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the Virgin Mother for having granted her a happy death as the priest had promised she would for having recited the plea each day. 60 The outstanding social event of their stay in Nacogdoches was an elaborate dinner given by Adolphus Sterne at his home attended by Charles .S. Taylor, Judge Hart, and other prominent citizens. After three busy days, the two missionaries continued their journey to San Augustine. On February 3 they stopped at the Hacienda of Vital Flores, located sixteen miles east. Here they said Mass and baptized seven children before taking to the road again. Late in the afternoon of February 4, they arrived in San Augustine unnoticed, although their coming had been announced in the / 011,mal and A dllJertiser of Alanson Canfield, local Catholic newspaper man. This was due, not to indifference or hostility, but to the fact that they had arrived a day earlier than anticipated. Contrary to their expectations, they were warmly welcomed next day by Catholics and non-Catholics alike and invited to make a public address. Timon took advantage of the op- portunity to preach a three-day mission. The meetings had to be held in the Thespian Hall, which, although it accommodated 500, w:as crowded every day. The Masonic Hall, the largest in town, had been rented by the Methodists who refused to lend or subrent it. Canfield warmly but courteously denounced the act. The magnetic personality of Timon attracted the public as usual and the mission proved a great success. Eight children were baptized, Major George Nixon made a gift of half a league of land, and other citizens donated five or six city sites for a church. To collect funds for a church, a committee, composed of George Nixon, John Thomas, and Donald McDonald, was appointed. Timon subscribed $50 to the fund. They were invited to dine by Colonel Stephen Blount and Major Nixon, who had as guests Canfield, Gould, Patterson and his wife, and Johnson. Timon took leave of Odin on February 8 and started for Natchitoches, Donaldsonville, and Assumption Parish. The parting of the two missionaries was painful. Timon urged Odin to go to New Orleans and rest for a few days, but Odin argued that he had to return to San Antonio. "The great good he knew he could do on the long overland road to Bexar made unshakable his decision to ride back by toilsome degrees." The two faithful companions had toured together over Texas for the last time. It was difficult for Timon 60 Odin tells the incident with classical brevity in his letter to ttienne, April 11, 1841, C. A. T.
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