New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-30

Father Neal IT. ,.s,,o,s md
satchcls in sbamcfaced silence and troopcd OIL
dawn the road while Father Neal gazed after
them with merry twinkle in his eye, mover oy ,a
half-humorous sympathy, recalllhg no uounv, ' ~
layxless FRANKS OF his own boyhood In spite OF
his forty years and the dignled POSITION LON, 10
which he had attained. he was stun more IaSiii a
than priest Witness the handsome animal LII. ~
Jroro ne nrcttv "A niece OF horSe-hesh as couid
he found in ali the country, and one not TO ne
surpassed in speed by any nag IN an ,ne rri 49,
about as Father Neal had proved by sunurN 'eAus
of speed upon the road Rumor had ~ that me
cratic priest had even been seen urging s nis
favorite around the racc-track, IN t U , i"
grounds near by one moonlight night On NOR
than one occasion he had been known 10 'akc -
lady out to drive. lie kept a boat on the. MUG
lake close by and delighted in pulling an oar az
davbreak. whence songs of sadly temporal
nature oated across the still waters ana sclnoIl
lied the most pous Of his parsm9ners' WHIT l sne
less straitlaced were delighted. 1t Is true, Inat
he so far conformed to the traditions OF the hoary
old mission which was his especial charge ~
to wear the conventional sackcloth gown "i nv
hempen girdle which had always occn worn pS
Inc fathers in charge. but this was by no means
allowed TO interfere wi his mode OF NE. Aho ~
for cigars and VINE, the grocer at the coriier' anu
could have told tales that would nave STARRED
the community. These worldly procIlNlIeS 4 iIa
brought Father Neal no end OF troupe W dnccln e
i'm particular a bigoted and asccuc ola gentleman,
who would have burned hcrctics at the stake nau
rot it been for the danger OF ntereremgf 1iI Is
rnT mother 70 account and on one occasion
made him the subject of grave charges prppirrriiu
before a high council OF the Snu.un Fatbnr
spjte of his Irregularities as clergyman, fa'ler
Neal was at heart SO excellent a man. 50 uil-
selfish in time of need. so tender win inc sick'
generous TO the poor So wac and o. 60 GENERALLY
helcred among all his flock. that the couhcll
compromised with the bishop by put!lnns Il t''G !;
uDon a sort of indefinite probation, WIlicH, ~ -
needless to say. did not trouble rather Neai nf
the least or hamper his accustomed freedom Oh
action. ..o,.iDrs pofaols or
dered the priest. not unkndly. ,a
Without looking at the speaker, the man opeyeu.
Father Neal watched him curlousy as ne wen,
! indolentlv about the task. lie knew that hau
it not been for his own forethought, tng you ,rs
| fellow would that night have returned nom morn
barefooed lie knew iooI%S %o df d! S Sf
brother" The Santos family were qule ABOVE
the rest of the MeXicans of the valley 10y u "oe
and thrift and the accumulated industry vi w "
| generations they had come into possession ol I"
| Soodlv competence, and owned hundreds oil acrcS
| Of Grain and pasture land and Neliulicd orchaIu
and vineyard. Bettrt still. they had on
ers of their race in their appreciation OF the
taoes offered by the new civilization when crowuei
! closely about them, and none so Jealous as Ill'
elders of the family in their support oil tne coz
| catjonai chances which had been denied thelr
youth Rafael, the younger brother OF the man
] now the head of The family. had been the n0Mer
| of the flock lie had been sent TO the httie
village school, and had proved 4inSe oScd
! of the pent-up thirst for knowledge OF uhlu'oicl
! 90 Who mad watched his progress more
! proudly than Father Neal, who had always heiu
that, stored up in the siolld REMNANT OIL r,s
dominant race, were the germs OF new anu
splendid intellectual expansion? VINO put RANT
| Neal had zealously seconded the young lenow
ambition TO complete course 9i s,uuy at ' of
! Stale university, and so directed his course oi
study that il should insure HIM practical sue
| cess in life Rafael Santos had graduated Wild
honor and had gone up to the mines TO TAX a
responsible position. for which MS long anu
Thorough training had fitted him. lhcre, over
taken by a low malaria icEcr' ne had laih on
a hospital cot and seen dcadlc enemy approicn1,
! ing: LONG hungry ton-ucs of Tam" which hcKeh
/ thc walls and roof, and every moment cr,P'
nearer to where he lay sick and helpless. re
had been rescued unhurt: nut when at lenS'h'
he came back to life aud health, there "ds Z,
clond on his brain. and his will power seemed
DESTROYED Three years-had passed and he re-
NAMED stupid, living mechanism, uesh-ahu,,
blood manilin, who ate. and slept, ana moVeu
AT the bidding OF those about him, but VINO was
incapable of an independent action or lh'inl,
gent thought Is man whose lnqlViuuulIN " GU,
been obliterated, and who was only known as an
annendaqe Of the household to winch he pc
lonccd He was but twenty-four. PossipS
fifty years more Of this brute existence lay De-
fore him. Father Neal shuddered at the thought
Worldly as the priest was. and gwen TO lleshy
pleasures he was not so much OF materlailSD a.
TO believe that human soul ana Dflsht ilunl"H
intellect could have been swept ou' oil cASuency
during a short siege of illness and lew moments
FRIGHT He had at first, cherished the hope thal
restored to his old home ana us laii'iliar sur
roundincs, Rafael would slowly come PACK 20
himself MS "A 81 Id wakes to intelligence ullucl
n,otRer's cherishing care. Disappointed III
This. he had been patiently awaiting some IN,
evitable crisis when the sleeping Dram shoilo
regain its empire over the body. 10 nm. ING
Great. docile fellow was no stupid idiot, no mind
loss 10Y" of natures laShlonlng: nut inc SIc'
dark eyes spoke of a dormant intellect the snug
glsh body was instinct with sqmpering enc nss
The priest, studying him, felt the lmpo'eh' rag
of one who grappcs with mysteries Dcyohu he
ken. m
Rafael he said, do you rememberFelicia =
The priest had a motive for ASKING ms que que,
ance Of his pricsty functions, III the solemn siiu
ows of the little mission church. rather Nca
was not bad a Catholic that ne Woulu ne.I I.
the condolences of the confessional but he wa
100 good a Christian not TO turn me khowiSus'
thus gained to practical use in rightns the aiiair
Of the little community.
If he had expected to surprise his nearer int
any betrayal Of emotion. or to arouse nm 10 re
Election, he was disappointed a., l..
Felicia ?" repeated Rafael, duly; u don
know. Ya-as"
Since the stroke that Rafael had received, i
was noticeable that, on the few occasions tina
he INDUCED in speech he reapsed into the vernac
ular of the ignorant class among whom he iIvGa i
This Characteristic coupled with his dull, indii
ferept tone might we'll have discouraged "A les
rcsolute man than Father Neal; ar-,..,. -,
Felicia he repeated slowly M ie ,ini tn
what has become of Felicia, Rafael? Listen L
what say. She is behind the walls OF the old con
vent On Easter Sunday-Easter sunday, marx
she viii take the VEIL
The priest pointed his whip at the old conven
on the hill beyond th"n, as be spoke RaiaeI
eyes travelled mechanically III that direction. an'
he smiled with a chlds pleased, unrncaning Sml
at the golden rays of the setting sum- reflected
back from the windows like thousand shattered
javelins.
Remember what I say" insisted Father Neal
impressivcly: on Easter Sunday, if n0thini
happens before Felicia will be forever lost u
YOU and the world"
Santoss brother did not appear to notice tn
Speakers concluding words. The cow, who's
measure OF the passing time wa, more accurate
than his began to anticipate the pl pleasures o
her evening meal, and pulled impegionsly upon he
rope SantCss brother arose. and, without wore
or look for the priest, slouchcd OF down In
road, following where the COW led.
Day after day, throughout the winter the SIM
programme was repeated as II had been Tor mani
long months before When IL Iained hard, IN
cow sought the shelter Of line of friendly pepper
trees and her attendant stayed in their protecting
shadow, grateful for the good Judgment of h;
four-footed friend On bright days, they SOM
tirres climbed hicd up the steep slopes Of over
han rinc hills and baslSed together in the warmth