New-York tribune., 1910-12-25

AA slow curves their warm h11eS OF Dui!
and brown forever gOlden1ng anu
* darkening under the passing hours;
Carrnela like the lizards and the meadow Id Hs @
the old graveyard kindly place to tarry IN; Tor every
day. the fields that sretched I the svca
old mission and her low adobe house under the sy'
mores bv the arrovo-the fields that were sometimes d
maze of shoulder high wild mustard sometimes an any
thicket of whispering wild oats soneIles
blazing or srnoderng purple scarlet or amber OF Ae
as the hosts of wild flowers possessed them IN %
every dav whatever the season, she came 1tny "
the little graves, Indian Carmela, the We Oh
who was head shepherd of Don Patnco great oaii'a
Margarita Rancho $1,000 ;.;bed
,bove the little graves. Well she remembered the MS
torv Of each small mound that broke the slant OF the
foWerv hillside And well she knew the Ginning htany
of the names of the little sisters resting there:
Tu1ita Tuau1ina Mariana, Pepita-these were the
names Of her beloved niias lying under the flowers ner
five little girls of whom had stayed with her '"o
years. t+r tho II tie f,ner
,s IN the tnv white coffin which ESteban Mendoza OF
La Pente always rented in turn to the graveslde 1o ne
nuertitos of San Luis Rey Others had pu, e
among the flowers alive the larks whose yellow breasts
splashed the hlaree. :. :,
Rosaria the oldest, would have been ten no" II Sle
had not gone She would be tall girl up to her mother
elbow her hair hanging long shining bra1dS AND Suc
pretty ways Rosara would have, always smile ana
little busy dimples! She would look shyly up at you as
Won smoke. casting her eyes down tirnidly when she
answered in voice delicate the echo OF altar bell
Rosario would go to the American school down at the
owl q
had little boys and girls clustered about her And
Rosario would read in the American books, and by and
bv she should have little thick black prayer book IN
church instead of rosary and she would write letters
down to Carnela uncle in Mexico And Rosar1a would
now be preparing for her first communion, when she
should have long white dress and wreath OF wh1te
artificial flowers her head. Not pretter, Detter
child would kneel at Our Ladys altar that happy day
than little smiling Rosaria.
Tuita eight years DID, would be shorter ana souter
than Rosaria and gentle. Tulita was ever nina
who must have her will; but she too was a good
child.
Mariana Tuaquina, Pepta-like the steps leading
down the bank of the arroyo would be their he1ght.
Pepta the last baby, whom Car1nela and big sister
Rosario would long have carried swung IN the re6oSo
world now be saving little baby words and running
everywhere chasing the chickens and the ducks and
ventrne too near the goat Rosara and all the other
little girls would have to watch vlglanty to keep the
little oddng of Pepa out of the watero the arroyo
MO. Carmela had not forgotten as some mothers of
~ San Luis could forget when the grave closed the
little faces Always sharply than the old reproach
of being a childess was borne upon Carnela
spirit the stigma of being woman with whom God
would not let His little remain.
Her tears and sghs had often made sad the little
adobe house behind the bank of scarlet geranlllns.
Tobato had married her a smiling, round faced
maiden with ever flower above her and ever hight
foot ready for fandango Now the smiles
and Carnea cared not for friends or pleasure lruly
Tobao had grown weary of her mourning and her
memories
At first he would say sllenly trying in his dull way to
comfort her, 1T is God who gave them, the niidS Let
Him have them back, if so He plays the game
"No. nol' Carrnela would protest. The good God
had need of them to be happy here 1t that somehow
did help their guardian angels to hold them on
earth God would not waste His time to send them,
only 50 them lie in their little graves IN the
Campo Sano:,' >,