la and others. And the following
sweet legend is told of Padre Sarria. As the Indian carriers lowered the
humble redwood coffin which contained the Father's precious remains into
the mission vaults, the edifice was filled with an exquisite fragrance
as of roses, and this story told with all earnestness was given much
credence about the mission towns. While not authenticated by infallible
investigation, may not this incident be classed at least as a
probability by the spiritual minded? For is it not in the power of the
God of the beautiful in nature to proclaim thus His appreciation for
the heroic charity of one of His servants, especially to strengthen the
faith of the sorely tried convert Indians who clung so lovingly to the
mission in the days of its trials?

Father Junipero Serra's Promise

One beautiful summer day while walking about the San Carlos Mission
Garden, Junipero Serra pondered over the wonderful progress of
California both in the spiritual and material order; filled with joy the
good priest blessed the land, and made a solemn promise to celebrate
one hundred masses for the future peace and prosperity of California,
moreover he promised to begin the fulfillment of his promise on the
following November, twenty-fourth, feast of Saint Charles, the patron
saint of the mission. Soon after, the venerable Serra was overtaken
by his last illness and went to his reward before November, the
twenty-fourth. But every year on the eve of the feast of Saint Charles
just before midnight a ghostly procession wended its way to San Carlos
Mission, for all the missionaries, Spaniards, or their descendants who
had ever lived in California would arise from their graves and with
them all the Christian Indians of the mission towns joined the "ghostly
throng" to San Carlos where Junipero Serra would arise from his tomb and
celebrate mass while the spirits sang their ancient hymns, after which
all the scene vanished like silver fumes of smoke, and this continued
for one hundred years. This most unlikely legend has been told in
beautiful Spanish and English poetry, and for all its unlikelihood has
found its way with its weird charm into many homes.

A True Story

Somewhere in the eighteen fifties a non-catholic of very irreligious
character, made targets of the eyes of a statue of Saint Benedict,
belonging to San Carlos Mission, taking advantage of the neglected
condition of the place at the time. A few days afte