The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-07-18

: did my father cause scandal By his actions,
breaking out Of the priory at night and
visiting drinking houses and other places,
but such was the sum Of his wickedness
he did not scruple to question and make
mock Of the very doctrines of the church,
alleging even that there was nothing sa-
cred in the image Of the Virgin Mary
which stood in the chancel, and shut his
eyes in prayer before all the congregation
when the priest elevated the host. There
FORE" said the prior, L pray you to take
back your son and let him find some other
road to the stake than that which runs
through the gates Of Bungay priory.
It was believed both by my grandfather
and the prior that the true cause OF my ia
ther's contumacy was q passion which he
had conceived for girl of humble birth, a
miller's fair daughter who dwelt at Wa
ingford Mills. So the end Of it was that
he went to foreign parts in the care Of a
party Of Spanish monks, who had journey
ed here to Norfolk on pilgrimage to the
shrine Of Our Lady Of Walsingham.
Thus it chanced that when he had sailed
from Yarmouth year and six months
there came letter from the abbot Of the
monastery in Seville to his brother, the
prior Of St. Mary's at Bungay, saying that
my father had fed from the monastery.
Two more years passed away, and then
came other news-namely, that my father
had been captured; that he had been hand
ed over to the power Of the holy office, as
the accursed inquisition was then named,
and tortured to death at Seville. When
my grandfather heard this, he wept. Still
he did not believe that my father was dead
in truth, since on the last day of his own
life, that ended two years later, he spoke
of him as living man and left messages
to him as to the management Of the lands
which were now his
And in the end it became clear that this
belief was not i'll founded, for one day,
three years after the old mans death, there
landed at the port Of Yarmouth none och
er than my father, who had been absent
some eight years in all. Nor did he come
alone, for with him he brought wife, q
young and very lovely Lady, who afterward
was my mother. She was a Spaniard Of
noble family, having been born at Seville,
and her maiden name was Donna Luisa de
Garcia.
There were three of us children-Geof-
frey, my elder brother, myself and my SIS
ter Mary, who was one year my junior,
the sweetest Child and the most beautiful
that I have ever known. We were very
happy children, and our beauty was the
pride Of our father and mother and the
envy Of other parents. was the darkest
of the three. dark indeed to swarthiness,
but in Mary the Spanish blood showed
only in her rich eyes Of velvet hue, and in
the glow upon her cheek that was like tho
blush on ripe fruit.
Ny mother used to call me her little
Spaniard because of my swarthiness- that
is, when my father was not near, for such
names angered him. She never learned to
speak English very well, but he would
suffer her to talk in no. other tongue before
him. Still when he was not there she
spoke in Spanish, of which language, how
ter, and that was more because of certain
volumes Of old Spanish romances which
she had by her than for any other reason.
From my earliest childhood I was fond Of
such tales, and it was by bribing me with
the promise that should read them that
she persuaded me to learn Spanish, for
my mother heart still yearned toward her
old sunny home, and often she would talk
Of it with US children, more especially in
the winter season, which she hated as
do. Once asked her il she wished to go
hack to Spain. She shivered and answered
no, for there dwelt one who was her en-
emy and would kill her; also her heart
was with us children and our father.
Ill q
certain evening in the month Of May, it
happened that a friend Of my fathers,
Squire Board, late Of the hall in this par
ish, called at the lodge on his road from
Yarmouth, and in the course Of his talk
let it fall that Spanish ship was at an
chor in the roads laden with merchandise
Ny father pricked up his ears at this and
asked who her captain might be- Squire
Board answered that he did not know
his name, but that he had seen him in the
market place, a tall and stately man, rich
" dressed, with q handsome face and a
scar upon his temple.
At this news my mother turned pale be-
meath her olive skin and muttered in Span
ish:
ssHoly Mother, grant that it be not he!"
Nv father also looked frightened and
questioned the squire closely as to the
mans appearance, but without learning
ANYTHING more. Then he bade him adieu
with little ceremony, and taking horse
rode away for Yarmouth. !.
That night my mother never slept, but
sat all through it in her nursing chair,
brooding over know not what. AS left
her when I went to my bed4so found her
when came from it at dawn. can re-
member well pushing the door aJar to see
her face glimmering white in the twilight
Of the May morning as she sat, her large
eyes fixed upon the lattice.