The Story of the Innumerable Company

The Story of the Innumerable
Company

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Story of the Innumerable
Company, and
Other Sketches, by David Starr Jordan This eBook is for the use of
anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.
You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project
Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.org
Title: The Story of the Innumerable Company, and Other Sketches
Author: David Starr Jordan
Release Date: May 28, 2006 [EBook #18462]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
STORY OF THE INNUMERABLE ***

Produced by Al Haines

THE STORY OF THE INNUMERABLE COMPANY, AND OTHER
SKETCHES

BY
DAVID STARR JORDAN

PRESIDENT OF LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY

SAN FRANCISCO
THE WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY (INCORPORATED)
1896

COPYRIGHT, 1896,
BY
DAVID STARR JORDAN

TO MY WIFE,
JESSIE KNIGHT JORDAN.

PREFATORY NOTE.
This volume is made up of separate sketches, historical or allegorical,
having in some degree a bond of union in the idea of "the higher
sacrifice."
I am under obligations to Professor William R. Dudley for the use of a
photograph of a record of Father Serra. This was secured through the
kindness of the late Father Casanova, of Monterey.

PALO ALTO, CAL., June 1, 1896.

CONTENTS.
THE STORY OF THE INNUMERABLE COMPANY THIS STORY
OF THE PASSION THE CALIFORNIA OF THE PADRE THE
CONQUEST OF JUPITER PEN THE LAST OF THE PURITANS A
KNIGHT OF THE ORDER OF POETS NATURE-STUDY AND
MORAL CULTURE THE HIGHER SACRIFICE THE BUBBLES OF
SÁKI

ILLUSTRATIONS.
Peter Rendl as Saint John
Johann Zwink as Judas
Rosa Lang as Mary
"Ecce Homo!"
A Record of Junípero Serra
Mission of San Antonio de Pádua
Mission of San Antonio de Pádua--Interior of Chapel
Mission of San Antonio de Pádua--Side of Chapel, with the Old
Pear-trees
The Great Saint Bernard
Hospice of the Great Saint Bernard
Hospice of the Great Saint Bernard--in Winter

Jupitère (Great Saint Bernard Dog)
Monks of the Great Saint Bernard
Saint Bernard and the Demon
John Brown
The John Brown Homestead, North Elba, N. Y.
John Brown's Grave
Ulrich Von Hutten
Ulrich Zwingli

Men told me, Lord, it was a vale of tears Where Thou hast placed me,
wickedness and woe My twain companions whereso I might go; That I
through ten and threescore weary years Should stumble on beset by
pains and fears, Fierce conflict round me, passions hot within,
Enjoyment brief and fatal but in sin. When all was ended then should I
demand Full compensation from thine austere hand: For, 'tis thy
pleasure, all temptation past, To be not just but generous at last.
Lord, here am I, my threescore years and ten All counted to the full;
I've fought thy fight, Crossed thy dark valleys, scaled thy rocks' harsh
height, Borne all the burdens Thou dost lay on men With hand
unsparing threescore years and ten. Before Thee now I make my claim,
O Lord,-- What shall I pray Thee as a meet reward?
I ask for nothing. Let the balance fall! All that I am or know or may
confess But swells the weight of mine indebtedness; Burdens and
sorrows stand transfigured all; Thy hand's rude buffet turns to a caress,
For Love, with all the rest. Thou gavest me here, And Love is Heaven's
very atmosphere, Lo, I have dwelt with Thee, Lord. Let me die. I could
no more through all eternity.

THE STORY OF THE INNUMERABLE COMPANY.
There was once a great mountain which rose from the shore of the sea,
and on its flanks it bore a mighty forest. Beyond the crest of the
mountain were ridges and valleys, peaks and chasms, springs and
torrents. Farther on lay a sandy desert, which stretched its monotonous
breadth to the shore of a wide, swift river. What lay beyond the river no
one knew, because its shores were always hid in azure mist.
Year by year there came up from the shore of the sea an Innumerable
Company. Each one must cross the mountain and the forest, faring
onward toward the desert and the river. And this was one condition of
the journey--that whosoever came to the river must breast its waters
alone. Why this was so, no one could tell; nor did any one know aught
of the land beyond. For of the multitude who had crossed the river not
one had ever returned.
As time went on there came to be paths through the forest. Those who
went first left traces to serve as guides for those coming after. Some put
marks on the trees; some built little cairns of stones to show the way
they had taken in going around great rocks. Those