record of baptisms kept in the tall sheepskin volume in the Father's
closet.

So useful and diligent was the boy that the Father soon took him to be
his own body servant, and many an hour did Te--filo pass handling with
religious care the sacred vessels and vestments and books in the
sacristy and in the Father's rooms. One day the Father noticed with
displeasure that on the blank flyleaf of his best illuminated missal,
lately sent to him by a friend in his old college at Cordoba, in Spain,
there were some rough drawings in red and blue. Evidently the person who
had drawn them had tried to obliterate his work, but had only partly
succeeded. The Father could not help noticing, however, that, crude as
were the formal floral designs and sacred emblems that had been copied
by the culprit from the emblazoned letterings and chapter headings of
the missal, the work showed undoubted taste and talent; and this gave
him an idea. Why should he not adorn with frescoes, in color, the
cornices, and perhaps even the dome, of the new church? It would be a
notable addition, and would give a finishing touch to the beauty of the
building, if it could be done. And here, evidently, was a hand that
might be trained to do it--the hand, probably, of his favorite,
Te--filo, for he alone had access to the book-shelves in the Father's
room.

So when next he saw the boy he asked, "Te--filo, who has been drawing in
my new missal?" The boy hung his head, and the Father, taking his
silence as an admission of guilt, added, "That was wrong of you,
Te--filo, and I must give you some penance to remind you not to do such
mischief again. Do you know, boy, what that book is worth? Not less than
twenty pesos, Te--filo, or even more. That is one year's wages of Agust'n
the mayordomo, so you can see such things must be left alone. But come