The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-08-18

wearing Eumbrerus sat upon the lit
tie burros between huge baskets, car
rying beautiful brown babies In thciI
arms, while larger brown babies clung
on behind
We Illustrated the old fable OF the
hare ard tho snail. We ard a bright
looking pcuu Of Tie best type. whose
burro kept steadily ON .u ia light
progress between gal.orirE ana walk
ing. in one cot the passing. after the
courteous salutation. We entered into
conversation about the road e. III Uys.
ierto, and romnrkiug that the way
was long ho proceeded to describe %
much nearer way by trail, cutoff
that lett the main road some miles be
fore the n Dcsicrto rood did.
The wooded mountains across tho
deep rayiu" appealed to us, and when
We came to the trail it also looked
tempting, SO We took our waylarcr'
advice and left the beaten track, sUur
To find ourselves sCrambliuE down q
precipitous way lending our horses
After crossing n stream at the bottom
OF the canon. We mounted and fol
lowed the bank. entering "A pine forest
through which we rode mile after
mile, momentarily expecting to see
the trail up the mountain we sought
We did find an ascending trail and
climbed mountain to see, when at
the top. only farreachng forests and
more mountains. Down we went into
another canon, losing our trail many
times to find II again
On the steep mountainsidC. between
us and the sudden drop into the canon
down which we looked upon the tops
of tall trees, and to the bottom of
which sight could not pcnCtratc,D we
saw fragment of muss.Covcrcd
masonry. and farther on another, and
another, and still farther on the frag
ments heightened into n Crumbing
wall and we were on stone. paved
way. When it reached the sharp ridge
Of the mountain. which II followed
there was low stone wall on each
side Of narrow paved way. mossy
and banked with dead leaves, walls
covered with plaster or cement that
moss and lichen and weather stain
had mcllowcd into harmony with the
surroundings.
Ncvcr was road like this one,
Through wilderness apparently
prncyal but for It It seemed to lie
dreaming I'm q potent forest silence
that trcmblcd on the edge OF sound
as the pale light that sifted through
the trees upon It tremblcd between
shade and sunshine. A strange spell
hroods here that woos one 10 linGcr
and see visions of that olden time.
At last We were on the top Of the
mountain and riding beside the high
convent wall, the entrance being on
the opposite side from our approach.
Within the patio, like the deserted
guardian of the deserted place, stands
on high pedestal married stone
statue of some unacceptable saint,
mutcly eloquent We pass It, and
walk the lonely corridors, stand under
the lofty dome. climb the worn stairs
to the beIfry, descend into under
ground chambers, and loiter in clois.
ters and in the walled gardens and
orchards OF old that Father Gage tells
us of: where the fragrant ilowers
bloomcd and the luscious fruit ripencd
on Just such air and sunshine ms
battles the mountain top today But
the spirit of the hive" where Is It?
In front of the great arched en-.
trance is an open space with few
maple trees, and small detached
ruin of brown adobe Steps lead down
from one of these old rooms. and
though the space is filed with debris
It appears to be an underground pas
sage to the convent. Standing there.
one looks into forest such as Durer
painted. vlstas between the bodies OF
giant trees. dim beguiling. satyr.
haunted depths.
The shadows were deepening there.
for the day was perceptibly waning;
and we of short span of days must
hasten to leave a ruin that was old
before we had being. and that will
long outlast us.
EAN0p EvANs.