The Penance of Magdalena and Other Tales of the California Missions — John Shaqi
The Penance of Magdalena and Other Tales of the California MissionsChase, J. Smeaton (Joseph Smeaton)
Religion
The Penance of Magdalena and Other Tales of the California Missions
Chase, J. Smeaton (Joseph Smeaton)
Missions -- California -- Fiction
It was no use to think of punishment after that. When Father Urbano
at last got the shreds of his dignity together, the whole history was
extorted from the trembling Pio, who, however, was shrewd enough to say
nothing of his pagan dream of turning medicine-man. Gladly enough he
shed the unlucky clothing. Vast quantities of water were brought from
the spring and blessed by the Padre: the umbrella was sprinkled and
sprinkled till no taint could remain; and then Pio, guarded by Jose,
spent the afternoon in scrubbing the desecrated garments with bucket
after bucket of holy water, while the assembled village, down to the
smallest papoose, jeered at that most ignominious of spectacles--a man,
washing clothes like a squaw!
To complete Pio's penance, it was his task to carry the umbrella over
the Padre during all the rest of the round of visitations, which, it
seemed to him, as he marched mile after mile with aching arms, would
never end. But end it did, and Father Urbano's umbrella at last arrived
at its original destination, San Diego Mission. Finally, after many
and various further peregrinations, it ended its travels at the sister
Mission of Santa Ines, where to-day the reader may find it reposing,
a treasured item in Father Alexander Buckler's curious collection of
relics. It is but fair to say, however, that I am doubtful whether Good
Father Alexander will vouch for my story of its early adventures.
SAN GABRIEL ARCANGEL--THE BELLS OF SAN GABRIEL
Rather a desolate little spot is the campo santo of San Gabriel; rather
desolate, and very dusty. The ramshackle wooden crosses stagger wildly
on the shapeless mounds; the dilapidated whitewashed railings, cracked
and blistered by the sun, look much as though they might be bleached
bones, tossed carelessly about; and the badly painted, misspelled
inscriptions yield up their brief announcements only to a very patient
reader. On the whole, depressing; but in a sleepy, careless way, like
the little tumbledown houses of the Mexicans, across the road; like,
also, the old Mission itself, yellowing and crumbling in the warm
California sun into early decay.
Walking slowly about among the humble mounds, my mind lazily weaving
from the names and dates of Seoelvedas and Argyellos and Yorbas, with
their romantic sound, a half-sad, half-delightful tapestry of fancy,
I found myself at one inclosure of an appearance so different that I
stopped to regard it particularly. It was the grave of a poor person,
clearly, and not in that way noteworthy, for poverty was the air of
the whole place. But it was carefully fenced with a high white railing;
there were fresh flowers upon it; and it was evident that affectionate
hands tended it. The short inscription, translated from its Spanish,
recorded--
Ysabel, wife of Ramon Enriquez,
born July 20, 1875: died October 23, 1893
Much Moved
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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