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
"'Do you mean to say,' she said to me, as we walked on, 'that there is
a part of the Mission where men may go and women mustn't?' 'I don't mean
to say so,' I told her, but the Padre here does, and I'm afraid that
settles it.' 'Indeed, it doesn't,' she said. 'What does he mean? Is
there something horrid there that is not nice for women to see?' 'No,'
I replied; 'it's nice enough, just a garden. They call it sacred, but
I don't know why.' 'Oh, I see,' remarked Kitty, 'sacred from women, no
doubt. That's just like these monks: they think this is the Middle Ages
still. I suppose you think so too. You may go anywhere, because you are
a man, but a woman is to be shut out of this and that--they're sacred!'
I could see she was pretty much excited, and I tried to calm her down.
'Now, Kitty,' I said, 'you know very well that as far as I'm concerned
there's nothing on earth that I want so much as for you and me to be
together always and everywhere. Let them keep their old garden: anyway,
if it's too sacred for you it would certainly kill me on the spot.'
'It's all very well to make fun,' she returned, 'but it's the principle
that has to be fought. It's absurd, it's--it's mediaeval! And you're
mediaeval too,' she wound up. 'Well,' I said, 'I always knew I was a bit
old-fashioned, but I was never called a regular antique before.' That
made her laugh, and we forgot all about the old garden till we got back
to the house."
"At least, I thought she had forgotten, but when I said good-bye she
came with me to the door, and said, 'Dick, I'm going to see that garden
at the Mission. It isn't that I care about the garden, but I do care
about the principle. I'm going to get in somehow, and I want to know,
will you help me?' 'My dear Kitty,' I answered, 'I'm your man: at least
you know I want to be. The only thing is, how do you mean to do it?'
'That's for you to arrange,' she said. 'You men think you can do things
better than women, so here's a chance to show what you can do.' 'Well,'
I remarked, 'it looks like a burglar's job, and I've not done much in
that line: but you know what I said, that I want to go everywhere you
go, and if that means jail, I'm game.' She looked a bit serious when I
talked about jail, for she thought I was in earnest: but she didn't back
down, and I said I would see what plan I could think up."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account