have my wife join me here serra also rose to his feet he remembered now that he had seen before the expression that smoldered in the governors eyes but in the eyes of other men ahl he said softly ahl your wife I 1 see so you want her in california with you naturally he walked to the low door and stared thoughtfully at ji group of indian children playing some absorbing game with a hoop and a dart while a circle of elders watched them lazily in the afternoon sunshine strange pedro pages I 1 always think of you as a man among men a soldier an explorer A mans man entirely but of cours eyou are married it must be a long time since you have seen your wife yes A long time he answered in a low voice A long long time eight years I 1 have a son too cadre padre and the last time I 1 saw him he was a few days old now that I 1 feel I 1 am going to stay here somehow the need for that son and his mother has become more than I 1 can bear and needing them so I 1 must talk to you about q all I 1 A 1 7 1 1 there are still thousands wandering 9 in benighted darkness in in this california pt them I 1 think they can be happy here I 1 am the living quarters at the presidio are not so bad and oh padre what a garden I 1 have plant planted edl hundreds of peach trees and figs and pears and I 1 have a vineyard that is doing well in the sandy soil around the presidio yes it is home to me and must be to them god grant that it may and your wife she is not used to pioneering pages fages frowned and began plucking his beard the rub she but I 1 have written viceroy mayorga and felipe de neve to persuade her to come she can not withstand them the dona eulalia my wife is years younger than I 1 and when we married in barcelona she was a reigning belle I 1 never could understand der stand why she married a rough old soldier like I 1 am but she did and here she must come of course she must and she will wives submit yourselves to your husbands ah senor el gober nador how easily your plans go forward you have but to command and lo 10 the deed you have commanded is done while I 1 the governor took the priests arm and the two walked out into the little garden in front of the priests quarters there was great activity all around the mission establishment indian neophytes were going and coming on various errands up from the orchard came a troupe of children los whose miniature bows and arrows had kept the predatory birds from the fruit in the vegetable garden a few stooping indian girls still dug weeds while others who had finished their stints ran to join the hoop and dart game with their fellows pages fages drew a deep breath as he looked about him and remained quiet but the priests eyes were upon him with an unspoken entreaty which he could not ignore what worries you now my good father he asked affectionately the missionary folded his hands in the sleeves of his robe and began speaking it is this the fall of the year is up upon on us what crops we have will soon be gathered the fruit will be dried the corn stored and the mountains shall drop down new wine A busy happy time but nut to to me a sad and thoughtful time it is autumn and nature prepares for sleep and I 1 am recalled to my long sleep and my blodys mortality ai A my poor old bodyl don pedro looked at him quickly you are not well how is is your leg that is nothing since the young mule driver put some of the ointment upon it that he uses on his beasts I 1 have not thought much about it but you must know I 1 do not regret my miserable carcass its due infirmities it is only that I 1 fear I 1 shall be called to my undeserved reward before I 1 have finished the tasks I 1 have set myself to do for the glory of god in california padre mio if you should be taken from us this night which god forbid you have accomplished more than seems humanly possible for one man to do you have performed miracles wonders the other groaned Not nothing hingl Not nothing hingl A few hands ful of souls brought to salvation when there are still thousands wandering in benighted darkness in this Califor california nial it is not enough stronger and stronger every day eve every ry hour I 1 hear the command to bring in more souls I 1 seem to see whole armies of dark unsaved spirits their arms lifted begging pleading praying for the church to rescue them from never ending damnation I 1 he raised his clasped hands toward heaven and gazed upward the governor stared at the missionary sio nary then averted his eyes as though embarrassed ali ah my son the father contin aed you love california why do you stand in the way of her further development why do you impede the progress of mother church why oh why do you not lend your assistance your influence to the founding of that mission on the santa barbara channel which is so dear to my heart he took a step toward the governor with hands impassioned eloquent pages fages avoided the mission arys eyes which met his only at moments like this and which burned with fanaticism unfathomable to the soldiers understanding he felt miserable small a shriveled cringing monster groveling in the path of a flaming archangel he rolled hs his eyes helplessly for another point on which to rest them than upon the fervid missionary A good round soldiers oath would have helped him he besita hesitated led to mouth it but whispered it to himself gaming gaining strength from its pungency 1 I can not promise you that mission he replied shortly there is already a presidio established at santa barbara and more soldiers can not be spared for a mission and why not two soldiers out of a whole garriso garrisons nl only two to establish a mission nl 1 what could be more important pages fages patience fled good father you attend to your affairs of the church and I 1 will attend to mine of the state I 1 only two soldiers you say I 1 need every so dier in the province and more besides to protect california the priest turned on his heel and walked into his house the governor followed him firmly pio an indian boy was lighting the candles ordered the priest the boy cast a frightened look at the angry faces distorted by the candlelight and scuttled out priest and soldier faced each other across the table t you know well I 1 am a good churchman continued the governor 1 I am not a pious man by nature but in my lenience with you franciscans in california I 1 have almost overstepped over stepped my authority why in mexico they call me a frai lero a priest loverl they do misjudge you murmured serra with a touch of sarcasm no more than you do I 1 haye have done what I 1 could for the church and for these worthless indians w who ho in my mind seem better off in their native savagery than living under the yoke of slavery which th the e church has laid upon them TO BE CONTINUED |
