The Portland daily press., 1874-05-29
POETRY.
Don Diego Of the South.

Don Diego Of the South.
(Refectory-Mission San Gabriel. 1857
BY BRET HARTE.
"Good," said the Padre, "beieye me s SILL
Call him Don Juan, or Whatever you VIII
The tvne;s eternal! We knew him here
As Don Diego del Sud, fear ,o
THE story's no new one. VIII you hear?
One of those spirits you can't tell why
God has permitted Therein
Have the advantage Tor Ihold
That wolves are sent to the purest fold,
And we save the wolf if we'd get the lamb.
You're no believer Good. l am.
Well, for some purpose, grant you, dim,
The Don loved women, and they loved HIM.
Each thought herself his last love! Worst,
Many believed that they were his first!
And, such are those creatures, since the FALL
The very doubt had charm for all!
You laugh! You are young-butI indeed,
1 have no patience. To proceed xxzzs
You saw as you passed through the upper town
The Encindl, where the road goes down
To San Felipe. There one morn.
They found Diego; his mantle torn,
And as many stabs through his douDes drStanap
Dying So said the gossips Dead
Was what the friars who found MIN SAID
Goodi Ouien sabee Who else should know?-
1t was a hundred years ago
There was a funeral. Small indeed
To proceed:
Scarcely the year had flown. One night
The commandante awoke in fright
Hearing below his easements bar
The well-known twang Of the Denis guitar
And rushed to the window just to see.
His wife-a-swo0n on the balcony.
One week late Don Juan Ramirez
Found his own daughter, the Dona Inez,
Pale as a ghost, leaning out to hear
The song Of that phantom cavalier.
Even Alcade Pedro Bias
Saw, it was said, through his nece's glass,
The shade Of Diego twice repass.
What these gentlemen each confessed
Heaven and the Church only know. At best.
The case was bad one. How to deal
With Sin as ghost they couldn't but feel
Was an awful thing. Till certain Fray
Humbly offered to show the way.
And the way was this: Did say before
That the Fray was stranger? No-Senor,
Strange! Very strange! | should have said
That the very week that the Don lay dead
He came among us! Bread he broke
Silent; nor ever to one he spoke.
So he had vowed it. Below his brows
His face was hidden. There such vows.
Strange, are they not? You do not use
Snuff? bad habit!
Well. the views
OF the Fray were this: That the penancc done
By the cabelleros was right; but one
Was due from the cause, and that, in brief,
Was Dona Dolores Gomez, chief,
And Inez, Sanchcha, Conception,
And Carmen. Well, half the girls in town
On his tablets the Friar had written down.
These were to come on a certain day
And ask at the hands of the pious Fray
For Ienu ion T1afd npa r,a11f oar
But the shade of OF Diego would disappear.
They came, each knelt in her turn and place,
To the piOus Fray with his hidden face,
And voiceless lips and each again
Took back her soul freed from spot or stain,
Till the Dona, Inez with eyes downcast,
And tear on their frnges knelt her last.
And then-perhaps that her voice was low
From fear or from shame-the monks said So
But the Fray leaned forward, when, swiftly all
Were thrilled by scream, and saw her fall
Painting beside the Confessional.
And so was the ghost of Diego laid
As the Fray had said. No more his shade
The girl interests you, dare say?
Nothing she said, when they brought her to-
sNothing-a faintnessp They spake more true
Who said twas a stubborn soul. But then
Women are women and men are men!
So to return As said before,
Having got the wolf by the same high law,
And that's my story. The tale, fear,
But poorly told. Yet it strikes me, here
Is stuff for moral. What's your view?
You smile, Don PanchO, Ah!-that's like you!"