For at a
mission not only friends of the Fathers and persons of standing, but
every wayfarer whoever he might be "found warmth and plenty" as long as
he chose to remain under their blessed shelter. And so great was mission
hospitality that a pile of silver was laid in the bedroom of a guest to
be taken by him or left as he saw fit; of course no well bred guest who
was not in need would impose on the holy Fathers' generosity, but it was
their delicate way of assisting an unfortunate pilgrim who might be in
need. The missions too, were the centers of important gatherings and
peaceful rendezvous of persons of social standing, even after the first
two Acts of Secularization had been passed in after years. But these
noble entertainment's, wealth of luscious fruits, golden sheaves,
luxuriant pastures and fleecy lambs, were as the least gifts of these
matchless institutions, for we can never exaggerate the marvels wrought
for the betterment of the heathen natives, or the fairer fruits of the
countless heroic virtues practiced within these enclosures. The Indians
clung to the Fathers like little children to their parents, and from the
vices of paganism, under a healthy and kind rule drawn for them by the
wise Fathers, christian virtues took a deep root in at least a great
many of these poor "children of the soil" and so great was the care
exercised by the Fathers that nightly they would make a round of the
rooms allotted to every christian and neophyte Indian family to see that
order and decency reigned in each group; for we must remember these
souls were but recently rescued from the dark sins of heathenism.
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