Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-03-29
TIE PADRES CATS.

Padre Mateo verdugo was the veneer
able priest In charge of an Indian mission
near tho coast OF California. The mission
Is now majestic ruin. and the race for
whose regeneration il was founded Is
nearing extinction; but sixty years ago
Padre Mateo was tho busiest man In the
world. There were the massive struct-
ures Of adobe to DO erected. neophytes 70
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 Chris
tian to Join the army of the blessed
martyrs.
But when. after ten years OF toll. the
buildings were completed, and the last
martyrs wero buried. and the infants
were ell regenerated. and tho Indians
wore pacifled by gifts of trinkets and
clothes time began to weigh rather
heavily upon the jealous padre. He
lengthcned 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
10 SOW grain and to labor with tools, yet
there were long hours left unoccupied
and the priest was often lonely.
After the soldiers wero removed to o
younger mission the padres parishioners,
with tho exception OF Gaudaloupe Cor
teo. the ancient sacristan. were all In
dians. Now, Gaudaloupe. IL must be
confessed. made but q 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 10 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
or of adobe, and the winding streets all
leading up to the great gray pile on the
hill
One morning, while the sacristan slept
Oh 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
shone in the sunlight. Uoon the velvety
slopes of the foothills grazed cattle and
sheep. The wide, fertile valley was
bathed in golden light. Far off-a silver
line cleaned the Pacific ocean. The
village streets were deserted. Save the
droning Of insects and the regular respi-
ration8 Of the doing sacristan, not
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! Quey' cried the padre, rubbing
his eyes "Adonda va V? Would you
destroy the poor kittensy"
Isl. padre" replied one little Indian.
"Para queT' 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! Tho pretty things! They
have not yet beheld the light Of day.
Give them to mer' cried tho benignant
priest. "They shall not perish, for ! will
care for them myself. Arc they not
pretty, my worthy Gaudaloupe? Open
thino eyes for an instant Seei are they
not prettyf'
Surely, had the sacristan forcseen tho
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 /
may mo permitted to doze in peace"
Ono Of tho inconvenience arising
from the adoption Of a family Of cats Is
tho manner in which it is prone to in
crease. At the end Of the second year
Padre Mateo's cats were tho bane OF the
sacristan's life. Every day the priest
found 1t necessary to reprovo Gaudaloupe
s~rsome 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
1t understood, each cat had high sound
Ing Htiuc, anu u piaCc W tho pduIo
table, and regularly partook OF repast
three times day.
Had Gaudaloupe not SO highly vener-
ated the padres sacred calling, there
would surely have been an open rebel
lion; rs il was, the sacristan had to con-
tent himself with thinking his indigna-
ton.
"Must l." thought he. with rising
spleen. II. who am 20 years old and have
stitch in my back-must l, besides
busting the altar and ringing four heavy
bells and tending the padres house
] do obedience to an army Of yowling
cats? Es vcrgonzoso. indeed!'
Had he not feared the PADRES male
diction he would have murdered the
creatures without compunction. He even
gave up his morning nap, sitting with
his little red eyes open and scowl OH
his wrinkled. yellow face, while he tried
70 devise means of ridding the world
of the pests. In vain he pondered. Tho
cats iourished. and the PADRES fondness
increased. and Gaudaloupe was scoldcd
more frequently than ever. Heart OF
stonc!' the priest would exclaim.
"Would you let them starvc? am sure