Besides the church proper, the missions consisted of groups of buildings set aside for converted Indians and their families, a storehouse, a guardhouse, a monastery and spacious quarters for guests. For at a mission not only friends of the Fathers and persons of standing, but every wayfarer whoever he might be "found warmth and plenty" as long as he chose to remain under their blessed shelter. And so great was mission hospitality that a pile of silver was laid in the bedroom of a guest to be taken by him or left as he saw fit; of course no well bred guest who was not in need would impose on the holy Fathers' generosity, but it was their delicate way of assisting an unfortunate pilgrim who might be in need. The missions too, were the centers of important gatherings and peaceful rendezvous of persons of social standing, even after the first two Acts of Secularization had been passed in after years. But these noble entertainment's, wealth of luscious fruits, golden sheaves, luxuriant pastures and fleecy lambs, were as the least gifts of these matchless institutions, for we can never exaggerate the marvels wrought for the betterment of the heathen natives, or the fairer fruits of the countless heroic virtues practiced within these enclosures. The Indians clung to the Fathers like little children to their parents, and from the vices of paganism, under a healthy and kind rule drawn for them by the wise Fathers, christian virtues took a deep root in at least a great many of these poor "children of the soil" and so great was the care exercised by the Fathers that nightly they would make a round of the rooms allotted to every christian and neophyte Indian family to see that order and decency reigned in each group; for we must remember these souls were but recently rescued from the dark sins of heathenism. Blessed temples! noble hospices! heroic priests! We are loathe to change the scene, but winter's storms must come ere the laurel wreath crowns the glorified brow! Still, we need not leave the "enchanted palace" yet, vernal loveliness still charms the eyes and summer is just begun. If it be but for one brief moment let us ruminate the glories, the wealth, the beauty of mission joys, before the least cruel echoes of Secularization are heard. The sun of Franciscan and Spanish glory is still mounting the firmament higher and higher. The sky still wears Our Lady's blue [2] and no penitential purple has appeared with the departing rays of sunset, only the royal purple and gold which years before had made the scene a fairylike setting for the heavenset relief ship to San Diego and assured the noble enterprise of the exploration and christianizing of California. Chapter III More About San Carlos Mission and Monterey