House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday

Francisco 2.
    25th December
    Lord Thy Nativity. For this Day in the town of David a Saviour has been born unto Thee Who is Christ the Lord.
    Thou sayest Nicolás take up thy strength in Me for the day shall come that I must take thy heft upon My back & go out into the streets. Yes Lord yes yes yes. I fed upon Thee in the Night & still I am full of Thee & have taken no thing other nor shall I this Day & Night.
    A 3d or half attendance Thy 1st Mass & some good Spanish & Sias too tho’ many more afterward. I must think Don De Lay O has not finished Thee or Thou art too late on the way. But his little cedar of Thy Mother is truly a wonderful & holy likeness & favors even His Excellency’s Conquistadora tho’ it is not so big & has not real hair. So Thou wert again this year our Blessed Infant of Prague & Thy Crown suitable I think tho’ it lay in the straw & Thy visitors were Thine own brute creatures. Ynocencía Thine Herald Angel again. San Juanito Thy Father Joseph. Avelino again & Pasqual & Viviano Thy Wise Men. Lupita Thine ass & wiser. Augustín & Francisco Thy lambs who have still the bigness of lambs & the sense. But they sang & I think Thou must have heard no matter Thou hadst been deaf even & I pray fervently Thou were not sleeping!
    I have given Thee over in procession to Domingo Gachupin his house until Epiphany. Mind well Thy Patrons Little One for I am excluded from Thee. Now the chanting & the drums & I have no part of it & I am by myself & tired. I hope Francisco will come in for a little while in the morning.
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    Under the year 1875:
    5th January
    Thy Circumcision. When 8 days were fulfilled for the Circumcision of the Child His Name was called Jesus the Name given Him by the Angel before He was Conceived in the Womb.
    Yesterday late I returned from Cuba & near was thrown down on the way where a rabbit jumped up & I was gone almost to sleep in the cold. So with Tío & he reared & ran & today is worse lame tho’ I did walk with him the remainder. Avenicío Lucero & Jesús Baca did die at Cuba since I was the last time there. María Delgado confesses 9 mortal & 32 venial sins! & wonders exceedingly at the 9 as if they had been miracles.
    I heard today of a strange thing here on the 3d & so went to see a child born to Manuelita & Diego Fragua. It is what is called an albino whiter than any child I have seen before tho’ it had been of the white race. It is dead & raw about its eyes & mouth tho’ otherways hale I think & there is a meager white hair on its headlike an old man & its crying is very little to hear. I advise to baptize this same day & do so at 3 o’clock. It is given a name Juan Reyes.
    Night. As now every night a chill comes on me & I burn against it as I can sleep. I am better in the day but 4 or 5 fits at least & of some duration. I begin now to think much upon my going out in the weather yet Thou hast given me a considerable work. I have no taste but for Thee & take only a little bread & meal in water tho’ Francisco gave me a fine piece of venison which before I liked above mutton or beef.
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    There followed numerous pages in which the entries were composed almost entirely of texts and homilies. Father Olguin passed these by and opened the book to a later place. There was a letter inserted which Fray Nicolás had written to an unnamed person, perhaps a relative. Although he had read the letter and most of the journal once or twice before, Father Olguin saw for the first time that the hand was now changed in certain minute details. Something of its former control was lost, some quality of patience or intent. He took up the letter carefully in his hands and unfolded it. He felt curiously busy with it, as if it were his own creation and he were setting it down as a testament to his faith, to be written and read again at a later time.
    17th. October. 1888
    My dearest brother J. M.,
    You have my best thanks for the books & paper & God in His