Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-07-18
TIE PADRES CATS

auft priest w CndfRe Oh hn iuuiun mission
near the coast OF California The mission
N now majestic ruin, and the race for
Whose regeneration il 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 he erected. neophytes TO
Instruct and discipline. infants to bap-
tEze, hordes Of hungry Indians to feed
and funeral services TO preach, for be-
fpre the benighted savages could be
brought 70 understand that the mission
was being established for the saving of
their souls they had sent many q Chris
tian to join the army OF the blessed
Alartyrs.
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 paciiied by gifts Of trinkets and
clothes, time began to weigh rather
heavily upon the Jealous padre. He
Enlightened the services and sang mass
every day and performed all the cere-
monies of the church with scrupulous
exactness; he provided the mission with
10 sow grain and 10 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 parishioners.
with the exception of Gaudaloupe Cor
leo. the ancient sacristan. were all In
dians. Now. Gaudalo1pe. it must be
confessed, made but poor companions;
for. his work being done, he straightway
stretched his lank body upon a 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 un-
broken solitude now uprose picturesque
indian village, with houses built of reeds
pr of adobe, and the winding streets all
eading up TO the great gray pile on the
bill
One morning, while the sacristan slept
pn his bench, Padre Mateo sat outside his
door with big book on his knees.
The rugged mountains were veiled in
miles Of blue mist but their snowy crests
Blione in the sunlight. Upon the velvety
slopes Of the foothills grazed cattle and
sheep. The wide, fertile valley was
bathed in golden light. Far off-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.
~hen, hearing the patter of bare feet, he
hooked up TO see some dark skinned boys
carrying litter OF kittens toward the
creek
.'Quel Quc!' cried the padre. rubbing
his eyes, "Adonda va w Would you
destroy the poor kittensg'
Isl. padre, replied one little Indian.
para que:" questioned the priest
'They are too many, padre. answered
the little Indian, poking his great too 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 mni' cried the benignanl
priest. They shall not perish, for viii
care for them myself. Are they moi
pretty, my worthy Gaudaloupe? Oper
thine eyes for an instant Seei are they
not prettyY'
Surely. had the sacristan foreseen tn,
consequences, he would have made re
monstrance then, before the padres pas
sion strengthened; but. being sleepy ans
selfish. Gaudaloupe only chnckled as HI
settled himself for another nap. think
ing. Now that the reverend padre ha
somewhat to amuse him, perchance
may be permitted to doze In peace"
One of the Inconvenience arisin,
from the adoption of n family of cats |
the manner in which 1t Is prone TO in
crease. At the end of the second yea
Padre Mateo's cats were the bane of tn
sacristan's life Every day the prizes
found II necessary to reprove Gaudaloup
for some sad dereIiction. Either ID had no
bathed Celestine's sore eye. or the dos
of catnip tea FOR Antonio had been neg
lected. or Christafus had been allowe,
to scamper off before breakfast-for. b
il understood. e4ch cat had a high sound
ing name, and place at the padre
table. and regularly partook of a repas
three times day,
Had Gaudaloupe not SO highly veneI
ated the padres sacred calling, ther
would surely have been an open rebel
lion. as II was, the sacristan had to cor
tent himself with thinking his indigna
ton.
Must l." thought he. with risin
spleen. II, who am 20 years old and hay
a stitch In my back-must l. beside
busting the altar and ringing four heav
bells and tending the PADRES house
do obedience to an army OF yowlin
catsg Es vergonzoso. indeedf
Had he not feared the padres mall
diction he would have murdered I'll
creatures without compunction. He eve
gave up his morning nap. sitting wit
bis little red eyes open and a scowl @
his wrinkled. yellow face, while he trie
10 devise a means Of ridding the worl
of the pests. In vain he pondered tt
cats fiourished. and the padres fondne
increased. and Gaudaloupe was scolde
more frequently than ever. Heart
stoner' the priest would exclair
.'Mould you let them starve1 am su
you gave no milk TO Carmina's new ki
tens this dayl and well you know she h
not nourishment enough for them a
You shall do penanee for your tniqr
teal"