Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-02-15
SAN BENITO.

In Un0 early nlneJleS Gnoro arose Ill tn0
town Of Tularosa a prophet who had honor
among his own people. He was only Be-
nito Morales at first, but he came to be San
Benito, and this was the manner of it:
Benito was the only son of one Sonora
Morales. She had wandered into Tularosa
II day with her baby in her rim To
wander In Tularosa afoot is no small
achievement. The surrounding country
IL greasewood plain, barren knobs and al
kali patches as far as the eye can reach.
At Three Rivers, seven miles to the west,
there is a creek which runs almost dry in
summer, but north, east and south for
many, many leagues there is neither water
nor shelter. That tho mother, with her
child in her arms, had lived through the
desert journey was a marvel which was
not explained at the time, but which was
in after years attributed to divine guild
ance.
Sonora Morales was very young, her
baby was but 2 months old, and its father,
she said, was a white man. He was her
husband, and he would come by and by.
But he never am The priest found her
shelter in a orumbling adobe hut, and in
return she swept the church and renewed
the paper roses in the white and gilt vases
upon Che altar. She lived mostly on char
ity. Benito grew to manhood and early
gave proof that his mother had spoken the
truth in saying that his father had been
Americana by the extraordinary activity
Of his mind. But that he was also half
Mexican was evinced in his quite ordinary
Incidence Of body. The priest saw in him
q promising padre, and undertook his edu-
cation. The progress Of young Morales
was astonishing. His reputation spread.
Advice was asked Of him as frequently as
Of the priest, and those who followed 1T
did we'll, for his inspiration'was keen COM
mon sense and an eye to the main chance.
1t dawned slowly upon the padre that his
pupil was coming to be Of unduly great
repute, that his own prestige was men
aced, and when Benito was In his TWEEN
tieth year the good father thus addressed
him:
my son, you are now q man, and you
should play a mans part. You should go
out into the world and work for the mother
who has SO long supported you"
The word work" was q terrible stab to
the heart Of Benito. "But am ! not to be
a priests" he asked.
"No," said the father piously. "You
have not the spirit Of the priest. You love
the things of this world"
Benito's tine black eyes grew rapt, and
be opened his lips to protest. But the IA
ther had some knowledge Of mankind
himself, and he interrupted. "And then, y
be suggested, "the padre must be always
poor, but a brain like yours can make
much money In the world. /"
The fine black eyes sparkled with greed.
The white strain was strongest In his
love OF gain, insolnuch indeed that 1t over
All the laziness Of hts Mexican blood,
and the thought OF adventure which should
be rewarded with gold fired Benito's soul.
where shall ! go?n" he asked.
ITO the railroad, to SocorrO, to Santa
Fe, to Tucson, perhaps even to Los An
geles, the priest answered vaguely. "You
can grow rich-ah, very rich-in Socorro
o. Santa Fe. You need not 70 farther.
for some day you might wish to coms
back to your mother, and you could not
do 1t maybe II You were 50 far away as
Tucson"
"But I must have money to 60 with"
suggested Benit0.
The priest looked at him reproachfully.
"Your mother did not need money when
she, came from. the north and carried you
In her arms" Benito was. silent. "But
perhaps we can get 81, or even u. ! will
70 today and try to gather 1t for you.
Have you no money Of your owns"
Mo- lied Bspito glibly.
And yet said the good father, per-
picked, 'syou have often been paid when
you have given advice. 6s
gave tho money to my mother. Did
she not deserve that ! shoulder asked Mo-
rales righteously.
4 The padre doubted, but be held bis peace.
He gathered l. 20 from bis grateful flock,
4 and Henito Monales, taking that and the
90 ~ had been all bid life In saving,
started forth to seek his fortune. His
mother wept placidly for days a. she
smo1esd her cigarettes On the shady side Of
the house o. knelt9 ~ church and prayed
and said her beads while the swallows dew
back and forth and twitted among the
zafters. IA time shs ceassd to weep, but
she talked inceaaantly u her only son.
Two years. passed before Benito came
back to biz own He bad gene III the SUM
mer, and In the summer be- returned. a
drought was upon the land. IN thoss two
years there had been no rain. The priest
prayed and the people supplioAtsd and the
ilgure Of 81 Joseph was carried IN prucee-
sion. II had brought water from the skies
before this. Yet now ito influence va 0f
no avail, and the crops-even tho crop q.
friiolss-ssemed doomed 70 fall. Then
BenitosM Morales returned. The people, ~
kmemberina that his advice had proved