Wichita eagle., 1889-05-31
THE PADRES CATS.

Padre Nateo Verdugo was the veneer
able priest in, charge Of an Indian mission
near the coast of California. The mission
is now majestic ruin, and the race for
whose regeneration it was founded is
nearing extinction; but sixty years ago
Padre Mateo was the busiest man in the
world. There were the massive struct-
ures of adobe to be erected, neophytes to
instruct and discipline, infants to bap-
tie, hordes of hungry Indians to feed
and funeral services to preach, for be-
fore the benighted savages could be
brought to understand that the mission
was being established for the saving Of
their souls they had sent many a Chris
tan to join the army of the blessed
martyrs.
But when, after ten years of toll, the
buildings were completed, and the last
martyrs were buried, and the infants
were all regenerated, and the Indians
were pacifed by gifts of trinkets and
clothes, time began to weigh rather
heavily upon the Jealous padre. He
heightened the services and sang mass
every day and performed all the cere-
monies of the church with scrupulous
exactness; he provided the mission with
cattle and sheep, and taught the Indians
| to SOW grain and to labor with tools, yet
there were long hours left unoccupied
and the priest was often lonely.
After the soldiers were removed to a
younger mission the PADRES Pensioners,
with the exception of Gaudaloupe Cor
teo, the ancient sacristan, were all In
dams. Now, Gaudaloupe, it must be
confessed, made but a poor companion;
for, his work being done, he straightway
stretched his lank body upon bench be-
tween the great arches at the sunny side
of the building and went to sleep.
Years passed away. The mission pros
pered The harvest of souls was bounti-
full, and where once had been an IN
broken solitude now uprose picturesque
Indian village, with houses built Of reeds
or of adobe, and the winding streets all
leading up to the great gray pile on the
hill
One morning, while the sacristan slept
on his bench, Padre Mateo sat outside his
door with big book on his knees.
The rugged mountains were yelled in
miles of blue mist, but their snowy crests
shone in the sunlight. Upon the velvety
slopes of the foothills grazed cattle and
sheep. The wide, fertile valley was
bathed in golden light Far of-a silver
line-gleamed the Pacific ocean. The
village streets were deserted. Save the
droning Of insects and the regular respi-
rations of the doing sacristan, not a
sound broke the stiffness.
The padre had almost fallen asleep,
when, hearing the patter of bare feet, he
looked up to see some dark skinned boys
carrying litter of kittens toward the
creek.
"Que! QueI' cried the padre, rubbing
his eyes. ''Adonda va V? Would you
destroy the poor kittens?"
Isl, padre" replied one little Indian.
para que?" questioned the priest.
'They are too many, padre" answered
the little Indian, poking his great toe in
the dust and looking longingly toward
the creek.
But wait! The pretty things! They
have not yet beheld the light of day.
Give them to mel" cried the benignant
priest ''They shall not perish, for viii
care for them myself. Are they not
pretty, my worthy Gaudaloupe? Open
thine eyes for an instant. See! are they
not pretty?'
Surely, had the sacristan foreseen the
consequences. he would have made re-
monstrance then, before the PADRES pas
sion strengthened; but, being sleepy and
selfish, Gaudaloupe only chuckled as he
settled himself for another nap, think
ing, "Now that the reverend padre has
somewhat to amuse him, perchance I
may be permitted to doze in peace.
One of the inconvenience arising
from the adoption of family of cats is
the manner in which it is prone to in
crease. At the end of the second year
Padre Mateo's cats were the bane of the
sacristan's life. Every day the priest
found it necessary to reprove Gaudaloupe
for some sad dereliction. Either he had not
bathed Celestine's sore eye, or the dose
of catnip tea for Antonio had been neg
lected, or Christafus had been allowed
to scamper off before breakfast-for, be
it understood, each cat had high sound
ing name, and place at the PADRES
table, and regularly partook of a repast
three times day.
Had Gaudaloupe not SO highly veneer
ated the PADRES sacred calling, there
would surely have been an open rebel
lion; as it was, the sacristan had to con-
tent himself with thinking his indigna-
ton.
Must l." thought he, with rising
spleen, Il, who am 70years old and have
a stitch in my back-must 1, besides
busting the altar and ringing four heavy
bells and tending the PADRES house
do obedience to an army Of yowling
cats? Es vergonzoso, indeed"
Had he not feared the PADRES male
diction he would have murdered the
creatures without conjunction. He even
gave up his morning nap, sitting with
bis little red eyes open and scowl on
his wrinkled, yellow face, while he tried
to devise means of Kidding the world
of the pests In vain he pondered The
cats hourished, and the padres fondness
increased, and Gaudsloupe was scolded
more frequently than ever. Heart Of
stoner' the priest would exclaim.
would you let them starve? I am sure
you gave no milk to Carmina's new kit
rapS thi. Jovf ard wall n.y., l-,,,x- eI 4 =,