The Natchitoches enterprise., 1917-06-07

shown into the patio, which IS Just as i
was then, a large SO Iar4 wiCh fagge
flooring, and old fountain in which fs
are Surrounded by enormous palms
they are much older than the cfurcI
and town-and the church and monas
terry oped into the patio with the Ions
galleries and curved arches you are s
familiar within mission pictures. Thre,
long frocked fathers were pacing bacl
and forth in the sunshine with thai
Bibles, and tho it is the heart of town
{ it seemed SO quiet and removed from
this busting city that felt like | wa
/ III dream, standing there in that era,
court, with Kenneth dropping leave.
into the green old basin of the foun
tain. and the spring sunshine living il
| patches on the flags, and Oh the ora,
| heads OF the monks. Our guide was ar
+ educated yOnng Castilian woman, who
| talked beautiful but very accented Eng
/ fish, she told me she was a refupee
from Mexico City, and longing to &C
! home. She sells sacred pictures ana
| statues in little corner between the
museum and church. In the former.
which IS much like old La. churches.
we found narrow aisies and high old
benches, and very gaudily furnished
affairs, five or SIX. Kenneth was so i'm
pressed tc see a child Jesus statue
dressed in bright gown and cape, with
a big feathered hat. There were sever
al MeXlcans At PRAYER, and of course a
large number Of candles in the circular
stands. In the Old museum, which is
stone, we found all the first things used
in the church--the candlesticks were of
wood, carved by the Indians, and much
like the colonial candlesticks Cousin
Bidy has. and l dida covet them: vou
know my failing. The Way of the
Cross was in large pictures painted by
the Indians with flower and root colors,
and while very crude, We're remarkably
effective. Inc Christ and other figures
were brightly dressed, but typicaly In
dian in feature and posture There
was the large bench, hand carved,
winch has been to all expositions, and
tables, affairs ETC.. to match, of red
wood. There were the copper vessels
used, baptismal founts etc, and Father
Serra's, and his bible. Also enormous
wooden statues, bigger than life, and
colored with bright root dyes, and while
some were very palpably wood, | had
to touch others to be convinced of it.
Pottery and weavings etc, were there
In abundance, and also wooden replicas
of the ships used by the Spanish. Ken
meth Immediately recognized and eX-
claimed over whole copy of the Land
ing of Columbus and his ships, calling
them by name, to the surprise and adj
of the guide, who said she
usually dreaded children coming, but
after that took even more interest in
showing him everything, Two Mexican
things which interested me were a
wooden article about foot high, it was
used instead of that gong at the eleva-
ton of the Host. 1t had handle and
you swung it down and it knocked
They used it for years. The other was
something, forget the Spanish name,
used in all Mexican churches during
Good Friday etc when the bell is gone
to Rome, also in Mexico at funerals
and by mourners, it was a wooden stand
a couple of feet high and when you
turned the handle, some cogs slipped,
and it gave horrible creaking sound
The sound of mourning, she said, and |
believed her. Something like the ma
chimes used III the Spanish Inquisition, |
should judge, and it was CHASTITY sound
ng.
Well, l wishI could tell you ali the
history of the Cortez flag, under guard |
n another room, on its world tour. 1t |
vas four and half yards long, shaped |
ike our S. A. K. banner. 1t was cream
satin, and had been wonderfully darned |
n some places. On one side was the |
leavy embroidery, standing up over an /
nch, of the historical side; il was car
led into battle against the Moors, and
brought to Mexico later. 1t was an
)Yal design, with the wonderfully exc
,uted heads of live Moor, and dead
me, across the bottom, they looked
ike paintings, and all the small pieces
# armour around the oval-shield, buck
er, gauntlet, helmet, etc. The threads
# gold and silver were very bright L
nd seemingly solid bands. It was sur
mounted by the crown of Spain, and | Il
ant tell you the other details, as +
aven't clear picture of them in my
mind. The reverse was religious, and
lad the Pope's crown, and Christs head
nd can't remember what else in the
val. All around the edge was a Won
erful design in gold.
Cortez came to Mexico, and went
nth it against the Aztecs, it was part
Y religious war but more for the
1onderful treasure. Somehow, his at
ack failed, and he was driven back,
hru some tunnels and spent the night
7aiting at tree still called The Tree
Sorrows, or rather Los Noches, the
light of sorrows, the guide said she
ad often stood by it, fenced now,
nd the oldest historical tree in Ameri-
a Then he took the banner and salli-
d forth, and it never was in defeat
gain. There were wonderful epistles
nd letters proving its authenticity and
lord with titles and retinue here was
18th it those ten days, and all the cele-
rites in town fiocked to see it. It
eemed unreal to think of that old ban
er flying over real Moorish battles,
nd Aztecs. and all the rest.
There were also in the museum \old
APPS etc., of the roads leading to the I
Herent missions, made by the Indians,
I'D one thing which fascinated Kenneth /
I'd me, cabinet carved by an old I
an, every bit with pen knife, it was
luarlSh, on long legs ornamented with |
rolls, his name, and verses from the
bile. 1t was divided into two floors
le doll house, and into four rooms, !
one was the Last Supper, the figures
/ carved from wood. sitting around
e table, and tho crude, it was really
like the pictures you see of
e disciples etc. In the other three
ere scenes from Jesus life and the
hole was patient work of long years
Only few houses sprung up around
is mission for many years. and in !;
81 in Sept, a pueblo was formed II
imposed of what they call poblaodores Il
re colonists-recruited by a govern u
from Sonora and Sinaloa, Il
imposed of one European, 70 odd
,anish Americans, Indians and about
.metizos and nlulattoes; fifty years af- II