Christian fiction; Clergy -- Fiction; Historical fiction; New Mexico -- Fiction
This couple had one child, a daughter, the Señorita Inez, born long ago
and still unmarried. Indeed, it was generally understood that she would
never marry. Though she had not taken the veil, her life was that of a
nun. She was very plain and had none of her mother's social graces, but
she had a beautiful contralto voice. She sang in the Cathedral choir in
New Orleans, and taught singing in a convent there. She came to visit
her parents only once after they settled in Santa Fé, and she was a
somewhat sombre figure in that convivial household. Doña Isabella
seemed devotedly attached to her, but afraid of displeasing her. While
Inez was there, her mother dressed very plainly, pinned back the little
curls that hung over her right ear, and the two women went to church
together all day long.
Antonio Olivares was deeply interested in the Bishop's dream of a
cathedral. For one thing, he saw that Father Latour had set his heart on
building one, and Olivares was the sort of man who liked to help a
friend accomplish the desire of his heart. Furthermore, he had a deep
affection for his native town, he had travelled and seen fine churches,
and he wished there might some day be one in Santa Fé. Many a night he
and Father Latour talked of it by the fire; discussed the site, the
design, the building stone, the cost and the grave difficulties of
raising money. It was the Bishop's hope to begin work upon the building
in 1860, ten years after his appointment to the Bishopric. One night, at
a long-remembered New Year's party in his house, Olivares announced in
the presence of his guests that before the new year was gone he meant to
give to the Cathedral fund a sum sufficient to enable Father Latour to
carry out his purpose.
That supper party at the Olivares' was memorable because of this pledge,
and because it marked a parting of old friends. Doña Isabella was
entertaining the officers at the Post, two of whom had received orders
to leave Santa Fé. The popular Commandant was called back to
Washington, the young lieutenant of cavalry, an Irish Catholic, lately
married and very dear to Father Latour, was to be sent farther west.
(Before the next New Year's Day came round he was killed in Indian
warfare on the plains of Arizona.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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