Summary

Identical male twins, newborn babies of unknown parentage, were left in a receptacle for unwanted babies at the door of the Santa María Rosa de las Rosas Convent. They were probably of Spanish heritage, and were therefore given the names of Esteban and Manuel.

Although the Abbess, Madre María del Pilar, hated all men, she grew to love these boys whom she spoiled and kept around the convent longer than was proper. They were at first employed in general chores at the different churches to assist the sacristans, then later they assisted the priests in their parish duties, and later still became famous as scribes, handwriting documents in an era when there were no printing presses.

Always together, nearly always silent, habitually in the company of women, the twins developed their unique language to state only what was necessary to each other, and a...