Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-04


of the sunset The bare mountains
clear amethyst, almost trans
lucent, if the fires of the sun
cleaned through them llumlnat-
ing the wide valley, the violet
waters of the river, and the dark
lines of irrigation bitches cut -
!" /. 4 81 J
athwart the fertile land. To the a3Yn<~
east in a sky of velvet, two great 80
stars burned like silver altar lamps.
Padre Juan lifted up his heart in NE
thanksgiving. The Lord had seen u
the work of his hands, and blessed 81
it. Here, in the Wilderness it had -!
pleased Him to bring forth fruit,
to call the heather to Him and
give them immortal life. Here, in
the most remote of lands Los Hos
de los CALIFORNIA;, He hal sent
His servants. To many lie had
vouchsafed the of martyr
dom; to all He had given a field =
of work, great had opened asaS
before the Christians of old in
idoatrous Rome
A glow of pride stirred the
priests heart he gazed over
what his labor had accomplished.
The mission shepherded eighteen
hundred souls. Up and down the
valley they lay encamped by their
titled fields On the high and rugged mesa they
tended their increasing hocks On the arduously
constructed highway, the Canine Real, they and
went IN hordes from the guardianship of Our Lady of
Loreto the of Saint Francis Far to the north
toward the mouth of the raging Rio Colorado
the chain welding that should hold them fast in
the fear of the Lord and the hope of salvation
AND ne, PadTe Juan, was a strong link that holy
chain With the labor of his hands and the blood of
his heart he had helped to build the mission house of
stone,-the corrals, the cisterns, and aqueduct-
and by the very force of his soul he had brought the
lgllsla into being; the church before whose doors
every Sabbath the faithful Indian converts gathered
in crowds. And now to Our Lady above the altar
great and wonderful gift had thank offering
and glorifcaton.
SUDDENLY the PADRES meditations changed He
realized with start that one of the deadly sins had
m W. Sfr hard TO hpoI-a
he cried aloud, Lord God, keep from the sin of
prldel Let me not dream that it is who have tri-
umPhed IN the wilderness! Make me to know it is
Thy hand and Thine alone that hath wrought this
good! OF Thy mercy, forgive me! Let me still be
Thy minister of salvation! Make me worthy to save
souls to Thee, O God!'
With humbled spirit he turned away. He was
very weary and hungry All day he had toiled with
the Indians, and Filepe, his soldier guard making
the church doors No small matter was it when
every piece of suitable timber be brought eight
weary leagues He had given out the ratons of the
workers; but himself had not eaten Now grimly
shutting his lips and tightening the leather thong
that confined his robe he denied himself food in pen
ance for his vainglorious thoughts.
He crossed the patio and entered the first room.
1t was gloomy and almost bare. A table and chair of
heavy wood bound and covered with rawhide, a
broken chest, ebony crucfx hanging upon one
windowless wall, that all, save a flat backed
hanging lamp, from whose spout wavered tiny
flame, and the PADRES one worldly possession a
mellow toned canvas by Murio, The Young Saint
Anthony of Padua.
oSarle knelt on the eaTthen nOOr, bowed before
the picture, and fingered his beads Comfort always
came to him in communion with the youthful saint
The face that smiled beathcay from the canvas
seemed to welcome the stern pioneer into a brother
hood of heavenly peace and holy ecstasy, where
and danger, suffering and DEATH were
A NOISE startled him Ever on the alert Padre
Ugarte sprang to his feet; his hand stretched
out to the long iron, brass tipped rod that rested
against the wall.
In the faint light he saw standing, framed by the
doorway, the figure of young man. clad in leather
water bottle hung from his shoulder and a broad
sword swung from his belt. The PADRES eyes opened
1a- ba1n nla1 iptf,tb af ofC CO,