Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-03-03

to the absolving words he could per-
fectly understand, and this was thing
Of Joy to the holy man who had per-
formed the sacred Office.
One day late in the month Of Octo-
ber now nearly thirty-four years ago,
the hermit priest saw walking through
the streets Of the little village dark
visaged person clad in clerical garb
| and whom Boccalini believed to be
the lover Of the woman he had wrong
| ed in his youth and that the stranger,
If it were he whom he suspected, could
never be persuaded to think that Mat
teo was not wholly to be blamed for
the life he had blasted.
He told his friends he could no lon
ger tarry with them. He would 60 away
to the mountains of New Mexico, seek
another cave, rear again the blessed
cross, emblem Of his Masters suffer
ing, and once more live in solitude,
from which here he had somewhat
strayed.
He frequently when in communi-
cative mood had talked much to them
Of the delights Of absolute solitude.
1t was, he argued, the nurse Of enthu-
siasm; that enthusiasm was the parent
of genius; that solitude had always
been eagerly sought for in every age.
1t was the inspiration Of the doml-
nant religion Of every nation; that the
founders Of these religions were men
who. seeking the quiet and seclusion
of the desert and by subordinating the
flesh to the spirit, had visions Of the
beyond; that the veil hiding the better
world had been lifted for them and
that their teachings had come down to
us through the cons. elevating man
above the brute.
The next morning after the sudden
appearance of the stranger whose pres
ence had so discomposed the usually
calm priest, delicious morning in the
month of "autumn's holocaust" when
the breeze was biilowing the russet
colored grass upon the virgin prairies,
Father francesca gathered up his few
precious relics and, accepting the es.
cort of caravan just ready to start
for New Mexico, left Council Grove,
his cave and the warm friends he had
made there forever.
The caravan under the protection Of
which the frightened hermit went
westward was owned by a Mexican
don, brother-in-law to Kit Carson. He
still resides near the spot where the
i'll fated Italian was, year or two aft
er his wearisome journey across the
great plains, hurried to eternity.
This venerable Mexican and old time
voyageur of the almost obiiterated
Santa Fe trail, when last visited him
at his hospitable home in the noun
tains fourteen years ago, entertained
me by relating some of the more prom
inent characteristics Of his strange
companion during that memorable
trip with the hermit priest from Coun-
ell Grove more than twenty years pre-
viously He said that the strange man
would never ride either on horseback
or in one Of the wagons, despite the
earnest invitation extended to him
each recurring morning by the master
Of the caravan. preferring to trudge
along uncomplainingly day after day
during the sunny hours beside the
plodding oxen through the alkali dust
Of the desert.
Neither at night would he partake
Of the shelter Of the tent constantly
offered, but as constantly and persist
emily refused. preferring to roll himself
up in a single coarse wrap, seeking
some quiet spot removed from the cor
raj Of wagons, where for an hour or
two under the scintillating stars he
would tell off his beads or. accompa-
MED by his mandolin, chant some sad
refrain to the Virgin until long after
the camp had gone to sleep. For his
subsistence he himself caught and
cooked the prairie dog, ground squir-
rel, rattlesnake and gopher Only oc-
casionally when hard pressed would he
accept meal, which was constantly
proffered by the Mexican teamsters,
who begged the hermit priest to share
with them, for in their love for the
church to which they were so devoted
he seemed to their simple minds
most jealous but humble exponent OF
their religious tenets and the visible
form of their sacred faith.
Thus reticent, thoughtful and devout,
he marched with the caravan for many
weeks until at last the City Of the Holy
Faith, the quaint old Spanish town
of Santa Fe, was reached. There he
parted company with his escort and for
nearly a year afterward wandered all
over that portion Of the territory OF
New Mexico and into Arizona, still
seeking the Alnaschar Of his dreams,
a suitable abiding place in the recesses
Of the hills and a people whose souls
might be made to attune with his. But
he miserably failed in all that he de-
sired during his sad pilgrimage through
out the southwest. Then. turning
northward again. he'slowly and almost
despalringly retraced his steps until he
| arrived In the seuuestered valley OF