The San Francisco call., 1906-08-05

%HE ROMANCE OF THE OLD
DAYS OF CALIFoRNIA-the
Mission days. is so potent
charm that Il lends a fascination
TO any fairly wen told story Of
those times II the author has
been dnigent 70 acquire the power 70
throw this peculiarly romantic atmo<-
phe-e around q few picturesque Incl
dents and knows from tradition or sy
Imagination some love story that
transoends the ordinary course OF the
passion. then the sort OF semi-historIc
value of picturing a remarkable transi-
tional epoch can be used 10 great i'd
vantsge. perhaps quite doubling the in
7e-esr in the narrative. Sucn a story is
T3r the Soul OF Rafael" BY Marah FL
lis Ryan, the author OF Told IN the
Hills" and The Bondwoman" The
story is so told that the shadow Of the
old mission walls is over Il all. and the
shrines OF the Virgin. through their in
Auence over the lives OF women. ere
ever present 10 the thoughts OF the
reader. Thus II is that the book has
been aptly illustrated by pictures 3Ised
on photographs OF the old missions. and
these lend much TO the romantic FLU
sion with which it is intended 10 en-
thrau the reader.
The essential OF the story IS that its
heroine. Dona RaQuel Estevan. q con-
vent bred girl. and. as they cali her,
half a nun. dedicates her life by a SOL
enn oath 70 save the soul Of the young
man 20 whom she is enga ged. the hand
some but wayward son OF q Spanish
Catholic mother. who fdoIizes him. Dona
RaaueL woman 50 portrayed as TO be
very attractive 10 the reader. makes
this solemn promise al the shrine OF the
Virgin and gives il the sanction os re-
iigious devotion. To add to its soiem-
nity and binding force II is made by the
engaged girl 10 Dona Luisa. the mother
ot aer hance, when the mother is dying.
" pages that describe that scene are
the most dramatic in the book and 10
read them is 70 be impressed with tie
appropriateness OF the novels title and
70 vividly comprehend the cardinal
event on which the whole story turns.
Il Is the memory Of that scene which
makes RsqueI hold fast TO Whist she
ooneeives 10 be her duty. although that
duty defeats her passionate love COR
far nObier man than Rafael. whose soul
she deems il is the mission OF her life
20 save. To add something 70 the dra-
matte force OF the scene. the true man.
p--o Tn-es her ~-0~a ----T-- -b.- -.
weakling she is pledged 70 save. stands
aside and listens. unable to interfere,
while the woman ne loves swears her
self 10 the service OF another.
DOns Rsquel. although possessed Of
the passionate religious devotion which
would have made her good nun. had
decided, on the advice OF some one she
t-usted. that her vocation was 10 do
some great work for the mother
church in a fight against evil out in
the world She had prayed for such
work without knowing definitely what
she was called 10 do
Dcna Luiss, who is q devout Cath
oiie and also somewhat superstftious.
BELIEVES that the hends and the Amer
,s combined are seeking 10 snarc
the soul OF her darling son and make
hereto OF him. II 2 moment Of girlish
tenderness the susceptible young girl
yields 20 the influence OF this elder
woman, with whom she is closely al
Iced by both Catholic and Spanish sym
psthies- Dona Luisa tells Raquel;