a convert of the mission-第1节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！







A　CONVERT　OF　THE　MISSION





The　largest　tent　of　the　Tasajara　camp　meeting　was　crowded　to　its

utmost　extent。　　The　excitement　of　that　dense　mass　was　at　its

highest　pitch。　　The　Reverend　Stephen　Masterton；　the　single　erect；

passionate　figure　of　that　confused　medley　of　kneeling　worshipers；

had　reached　the　culminating　pitch　of　his　irresistible　exhortatory

power。　　Sighs　and　groans　were　beginning　to　respond　to　his　appeals；

when　the　reverend　brother　was　seen　to　lurch　heavily　forward　and

fall　to　the　ground。



At　first　the　effect　was　that　of　a　part　of　his　performance；　the

groans　redoubled；　and　twenty　or　thirty　brethren　threw　themselves

prostrate　in　humble　imitation　of　the　preacher。　　But　Sister　Deborah

Stokes；　perhaps　through　some　special　revelation　of　feminine

intuition；　grasped　the　fallen　man；　tore　loose　his　black　silk

necktie；　and　dragged　him　free　of　the　struggling；　frantic　crowd

whose　paroxysms　he　had　just　evoked。　　Howbeit　he　was　pale　and

unconscious；　and　unable　to　continue　the　service。　　Even　the　next

day；　when　he　had　slightly　recovered；　it　was　found　that　any　attempt

to　renew　his　fervid　exhortations　produced　the　same　disastrous

result。



A　council　was　hurriedly　held　by　the　elders。　　In　spite　of　the

energetic　protests　of　Sister　Stokes；　it　was　held　that　the　Lord　〃was

wrestlin'　with　his　sperrit；〃　and　he　was　subjected　to　the　same

extraordinary　treatment　from　the　whole　congregation　that　he　himself

had　applied　to　THEM。　　Propped　up　pale　and　trembling　in　the

〃Mourners'　Bench〃　by　two　brethren；　he　was　〃striven　with；〃　exhorted；

prayed　over；　and　admonished；　until　insensibility　mercifully

succeeded　convulsions。　　Spiritual　therapeutics　having　failed；　he

was　turned　over　to　the　weak　and　carnal　nursing　of　〃womenfolk。〃　　But

after　a　month　of　incapacity　he　was　obliged　to　yield　to　〃the　flesh；〃

and；　in　the　local　dialect；　〃to　use　a　doctor。〃



It　so　chanced　that　the　medical　practitioner　of　the　district　was　a

man　of　large　experience；　of　military　training；　and　plain　speech。

When；　therefore；　he　one　day　found　in　his　surgery　a　man　of　rude

Western　type；　strong…limbed　and　sunburned；　but　trembling；

hesitating　and　neurotic　in　movement；　after　listening　to　his

symptoms　gravely；　he　asked；　abruptly：　〃And　how　much　are　you

drinking　now？〃



〃I　am　a　lifelong　abstainer；〃　stammered　his　patient　in　quivering

indignation。　　But　this　was　followed　by　another　question　so　frankly

appalling　to　the　hearer　that　he　staggered　to　his　feet。



〃I'm　Stephen　Mastertonknown　of　men　as　a　circuit　preacher；　of　the

Northern　California　district；〃　he　thundered〃and　an　enemy　of　the

flesh　in　all　its　forms。〃



〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　responded　Dr。　Duchesne；　grimly；　〃but　as　you

are　suffering　from　excessive　and　repeated　excitation　of　the　nervous

system；　and　the　depression　following　prolonged　artificial

exaltationit　makes　little　difference　whether　the　cause　be

spiritual；　as　long　as　there　is　a　certain　physical　effect　upon　your

BODYwhich　I　believe　you　have　brought　to　me　to　cure。　　Nowas　to

diet？　you　look　all　wrong　there。



〃My　food　is　of　the　simplestI　have　no　hankering　for　fleshpots；〃

responded　the　patient。



〃I　suppose　you　call　saleratus　bread　and　salt　pork　and　flapjacks

SIMPLE？〃　said　the　doctor；　coolly；　〃they　are　COMMON　enough；　and　if

you　were　working　with　your　muscles　instead　of　your　nerves　in　that

frame　of　yours　they　might　not　hurt　you；　but　you　are　suffering　as

much　from　eating　more　than　you　can　digest　as　the　veriest　gourmand。

You　must　stop　all　that。　　Go　down　to　a　quiet　watering…place　for　two

months。〃　。　。　。



〃I　go　to　a　watering…place？〃　interrupted　Masterton；　〃to　the　haunt　of

the　idle；　the　frivolous　and　wantonnever！〃



〃Well；　I'm　not　particular　about　a　'watering…place；'〃　said　the

doctor；　with　a　shrug；　〃although　a　little　idleness　and　frivolity

with　different　food　wouldn't　hurt　youbut　you　must　go　somewhere

and　change　your　habits　and　mode　of　life　COMPLETELY。　　I　will　find

you　some　sleepy　old　Spanish　town　in　the　southern　country　where　you

can　rest　and　diet。　　If　this　is　distasteful　to　you；〃　he　continued；

grimly；　〃you　can　always　call　it　'a　trial。'〃



Stephen　Masterton　may　have　thought　it　so　when；　a　week　later；　he

found　himself　issuing　from　a　rocky　gorge　into　a　rough；　badly　paved；

hilly　street；　which　seemed　to　be　only　a　continuation　of　the

mountain　road　itself。　　It　broadened　suddenly　into　a　square　or

plaza；　flanked　on　each　side　by　an　irregular　row　of　yellowing　adobe

houses；　with　the　inevitable　verandaed　tienda　in　each　corner；　and

the　solitary；　galleried　fonda；　with　a　half…Moorish　archway　leading

into　an　inner　patio　or　courtyard　in　the　center。



The　whole　street　stopped　as　usual　at　the　very　door　of　the　Mission

church；　a　few　hundred　yards　farther　on；　and　under　the　shadow　of　the

two　belfry　towers　at　each　angle　of　the　facade；　as　if　this　were　the

ultima　thule　of　every　traveler。　　But　all　that　the　eye　rested　on　was

ruined；　worn；　and　crumbling。　　The　adobe　houses　were　cracked　by　the

incessant　sunshine　of　the　half…year…long　summer；　or　the　more

intermittent　earthquake　shock；　the　paved　courtyard　of　the　fonda　was

so　uneven　and　sunken　in　the　center　that　the　lumbering　wagon　and

faded　diligencia　stood　on　an　incline；　and　the　mules　with　difficulty

kept　their　footing　while　being　unladen；　the　whitened　plaster　had

fallen　from　the　feet　of　the　two　pillars　that　flanked　the　Mission

doorway；　like　bandages　from　a　gouty　limb；　leaving　the　reddish　core

of　adobe　visible；　there　were　apparently　as　many　broken　tiles　in　the

streets　and　alleys　as　there　were　on　the　heavy　red　roofs　that

everywhere　asserted　themselvesand　even　seemed　to　slide　down　the

crumbling　walls　to　the　ground。　　There　were　hopeless　gaps　in　grille

and　grating　of　doorways　and　windows；　where　the　iron　bars　had

dropped　helplessly　out；　or　were　bent　at　different　angles。　　The

walls　of　the　peaceful　Mission　garden　and　the　warlike　presidio　were

alike　lost　in　the　escalading　vines　or　leveled　by　the　pushing　boughs

of　gnarled　pear　and　olive　trees　that　now　surmounted　them。　　The　dust

lay　thick　and　impalpable　in　hollow　and　gutter；　and　rose　in　little

vapory　clouds　with　a　soft　detonation　at　every　stroke　of　his　horse's

hoofs。　　Over　all　this　dust　and　ruin；　idleness　seemed　to　reign

supreme。　　From　the　velvet…jacketed　figures　lounging　motionless　in

the　shadows　of　the　open　doorwaysso　motionless　that　only　the　lazy

drift　of　cigarette　smoke　betokened　their　breathingto　the

reclining　peons　in　the　shade　of　a　catalpa；　or　the　squatting　Indians

in　the　arroyoall　was　sloth　and　dirt。



The　Rev。　Stephen　Masterton　felt　his　throat　swell　with　his　old

exhortative　indignation。　　A　gaudy　yellow　fan　waved　languidly　in

front　of　a　black　rose…crested　head　at　a　white…curtained　window。　　He

knew　he　was　stifling　with　righteous　wrath；　and　clapped　his　spurs　to

his　horse。



Nevertheless；　in　a　few　days；　by　the　aid　of　a　letter　to　the

innkeeper；　he　was　installed　in　a　dilapidated　adobe　house；　not

unlike　those　he　had　seen；　but　situated　in　the　outskirts　and

overlooking　the　garden　and　part　of　the　refectory　of　the　old

Mission。　　It　had　even　a　small　garden　of　its　ownif　a　strip　of　hot

wall；　overburdened　with　yellow　and　white　roses；　a　dozen　straggling

callas；　a　bank　of　heliotrope；　and　an　almond　tree　could　be　called　a

garden。　　It　had　an　open　doorway；　but　so　heavily　recessed　in　the

thick　walls　that　it　preserved　seclusion；　a　sitting…room；　and　an

alcoved　bedroom　with　deep　embrasured　windows　that　however　excluded

the　unwinking　sunlight　and　kept　an　even　monotone　of　shade。



Strange　to　say；　he　found　it　cool；　restful；　and；　in　spite　of　the

dust；　absolutely　clean；　and；　but　for　the　scent　of　heliotrope；

entirely　inodorous。　　The　dry　air　seemed　to　dissipate　all　noxious

emanations　and　decaythe　very　dust　itself　in　its　fine

impalpability　was　volatile　with　a　spicelike　piquancy；　and　left　no

stain。



A　wrinkled　Indian　woman；　brown　and　veined　like　a　tobacco　leaf；

ministered　to　his　simple　wants。　　But　these　wants　had　also　been

regulated　by　Dr。　Duchesne。　　He　found　himself；　with　some　grave

doubts　of　his　effeminacy；　breakfasting　on　a　single　cup　of　chocolate

instead　of　his　usual　bowl　of　molasses…sweetened　coffee；　crumbling　a

crisp　tortilla　instead　of　the　heavy　saleratus　bread；　greasy

flapjack；　or　the　lard…fried　steak；　and；　more　wonderful　still；

completing　his　repast　with　purple　grapes　from　the　Mission　wall。　　He

could　not　deny　that　it　was　simplethat　it　was　even　refreshing　and

consistent　with　the　climate　and　his　surroundings。　　On　the　other

hand；　it　was　the　frugal　diet　of　the　commonest　peasantand　were　not

those　peons　slothful　idolaters？



At　the　end　of　the　weekhis　correspondence　being　also　restricted　by

his　doctor　to　a　few　lines　to　himself　regarding　his　progresshe

wrote　to　that　adviser：



〃The　trembling　and　unquiet　has　almost　ceased；　I　have　less　nightly

turmoil　and　visions；　my　carnal　appetite　seems　to　be　amply　mollified

and　soothed　by　these　viands；　whatever　may　be　their　ultimate　effect

upon　the　weakness　of　our　common