The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-01
PRIEST And NOVICE.
A Love Story of the Mexi.
can Border, Told in a
San Francisco
Hotel.

Theodore Rouville, Las Casas, Chi
huahua."
This was the name registered in a mer-
camille hand at the Palace the other
night. The man who wrote it was prob
ably IS, tall, red bearded and athletic.
When he took off his hat to a lady . neat
little half in the top Of one of his
ears was made visible. lie passed into
the bar room, swallowed no stingy dose
of dust settler with Col. Cummings, and
then drifted to the billiard room. Set
Ting himself into a chair he lighted a
cigar, and was Dol watching with much
interest the progress of the game.
"Who is he?" asked a bystander of
Col. Cummings.
"Who is he?" echoed the colonel.
"Don't you know Padre Teodoro? I'll
introduce you to him presently. l first
met him in Tombstone six years ago.
Padre, come over here
The red bearded man looked I'D,
smiled, and walked across in answer to
the call.
Padre" said the colonel, "here is a
newspaper man, a friend Of mine, who
wants o near your history"
Nj. Rouyille smiled and answered:
''That story is pretty old now, isn't it?'
"It's new in this part of the country,
at all events"
"Well, there is not much to tell,
really" said Mr.. Rouville. "Besides,
Cummings knows it all, and can tell it
better than I can. Go on, colonel"
Sup to 1882" said the colonel, with
out further preface, ''our friend here
vas the priest of the Church of Santa
Genevieve in Las Casas. The Academy
OF the Visitation is also at Las Casas. 1t
is under the control of the sisters of
Loretto. The young French priest, with
his handsome face and fine education,
combined with his stern devotion to his
duties and the principles of his order,
was the idol Of every maid and matron
in the devout but very feminine and
human little Mexican town. But the
young padre never looked up at faces
that the coquettish mantillas failed to
veil. The great liquid black ey es never
surprised an answering CLEAN in the
keen orbs of the young priest. Even the
holy sisters walking in the garden of the
Academy of the Visitation wondered
at his stern sanctity. The only woman
at all close to him was the morose old
sister superior, with whom he would
hold long conversations bristling with
Latin.
"The feast of the blessed st. Genevieve
came. Father Theodore walked behind
fho inn oo ~ Tho Uinari1 ~, Aha an1oIro4
ing procession, his head sheltered by the
silk canopy carried by the four wealth.
est men in Las Casas. Behind him fol-
lowed the sub-priests, and then the maids
of Las Casas, all in white, each with her
lighted taper and her bunch of flowers
for the sacred image. When the process
sion reached the church Father Theodore
turned to pronounce a benediction. The
leader of the white robed girls was just
before him-Carmelita Villafores, IS
years of age, and markedly beautiful,
even in the land of glorious eyes and
perfect features. And this beautiful
girl, with the creamy complexion and
cherry lips, was about to leave the world
that she had only begun to see, and to
become, if God gave her strength to per-
severe, one of the holy sisters of Loretto.
Beautiful Carmelita V%illafores, just en-
tering IN her 18th year, was to begin
her novitiate on this same day of st.
Genevieve. Her devoted little heart did
not feel a single pang for the world that
she was leaving. Withered old Madre
Josefa was pleased beyond expression at
her daughters resolution, and even Man
uel, her big, swarthy brother, grunted
his approval from the table OF the VIVA
ia. So every one who had any right to
a say was satisfied that la Nina Carmeli-
ia should take the veil. To be sure there
was a little ~grumbling. Los Lagartijos,
the lizards-those idle young men who
had no need for work, and whose habit
of basking in the sun ut the street cor
ners had gained for them their cant de-
nomination-swore por Dios that it was
a shame that they should no more feast
their eyes on her graceful little form
while she passed between her home and
the store.
''That night the sister superior was
startled by the priests asking about the
novice. To be sure he only inquired of
the good sister if she thought that the
girl knew her own mind well enough to
decide rightly on her future life, but
then the sister could not remember his
ever asking such a question before. Dur
ing her novitiate Carmelita's conduct was
exemplary. She We'd with Padre Teo-
doro in religious fervor. The evening
before the day that she was to make her
final severance of all that bound her to
the world at length arrived. Her friends
had visited her and the sisters had ques-
toned her, and to all she made answer
that on the morrow she was content to
take the veil. At length she was left
alone in her room in the second story of
the convent. 1t was late at night and
the whole convent seemed to slumber.
Suddenly the vigilant sister superior
started from her sleep. She listened and
again heard the sound that had aroused
her-a football in the garden.
"NtSome prowler, I suppose thought
the sister; but / wonder why Chatto
doesn't drive him out
"Chatto was the great dog that guard