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And what does that day mean to California and the world? It means that, had it never been, the wonderful Franciscan Missions of California had never risen, standing as they do today, most of them in ruin, but still the most priceless heritage of the Commonwealth. Had that day never come on Presidio Hill with Junipero Serra on his knees, there would have been no Mission San Diego de Alcala in the Mission Valley, no Pala in the mountain valleys, no San Luis Rey, no San Gabriel or Santa Barbara's towers watching above the sea, no San Luis Obispo or Dolores or any of the twenty-one structures that dot El Camino Real*"The King's Highway"between the Harbor of the Sun and the Valley of the Seven Moons; and which to see, untold thousands of travelers make the pilgrimage to California every year.

-John Steven McGroarty

Words: muleteers-one who drives mules; salvos-salutes; presidio-military post; natal-birth; bestowed-arrayed; alternative— choice, other course; elusive-baffling, hard to place; redolent-fragrant; estuary-narrow arm of the sea at the lower end of a river; apprise-inform; swart-dark; elated-exultant; incapacitated-disabled; neophyte-convert; indomitable-unconquerable; help, assistance.

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Questions: Trace on the map the route of the ships and the land parties from La Paz to San Diego; of Portola's search for Monterey, and the discovery of San Francisco Bay. How many missions in all did the Franciscan fathers establish in California? Between what cities of today did they stretch? What is meant by the Harbor of the Sun? Valley of the Seven Moons? Have you seen the Mission Play, written by John Steven McGroarty?

Dramatization: Will the class write the conversation that took place between Father Serra and Governor Portola, when the latter returned to San Diego after his long search for Monterey?

Pleasure Reading:

McGroarty's California: Its History and Romance

Winterburn's Spanish in the Southwest

Bandini's History of California

Hunt's California the Golden

ST. FRANCIS AND THE BIRDS

(The magnificent bay of San Francisco was named for an humble priest who lived in Italy seven centuries ago. Francis of Assisi established an order of priests who vowed to live lives of purity, poverty, and obedience. Five hundred years after the death of St. Francis, one of his greatest followers undertook the work of converting the Indians of California. Since the Franciscan fathers will always be remembered as the builders of the missions of California, this selection is given to enable us to understand and appreciate the gentle founder of the Franciscan brotherhood.)

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EVEN hundred years ago, Francis the gentlest of saints was born in Assisi,* the quaint Umbrian town among the rocks; and for twenty years and more he cherished but one thought, and one desire, and one hope; and these were that he might lead the beautiful and holy and sorrowful life which Jesus lived on earth, and that in every way he might resemble Him in the purity and loveliness of his humanity.

Not to men alone but to all living things on earth and air and water was St. Francis most gracious and loving. They were all his little brothers and sisters, and he forgot them not, still less scorned or slighted them, but spoke to them often and blessed them; and in return they showed him great love and sought to be of his fellowship. He bade his companions keep plots of ground for their little sisters the flowers, and to these lovely and speechless creatures he spoke, with no great fear that they would not understand his words. And all this was a marvelous thing in a cruel time, when human life was accounted of slight worth by fierce barons and ruffling marauders.

For the bees he set honey and wine in the winter, lest they should feel the nip of the cold too keenly; and bread for the birds, that they all, but especially "my brother Lark," should have joy of Christmas tide, and at Rieti* a brood of redbreasts were the guests of the house and raided the tables while the brethren were at meals; and when a youth gave St. Francis the

turtledoves he had snared, the Saint had nests made for them, and there they laid their eggs and hatched them, and fed from the hands of the brethren.

"Why dost thou torment my little brothers the Lambs," he asked of a shepherd, "carrying them bound thus and hanging from a staff, so that they cry piteously?" And in exchange for the lambs he gave the shepherd his cloak. At another time seeing amid a flock of goats one white lamb feeding, he was concerned that he had nothing but his brown robe to offer for it (for it reminded him of our Lord among the Pharisees); but a merchant came up and paid for it and gave it to him, and he took it with him to the city and preached about it so that the hearts of those hearing him were melted. Afterwards the lamb was left in the care of a convent of holy women, and to the Saint's great delight, these wove him a gown of the lamb's innocent wool.

Fain would I tell of the rabbits that took refuge in the folds. of his habit, and of the swifts which flew screaming in their glee while he was preaching; but now it is time to speak of the sermon which he preached to a great multitude of birds in a field by the roadside, when he was on his way to Bevagno.* Down from the trees flew the birds to hear him, and they nestled in the grassy bosom of the field, and listened till he had done. And these were the words he spoke to them :

"Little birds, little sisters mine, much are you holden to God your Creator; and at all times and in every place you ought to praise Him. Freedom He has given you to fly everywhere; and raiment He has given you, double and threefold. More than this, He preserved your kind in the Ark, so that your race might not come to an end. Still more do you owe Him for the element of air, which He has made your portion. Over and above, you sow not, neither do you reap, but God feeds you, and gives you streams and springs for your thirst; the mountains He gives you, and the valleys for your refuge, and the tall trees wherein to build your nests. And because you

can not sew or spin, God takes thought to clothe you, you and your little ones. It must be, then, that your Creator loves you much, since He has granted you so many benefits. Be on your guard then against the sin of ingratitude, and strive always to give God praise."

And when the Saint ceased speaking, the birds made such signs as they might, by spreading their wings and opening their beaks, to show their love and pleasure; and when he had blessed them with the sign of the cross, they sprang up, and singing songs of unspeakable sweetness, away they streamed in a great cross to the four quarters of heaven.

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A MARRIAGE IN EARLY CALIFORNIA (Several books have been written of the days when California belonged to Spain and Mexico. Of all these books none is more interesting and valuable than Richard Henry Dana's Two Years Before the Mast. The author was a young Harvard student, who was obliged to take a vacation in 1834 to overcome eye-strain. So he came around Cape Horn in a sailing-vessel bound for California to buy hides from the rancheros. Mr. Dana had excellent opportunities to see the daily lives of the easy-going, fun-loving Spaniards. His book, written from notes made in a daily journal, gives clear pictures of the early days in California before the Americans seized the country. The following selection describes the festivities attendant upon a marriage in high society at Santa Barbara in 1836.)

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REAT preparations were making on shore for the marriage of our agent, who was to marry Doña Anita. de la Guerra de Noriego, youngest daughter of Don Antonio. Noriego, the grandee of the place, and the head of the first. family in California. Our steward was ashore three days, making pastry and cake, and some of the best of our stores were sent off with him. On the day appointed for the wedding, we took the captain ashore in the gig, and had orders to come for him at night, with leave to go up to the house and see the fandango. Returning on board, we found preparations

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