A Napa Christchild; and Benicias Letters | Page 6

sudden and unlooked for."
Crescimir was not hurt and was able to walk slowly to the house. Jovita
walked by his side, leading her horse, while the Christchild sat quietly
in the saddle, nodding his head and winking like any sleepy child of
this mortal world.
Both Crescimir and Jovita were silent during the walk, but their eyes
often met, and Jovita would blush as she thought of her strange freak
with the flowers and finding that the receiver was by no means the old
man she had imagined him to be.
Crescimir was happy to think that he had not left his gifts
unappreciated and only regretted that he had not put whole pumpkins
there instead of onions.
"So you have no idea to whom the child belongs?" asked Jovita, as they
neared the house. "He is strangely dressed and the frock is of an
unfamiliar texture; he does not seem cold either, although he is so
lightly clad. We must try to find his parents who, doubtless, are now
anxiously searching for him or believing him drowned in last night's
awful flood."
The strange little creature seemed now entirely to lose his sleepiness

and broke into a merry laugh, sliding down from the saddle he capered
madly around the two astonished spectators like a little elf blown about
by the wind, his golden hair floating around him and the pink, little feet
scarcely seeming to touch the grass.
"There has been a number of campers passing through the valley to
settle north on the Caymus ranchos, this little sprite must be one of
their children who has strayed away," said Jovita.
"Come little one, let us go into the house and have our breakfast."
The Christchild did not seem to understand her, for he continued his
capering and wild antics.
"Stop, stop," exclaimed Crescimir in his native tongue, "stop and listen
to what the beautiful Señorita says to thee. Come now into the house."
He ceased his play immediately and went before them up to the door,
with tears in his eyes on account of Crescimir's rebuke. As they reached
the veranda Crescimir caught the little elf up in his arms and kissed his
rosy lips; the moment the child's feet touched the ground when
Crescimir put him down, he put his hand over his mouth as if to keep
the kiss warm and running to Jovita, she lifted him in her arms, as he
signed her to do, when suddenly withdrawing his hand, he kissed her,
looking back significantly and laughing.
Both Jovita and Crescimir knew what the child had intended to express
and both blushed consciously, yet could but marvel at the acuteness of
the little creature who so soon was able to read their hearts, even before
they had perfectly known them themselves.
The mother of Jovita now came to the door and inviting them into the
living room, the events of the past night were related and all that was
known of the little waif.
Crescimir spent the day by the river searching for what might have
been left on the banks by the flood. He learned that his raft had been
carried out of the stream through a break in the bank, and much of the

wreckage of his own house with it. Returning to the hacienda he
discovered in a clump of bushes, over which the water had run when at
its highest mark, the bodies of a man and woman entangled in the
canvas cover of a camp wagon. It was evident to Crescimir from their
dress that they were German emigrants.
With the help of some of the rancheros the bodies were carried to the
house.
"They may be the parents of the little one," said Jovita's mother. "We
will bring him here and see if he recognizes them; it seems cruel but it
is the only way."
They brought the Christchild to the room where the bodies lay. When
the little fellow saw them, he clung to Crescimir and uttering a
moaning sound, yet seeming half like a laugh, he hid his eyes and
would not look again.
"Are these thy parents little one?" asked Crescimir tenderly; the
Christchild shook his head negatively and broke into hysterical sobs.
Though the Christchild had denied that these were the bodies of his
parents, both Jovita, her mother and Crescimir felt certain that they
were.
Crescimir remained that night at the Tulucay hacienda and early next
morning the bodies were taken to the village and given burial in
consecrated ground, as the cross which the woman wore and a medal of
silver which the man carried showed them to be of the true church.
After the burial Crescimir returned to the rancheria. "I will be thy father
now, little Christchild," said he as they