Show M ivi 1 i S l bistress f isire fac af M A W 0 virginia silvers bartlett VIRGINIA STIVERS BARTLETT 00 so service SYNOPSIS in span spanish ish governed california of 1783 a conflict between church and state is re depre e tented by two friendly enemies rail frail old fray serra franciscan missionary and don pedro fage faces civil governor alter after telling serra he Is seeding sending to mexico tor for his wife and son pon whom he has not seen tor for eight years don pedro refu refuses ses his aid toward the founding ot of the santa barbara mission serras cherished dream and the two part in bitterness in mexico bf fco city dona eulallo accompanied by her duenna angustias Angust las arrives at the embassy in response 5 to a letter from her husband don pedro shown a map of california by the viceroy she Is told that there she would be a queen in her own right CHAPTER 11 II continued ft 1 I suppose she panted then took adeep a deep breath and spoke defiantly coldly 1 I suppose 1 I may take my coach to monterey As she left the room the three men looked at one another why did you tell her she might ta take keher her coach ex postulated general de neve to romeu urn m m she might he answered slowly the viceroy was looking at the map 1 I have heard he said tracing a trail with his finger that there are places on the roa road d where scarcely a burro can pick its way ivay right agreed de neve there are places where she will have to go on foot CHAPTER III father gunipero Juni pero serra p paced aced quietly along the dusty road little more than a path that led from the humble adobe church of san carlos borromeo to a hut where an indian lay dying only an indian but padre serra wore ware vestments suitable to the occasion and bore in his hands the sacred oil some time later the indians soul having been commended to heaven fath father serra started back to the mission horses hoofs suddenly shook the ground two horsemen rode beside him as he limped steadily on murmuring a psalm they dismounted near him one as he dropped on his knees crossed himself and threw his reins to the other with the same gesture padre serra did not glance at them as they knelt beside the path but ill he knew well who they were don pedro fages gobernador gobernadora general of the califor nias and his servant were on their knees at the passing of the sacrament when he had returned sacrament and to the church and divested himself pio told him that the gob was waiting to see him he sighed deeply he had seen the gobernador gobernadora Gober nador many times since they had parted so bitterly that autumn evening but only at mass they had never exchanged a word since then As he tied the heavy cord about his robe his fingers trembled he prepared himself for the interview with a brief fervent prayer and went to meet don pedro there was a slight embarrassed silence then the governor moved impulsively forward and knelt at the priests feet your blessing father he begged with all my heart answered the franciscan lifting his hands over the broad shoulders of the kneeling man then fages iose rose with a deep breath and smile a well he said well ali ah padre mio I 1 have news for you great news good news your prayers have been answered and so BO have mine you mean yes your two men of god are arriving and we shall consider the mission santa barbara these priests are coming co mingin in the train that brings my wife and son sonto to me and I 1 am but the priest heard only the first words and was stumbling toward a chair to support his trembling frame murmuring ave maria purisima ave marial for a moi mo i merit ment his head rolled against the back of the chair and his eyes closed fages knelt by him and looked looked anxiously into his face father father what is it he asked as he chafed chafee the worn trembling hands it is more than I 1 can bear pardon my weakness your E excellency x but I 1 have spent so many hours in prayer and I 1 have hoped and feared so about this matter I 1 should have had greater faith ali ah praise godl god pages poured wine from a jug on the table and carried it to serra they drank and smiled over the cups yes they are coming they are even now on their way everything comes to pass in good time father it is strange you should have to tell me that my son I 1 will have to do many penances peri ances for my lack nt nf faith I 1 am afraid ali ah no you are a saint but think even now the cavalcade is on its way with rny my dona eulalia Eul Euls plia lia and pedro the younger as he is called for me serra rose from his chair and limped to the governor ali ah forgive me I 1 have not congratulated you on your happiness how joyful you must bel be what a happiness to have your family with you and when will this cavalcade be arriving fages frowned the time will go so slowly I 1 hardly dare compute it it will be months of course nearly a year but because it is spring now they will be in monterey before the old year passes I 1 am going to meet them I 1 he said excitedly pacing back and forth yes I 1 am going to meet them and escort them here in safety I 1 am going at once father for they have by this time departed from loreto the priest smiled at his impetuous speech im sure you should go you would be too impatient to sit here 1 1 41 or 67 per 11 at 4 z I bola Iola called serra and wait as I 1 must do but I 1 sh all be here to greet you all when you return ali ah yes there was so something methin 9 I 1 wanted to ask I 1 must have my hause in order and I 1 want to have the little indian maid Indi zuela in the house for my cifes servant will y you all see to that serras face fell what is the matter does she not do well bell very well indeed she has been taught to sew spin cook and will be a good wife for a good soldier but need I 1 remind you that the indian neophytes are wards of the church and we are responsible for their welfare we have not deemed it well for the indian maids to associate with the with the with the soldiery I 1 suppose well good father do not be afraid she will associate with my wife and I 1 assure you she is not a person at all and will not corrupt the little ones morals the father protested 1 I do not mean that aana and there will be another woman too there is the dona angustias ha she will make that indian maid adhere to the straight and narrow path she is my cifes duena a very thin female with mus bachios like a grenadier a 2 pious churchwoman and a militant virgin serra smiled ali ah my son your it amor is dear to me you are responsible for many a smile that would not flat otherwise have lightened my face just ahyou are responsible for many a heartache but none ot of that come with me don pedro and you shall see Indi zuela they paced slowly together and stopped before an unpretentious structure built as all the other mission buildings were built long and low with a thatched roof hola called serra the chattering te ring and laughter that rollicked rol licked through the high barred window ap stopped A song ceased suddenly in a singers throat it was the quarters of the young indian women half facetiously called the the nunnery the sun shone on the warm red of tiled floors doors and vividly emphasized bright colors on blankets and cloth which some of the girls were weaving it shone on sleek blue black heads raised for a moment from fine needlework and seemed to point out to fages eyes a young girl whose half opened mouth had still a fragment of song lingering on the lips Indi zuela called a wor homans womans nans voice excitedly girls I 1 do you not see it is el gobernador gobernadora Gober nador himself I 1 and fray Juni perol rise an all of you there was a great fluttering as tile the spanish matron and her flock flock of dark doves made their obea when they were fed ed again and pretending to work fray gunipero Juni pero walked to Indi zuela and took her by the hand saying your benefactor el gobernador gobernadora Gober nador wishes to speak to you child the singing girl walked toward the governor with grace and poise somehow lighter somehow taller somehow fairer formed than other indians he thought as she came the long length of the room she waited for him to speak first but he only twisted his beard so she spoke in careful spanish 1 I hope you are well senor el gobernador gobernadora Gober nador I 1 pray god for your good health and dell deliverance from all infirmities I 1 thank G god d daily for your kindness in saving me from death and horror fages started at her words someone has taught you to say that you have learned it word by word you si senor el gobernador gobernadora Gober nador padre gunipero Juni pero and dona maria have taught me fages laughed twinkling his eyes and opening his mouth widely the other girls and the matron looked at one another serra looked at the floor have you then so little gratitude that you must have words put into your mouth to thank me for bringing you here from the desert of the colorado where I 1 found you deserted and starving what say you the girl looked at the matron then proceeded along her own lines they would not let me say the things I 1 think myself senor for I 1 have said you are arc the most wonderful man in the world I 1 think you are a god surely and that ai a ai Indi zuela the matron hurried forward and father serra lifted a restraining hand but fages only roared louder you are right dona maria arid and fray gunipero Juni perol pero 1 dont let her talk about me met A god a hero ai al ai ail ai ho ho he stopped breathlessly the girls giggled and indi zuela sat indifferently down to her weaving at last fages got his breath after all padre gunipero Juni pero he said she is just a child my son answered the friar 1 I am pleased at your come with me and see this dove cote he led the governor through the long dormitory where he could see little straw pallets ballets beneath barred windows nests where they sleep at night safe from harm explained the priest they went into the kitchen where great bowls of mush boiled and bubbled and curious girls watched the process that they might learn it then they passed into the garden now pedro fages said serra gravely think well on what you have seen remember this dove cote where ignorant indian girls are made into useful pious women where they are kept safe from the evils of the world most of the girls you have seen so busily engaged would have been depraved animals had it not been for the teaching we bring them 1 I know replied the governor thoughtfully do you not think they are better off as they area are inquired serra anxiously do you not think they are really happier think of their lives as savages you know as well as I 1 the frightful filthy customs that attend the indian women at their childbearing child bearing ugh indeed I 1 do padre he put his hand on the others shoulder you are a wonder worker he said respectfully thank you oh I 1 have prayed my son that the blessed santa maria would soften your heart toward her poor savage children it if that had happened if that could happen the way of gunipero Juni Jund pero serra would have been much easier in this land fages looked thoughtful you are right but our lady does not seem to think her servant worthy of being filled with the milk of human kindness I 1 am sorry you have deserved better serra raised a hand in protest 1 I have received what I 1 have deserved it is my destiny to irrigate this vice covered field with my blood fages fingered his beard uncomfortably fort ably um m I 1 should call that destiny a doom to mingle ones blood with the soil of Califor california nial there could be more dreadful dooms well spoke serra with heartiness we will not consider that now I 1 could sing for joy at the news you have brought met my hearts wish my mission santa barbaral barbara at last at last yes and my eulalia and my young pedro at last now I 1 mu must 4 go I 1 am departing early on the morrow and will not see you again until I 1 lead that train from faraway mexico with your two good men of god into the royal Pre presidio sidia of monterey and then what plans we shall make for the mission of santa barbara CHAPTER IV eulalia huddled herself into as small a bundle as she could on the doubtful seat of the lancha which was pulling rapidly away from the unfriendly harbor of san blas bias As the standing oarsmen oarsman bent to their long sweeps she could glimpse between them the low warehouses on the shore and the bare b are ribs of a ship under construction in the shipyard but her tear filled eyes watched until it was was no larger than a watermelon seed her comfortable for table tabIe coach sitting on the shore resolutely she looked about her in in the craft there sat angustias with her pet capuchin monkey in her arms cuddling the shivering little beast to her gaunt breast her eyes as dismal deimal as the monkeys pedro the younger sat beside her soon a huge shadow loomed over them they looked up there with screaming gulls wheeling and whirling about her rose the steep sides and high ungainly poop of the paque bot san carlos sometimes called the golden fleece for a few terrifying moments eulalia hung between heaving sea and uncertain sky clambering up the bulging unfriendly sides of the san carlos to the deck immediately in her stuffy cabin began a suspension of time and faculties broken only once as she roused herself to ask a question of the drear angustias wan with worry over her seasick monkey my chests they are safe aboard being reassured that the 50 chests of raiment jewels linens and silks were safely stowed she relapsed relapse 4 again into her coma of mareani ento seasickness and emerged not until she was safely on the shores of baja baia california Califor california nial anxiously she regarded the ancient mission settlement of loreto the first outpost of that mysterious land to which she was summoned here was the sordidness for which she had been prepared but where were the glories that had been mentioned beautiful california s she h e sneered lovely Califor california nial my home ha then she smiled graciously at the young officer come to escort her to quarters in the quadrangle once within its bare white walls she felt she could abandon herself to all her weakness her desolation ola tion her fear of this strange country and the dreaded journey before her but she discovered some of the million black evil bugs TO BE CONTINUED |