Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07
vi.

The Mission San Francisco de Assist
stood at the head of a great valley about
a league from the Preside and facing the
eastern hills. Behind it, yet not too close,
| for the priests were ever on their guard
against Indians more lustful Of loot than
| salvation, was a long irregular chain OF
hills breaking into twin peaks on It's high
| est ridge, with a lone mountain outstand-
ing. 1t was an imposing but forbidding
| mass, as steep and bare as the walls of
fortress; but in the distance, north and
south, as the range curved in tapering arc
that gave the valley the appearance of
colossal stadium, the outlines were soft
In haze of pale color. The sheltered
valley between the western heights and the
sand hills far down by the bay where il
turned to the south, green with wheat
fields; and a small herd of cattle grazed
on the lower slopes. The beauty of this
superbly proportional valley was further
enhanced by groves of oaks and bay
trees, and by lagoon, communicating with
an arm of the bay, which the priests had
named for their lady of sorrows-Nuestro
Sonora de los Dolores. The little sheet or
water was almost round, very green ana
set in a thicket Of willows that We're green,
too, in the springtime, and golden in sum-
mer Near its banks, or closer to the pro-
tecting misson-on whose land grant they
were built-were the comforta BILE adobe
homes of a few Spanish pioneers that pre-
ferred the bracng north to the monotonous
warmth Oh the SOUTH some OIL GneSe houses
were long and rambling, others built about
court; all were surrounded by high
wall, after q brief interval Of garden
where the Castilian roses grew even more
luxuriantly than at the Preside. The walls,
like the houses. were white, and on those
OF Don Juan Moraga, a cousin of Dona
1gnacaArguello the roses had been trained
to form border along the top in a fashion
that reminded ReZanoV of the pink-edged
walls of Fiesole.
The white, red-tiled church and the long
line of rooms adjoining were built of adobe
with no effect at grandeur, but with a GER
tain noble simplicity of outline that har-
monized not only with the lofty reserve
of the hills, but with the innocent hope of
creating a soul in the lowest of human
bipeds. The Indians of San Francisco were
as immedicable as they were hideous; but
the fathers belabored them with sticks and
heaven with prayer, and had SO far sue
ceeded that If as yet they had sown piety
no higher than the knees they had trained
some twelve hundred pairs of hands to USE
full service.
On the right was a graveyard, with little
in it as yet but rose trees; behind the
church and the many spacious rooms built
for the consolation of virtue in the wilder
was a large building surrounding a
court. Girls and young widows occupied
the cells on the north side and the work
rooms on the east, while the youths, I'M
der the sharp eye of lay brother, were
opposite. All lived life of unwilling In
dustry: cleaning and combing wool, spin
ming, weaving, misunderstanding Chocolate,
grinding corn between stones, making
shoes, fashioning the simple garments worn
by priest and Indian. Between the main
group Of buildings and the natural rampant
of the San Bruno Mountains was the
Rancheria, where the families lived in
eight long rows Of isolated huts.
In spite of vigilance an Indian escaped
now and again to the mountains, where he
could lie naked in the sun and curse the
fetch Of civilization. AS tho Russians ap-
preached. friar, with deer-skin armor
over his cassock, was Juggling at a recall
citrant mule, while a bodyguard of four
Indians stood ready to attend him down
the coast in search of an enviable brother.
The mule. as If in sympathy with the fugi-
tive, had planted his four feet in the earth
and lifted his voice in derision, while the
far from enamored of his task, strained
at the rope, and an Indian pclted the hind
quarters with stones Suddenly, the mule
flung out his heels, the enemy in the rear
sprawled, the rope flew loose, the beast
with a loud bray fed toward the willows
of Dolores. But the young priest was both
agile and angry. With a flying leap he
reached the heaving back. The mule ac-
knowledged himself conquered. The body
guard trotted on their own feet and the
party disappeared round bend of the hills.
Rezanov laughed heartily and even the
glum visage Of Father Abella relaxed
1T is common sight. excellency," he
said. I'VE are thankful to have younger
friar for such fatiguing work. Many a time
have l belabored stubborn mules and be-
strobe bucking mustangs while searching
chosen creatures. 1t is the will of God, and
we make no complaint; but we are very
willing, Father Landaeta and /, that youth
should cool its ardor in so certain fashion