Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-08-18

SsSoPSilNGlASI SCLHCu lll1l uuSl UAlO
thought weighed heavily upon his soul
that his work among the heather was
in vain, and that should he die no one
would have been the better for his life
or would be the worse for his death
then stealing in upon this darkness of
sorrow would come the sweet conscious
ness that the palm lived and loved him
and depended upon him. And the
other, the human love that so wrenched
and tormented him, and that could not,
in its very nature, be cast out of his
being, was tempered and chastened by
this pure love. When, in the early
morning, and again in the evenings
dusk, he came to his palm and minis
tered to it's thanksgiving it draughts
of sweet water, heaping rich earth
about its roots, pruning away its too
luxuriant leaves, so that its life might
be concentrated and strengthened for a
more vigorous growth-the memory of
his early, passionate love would come
back to him; but comfortingly, being
purified. And as he went about his
holy work by day, the thought of the
little tree that loved him and that watt
ed for his return at night, upheld and
strengthened him.
The palm, for its part, repaid the care
that Padre Jose gave it, by growing as
never palm grew before. Its slim stem
became thick and sturdy; its gracious
leaves spread out in a feathery crest,
and everywhere upon it were signs of
a rich, abundant life.
So the months slipped silently away,
and were lost in the depths of the pass
ing years, and the palm shot up and be-
came a strong, beautiful tree; and be-
cause of its existence there came to be.
if not happiness, at least a refreshing
love that bred peace in the heart of
Padre Jose. And SO was fulfilled the
promise that God made to him, speak
ing by the blessed St. Francis in the
vision.
Thus more than q score of years
passed on. Through all this time the
Padre Jose gave of his strength freely
to his holy work and many heather
souls We're saved which, but for his zeal
Gus labor, surely would have been lost.
His palm had long since %outgrown his
care for it, and now, in its turn, cared
for him-even as his sturdy son, being
come to mans estate, might have cared
for him had it pleased Heaven to satisfy
his human love. 1t was a noble tree
now; and against its foot he had made .
seat, where he would come in the early
morning, and again as the sun went
down, for rest and comforting. And the
palm, swaying a little in the evening
breeze, would press it's trunk against
him lovingly, and soft whisperings of
its thankfulness for the life that he had
given it would come down to him from
its rustling, feathery leaves. When he
was sad, thinking of the WEAKNESS of
life and of all the sorrow hat there was
therein, the palm leaves rustled to him
mournfully in echo of the mourning
that was in his heart. Yet, impercepti-
bly,, the tone of their murmuring would
change, bringing into his heart more
and more of bri ghtness.
At other times, when the memory of
his lost love on earth would come back
to him and fill him with a dreary sad
ness, the palm would whisper of its own
love and faithfulness. 1t would tell of
it's bitter sorrow as it lay in the scorch-
ing sunshine by the wayside where he
found it cast out to die, and Of its Joy
when his hands gave it water to drink,
and shielded il in the cool, damp moss,
and gave it, there in the convent gar
den, a safe refuge where it might re-
ioice in it's new-found life.
But it came to pass, at the end of
many years, that a pestilence fell upon
the city-a deadly fever that rose up
from the earth and that caused many to
die; such a fever as never before was
known, and, me%rcifully, never since has
been known here in Monterey. In every
house was the shadow of death. The
fathers of the convent were instant in
good works among the sick; and even,
that they might have more time to save
the living, they forbore for a season to
say masses for the dead. Only each
morning andeachnightth the townsfolk in
whom were left strength to walk, came
to the church of St. Francis, and there,
together with the good fathers, sent up
their prayers that the pes.ilence might
be stayed.
And when the deaths grew many, and
there was sore need for yet mor nurses
for the sick, the convent of the Capuchi-
mas opened its doors, and the holy nuns
came forth and gave their aid. (The
Holy Father gave them grace and full.
est dissolution when, in the after years.
their prayer for pardon went to Rome
The blessed presence and sweet gentle
ness of these sanity nuns brought com
fort into many. a stricken house in thai
most dreary time. But-such was the
division Of their work among the sick
the Franciscanos and the C%apuchinas
rarely met.
Faithful was Padre Jose in caring fol
the sick, and in c~onsoling in the name
of the blessed saints those whose sick
ness was even unto death. Almost his
only rest was the little space, morning
and evening, when he sat beneath hi
palm. And being, after his many year
of jealous labor, but q frail man, ant
going thus constantly into those place.
where the pestilence was at its worst
the time came when he himself felt tina
the fever had him in its hold; and hi
heart was gladdened, for he knew tina
now his rest would come.
Close upon the evening of the thirt
day, feeling then that his release wa
near, he asked that they would carr,
him out beyond the convent walls int,
the garden, and place him in the sea
beneath his palm, and leave him there