登陆注册
5436600000100

第100章 XVIII(4)

"But, Alessandro," continued Ramona, "were there really bad men at the other Missions? Surely not the Franciscan Fathers?"

"Perhaps not the Fathers themselves, but the men under them. It was too much power, Majella. When my father has told me how it was, it has seemed to me I should not have liked to be as he was. It is not right that one man should have so much power. There was one at the San Gabriel Mission; he was an Indian. He had been set over the rest; and when a whole band of them ran away one time, and went back into the mountains, he went after them; and he brought back a piece of each man's ear; the pieces were strung on a string; and he laughed, and said that was to know them by again,--by their clipped ears. An old woman, a Gabrieleno, who came over to Temecula, told me she saw that. She lived at the Mission herself. The Indians did not all want to come to the Missions; some of them preferred to stay in the woods, and live as they always had lived; and I think they had a right to do that if they preferred, Majella. It was stupid of them to stay and be like beasts, and not know anything; but do you not think they had the right?"

"It is the command to preach the gospel to every creature," replied the pious Ramona. "That is what Father Salvierderra said was the reason the Franciscans came here. I think they ought to have made the Indians listen. But that was dreadful about the ears, Alessandro. Do you believe it?"

"The old woman laughed when she told it," he answered. "She said it was a joke; so I think it was true. I know I would have killed the man who tried to crop my ears that way."

"Did you ever tell that to Father Salvierderra?" asked Ramona.

"No, Majella. It would not be polite," said Alessandro.

"Well, I don't believe it," replied Ramona, in a relieved tone. "I don't believe any Franciscan ever could have permitted such things."

The great red light in the light-house tower had again blazed out, and had been some time burning before Alessandro thought it prudent to resume their journey. The road on which they must go into old San Diego, where Father Gaspara lived, was the public road from San Diego to San Luis Rey, and they were almost sure to meet travellers on it.

But their fleet horses bore them so well, that it was not late when they reached the town. Father Gaspara's house was at the end of a long, low adobe building, which had served no mean purpose in the old Presidio days, but was now fallen into decay; and all its rooms except those occupied by the Father, had been long uninhabited. On the opposite side of the way, in a neglected, weedy open, stood his chapel,-- a poverty-stricken little place, its walls imperfectly whitewashed, decorated by a few coarse pictures and by broken sconces of looking-glass, rescued in their dilapidated condition from the Mission buildings, now gone utterly to ruin. In these had been put handle-holders of common tin, in which a few cheap candles dimly lighted the room. Everything about it was in unison with the atmosphere of the place,-- the most profoundly melancholy in all Southern California. Here was the spot where that grand old Franciscan, Padre Junipero Serra, began his work, full of the devout and ardent purpose to reclaim the wilderness and its peoples to his country and his Church; on this very beach he went up and down for those first terrible weeks, nursing the sick, praying with the dying, and burying the dead, from the pestilence-stricken Mexican ships lying in the harbor.

Here he baptized his first Indian converts, and founded his first Mission. And the only traces now remaining of his heroic labors and hard-won successes were a pile of crumbling ruins, a few old olive-trees and palms; in less than another century even these would be gone; returned into the keeping of that mother, the earth, who puts no head-stones at the sacredest of her graves.

Father Gaspara had been for many years at San Diego. Although not a Franciscan, having, indeed, no especial love for the order, he had been from the first deeply impressed by the holy associations of the place. He had a nature at once fiery and poetic; there were but three things he could have been,-- a soldier, a poet, or a priest.

同类推荐
  • 明伦汇编官常典翰林院部

    明伦汇编官常典翰林院部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 西湖佳话

    西湖佳话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 听秋声馆词话

    听秋声馆词话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 混唐后传

    混唐后传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 外科心法要诀

    外科心法要诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 科学家论语

    科学家论语

    中共中央文献研究室《文献与研究》编辑部自2007年以来,以“世事评忆”为题,陆续编发了我国一些著名科学家的有关论语,引起读者的高度关注。这些科学家人都亲历了中国近现代目前许多重大事件,对20世纪中国历史进程中旧与新、落后与进步、曲折与胜利等有切实的感受和对比。因此,他们在评忆、论语中对新中国、中国共产党、中国社会主义的认识,对中国知识分子、中国科学家的责任的看法,对人生目的和价值的思考等,有其独到和深刻之处。为此,我们将李四光、华罗庚、杨振宁、李政道、钱学森、钱伟长、袁隆平等人的评忆内容,以《科学家论语》为名,结集出版。
  • Masterman Ready

    Masterman Ready

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 地府有个女青天

    地府有个女青天

    传说,地府判官长得凶神恶煞,威风凛凛。凡来报道的鬼魂,先经孽镜台前映照,显明善恶,区分好坏,在六道轮回,或登天成仙,或投胎成人,或贬为牲口;罪重者送往十八层地狱...“至从崔判官飞升上仙后,新任判官考察功绩更加严格了。”牛头一脸担忧。马面毫不在意:“咱哥俩无论在人间还是地府都是有声望的,谁能不给咱俩面子?”次日,鬼差送入判书一张:“牛头马面夜晚街头醉酒调戏孟婆,证据确凿,判处清扫奈何桥两百年。”
  • 刺客

    刺客

    《刺客》是刘猛的一部公安题材的军事小说。国际能源论坛将在滨海市举行年度会议,美国ZTZ集团总裁何世昌亲率集团高层人士前来参加会议。却有人在紧紧盯着他,想置他于死地。滨海市城西阳光公寓内一孕妇死于枪击,追查线索直指公安特警——狙击手韩光。韩光一夜之间从英雄“刺客”沦为“逃犯”,全城通缉,但实则是临危受命,全力以赴捣毁雇佣兵组织。他一边战斗,一边逃亡,从接受任务的那一刻起,早将生死置之度外,因为“刺客”这一称号是一种荣誉,为了一句承诺,赴汤蹈火在所不惜。
  • 女儿国的奴隶

    女儿国的奴隶

    如果能实现你一次去旅行的愿望,你想去哪里?作为资深宅男必选“女儿国”。要远离这个拜金的社会,去那里享受美女们的热情……他有幸地穿越到了女儿国。对于一名屌丝,本应是天大的福利,不料在这女权的国度中,在这女尊男卑的世道开始了自己的被奴隶之路。千里之路,始于足下;逆袭之路,死于足下;男儿之路正待人引领,是崛起或是沦落……
  • 与共和国一起走来

    与共和国一起走来

    人间正道是沧桑,换了人间。过去了的历史,挥间即逝,不再回来;过去了的历史又刻骨铭心,呼之欲出,不能忘记。人民生死存亡,国家成败兴衰,莫此为大。面对百年沧海桑田,每一个人每每忆起不能忘却的那一年、那个人、那些事,都会历历在目,感慨万千。“既包含着大量赏心悦目的喜事,也有辛酸、泪水与困惑”,有道不完的苦辣酸甜。这是13亿中国人中间一个老年特别人群所涌起的与众不同的特别感受。
  • 爱上了邻家哥哥

    爱上了邻家哥哥

    一直以来,在曹心玥的心里,林叙是钢琴老师,是邻家哥哥,是男朋友······她不清楚,她也不想清楚。她知道林叙喜欢她,她没有拒绝却也没有接受,只是贪心地依赖着他给自己带来的温暖。可是心玥忘了,短暂的幸福竟让她忘了他们之间是多么地不同。我从来不敢和你一起憧憬未来,我怕我的未来里没有你。有谁会用四年的时间去等一个离开的人,又有谁会在独自离开四年之后还依然想回头找原来的那个人,再回首,我们都已不再是原来的样子。
  • 快穿成神攻略

    快穿成神攻略

    ——听闻校草哥哥性格温润,适合谈恋爱?当亲眼看到校草一挑十眼睛不带眨一下,并且轻松获胜时,顾云辞:……“打扰了,告辞。”——听闻国师大人风华绝代,翩翩少年,不如嫁了?后来,他造反了。女扮男装小皇帝顾云辞:……“兄弟牛掰,哦不求放过!”——听闻娱乐男神绝世容颜,千年难得,可以处个对象?哦谢特男主又被演死了。金牌编剧顾云辞:……“抱歉,你不太适合我的剧本。”——听闻丧尸王有点小呆萌,喜欢小可爱,联姻走一波?丧尸王一拳捏爆下属的脑阔,哦难搞。救世主顾云辞:……“那啥,不爆头可以不?”#这个坑货系统总让我谈恋爱##我跟黑化大佬的一百种死法#
  • 专情首席不爱我

    专情首席不爱我

    她,相貌平平,他,赫赫有名的珠宝世家继承人,才貌双全,平凡女却对他一见钟情,从此扛上首席绝不罢手!
  • 挫折·走出困境的智慧

    挫折·走出困境的智慧

    “顺境不一定全都是好事,逆境也未必都是坏事!”这样的诠释用来形容挫折怕是再恰当不过了。如果非要对挫折的正面意义再来一个更为精确的阐释的话,再也没有什么比“越挫越勇”这个成语更为适合的了。挫折不一定只能带给我们困苦和疼痛,相反,它可能会给我们带来其他一些意想不到的正能量,比如认识到勇气和坚持的可贵,并学会在以后的困境中勇敢地去面对它们。