The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-01-04
Legenaof the Montecito Grape Vine.
THE CARRIER BOY.

Legen1of the Montecito Grape Vine.
Nestled between the Handicapped mountains
and the sea, in the sunny Regions of southern
California, lies the beautiful town of Santa Bar.
bsra. Here, through the long winter months,
the sir is mild ard balmy. and the hills arc rich
with verdure. Pepper and scaciA.trees ui"g
the grace of their perennial foliage with that Of
the sturdy live oak and the dark.leaved olive,
| all the year round; while flowers, beth wild and
cultivated, bloom in unLounded profusion.
Santa Barbara claims to be one Of tie most
favorable spots on the globe to he rlthfulness,
the geninlity of its climate, and the beauty and
produc:ivensss OF It's semi.tropcal vegetation.
Differing frrm the Neapolit.ns, the Santa Barba.
rians say. "See Santa Barbra aud live.'
About four miles from the town, in the valley
of Montecito grows 'he now famous grape vine
| one Of the wonders for the tourist III southern
California. II il the nrlt-t on record. Il
| measures four feet four inches in circumference
| ut the ground, forty .one inches two fee. from
the ground, and rises eight feet before tranchin.
| out; then, spreading with extreme luxuriauoe,
| its branches cover more than five thousand
rquare feet and are supported by ffty.two trel
Uses. The largest branch is thirty inches IN
| circumference, and. we're it not for rigid prun-
| ing, the branches would extend Indefinitely in
every direction. 1t is Of the Mission variety
and exceedingly prolific, producing Annually
| from five to six tons of grapes, which hang in
massive clusters beneath the trellses, the feet
] OF which, in the mellow autumn.time, excite-
| admiration aud wonder. 1t 4 claimed that it
has produced 1900 punches of grapes, varying
from ono to four pounds IN weight each. Il
bean was put into vase for each bunch plucked
until the beans numbered 1000 1t grows on a
sunny slope of the foot. hills, comm ,nding n fine
view of the rugged mountains in one direction,
and in the other the lovely Monticello valley,
with elimpses of the blue Pacific. The vine il
| irrigated by water from the hot springs few
m les distant; and the country about the vine
! IA very beautiful and Mexican in its natural and
artificial surroundings.
There is u tradition connected with the orr.
gin OF this vine wish to record. Seventy
years ago, during the occupancy of the Mission
! Fathers, there lived il the vicinity of Los An.
gelos beautiful young Spanish girl. Nearly
all Spanish girls, while in the bloom and fresh.
| ness of youth, possess more or less OF their u.s..
tional cast Of beauty; but the Senorita Marcel.
lima had, from childhood, been the acknowl.
| edged queen among the IN tideus of her native
place. Her complexion, tinged with the warm,
| brunette hue OF her race, was clear and brig ht
with the rich tint of health. Her wealth Of
black hair fell in rippling waves far below her
| waist; and her l~rge, dark eyes We're irir ged
! with silken la.hes that matched the exquisite
| penc,lihg of the .rched brows above them. Her
parents, though belonging to the better class OF
Spanish. had become poor, through extravaganza
and msmansgemeu', and had formed the pro-
ject Of lettering their fortunes by Wedding theil
| daughter to some wealthy Don.
The lovely Marcellna did not lack for ad
mirers nor ardent lovers, and among them all
Senior Carlos de Domingues was the favorite and
accepted sutton He was handsome, tall and
manly, but alas! without fortune. and socially
not the equal Of Marcellina. As may be sup
posed, his suit met with no encouragement from
the Don and Dona Felix and they, finding the
attachment between the young people was be
coming stronger than accorded with their plan,
for their daughter, resolved to remove to SAINT,
Barbara mission some hundred miles north
where resided many wealthy families anon.
| whom they doubted not au alliance would b.
formed suitable in fortune and position.
The announcement of their contemplated
removal struck dismay TO the hearts of Marcel
lima ~nd Carlos but the latter, receiving cour
age from desperation, presented his suit to tn
parents. A was anticipated, it was soornfull
rejected, and further intercourse sternly forbid
den. The lovers were, however, too ardent I
be separated thus, and through the medium O
an old Indian nurse, who was devotedly IL,
tached to the girl, they obtained one intervie,
Store parting.
In the early twilight, Marcelina stole out
an olive orchard, surrounded by an ddoje wal
which Ia, back Of the paternal mansion. Her
she stood, waiting with tbrotbing he irt the u,
rival Of her lover, while her nurse kept waite
on the other side of the wall, ready to give tn
alarm, by signal agreed upon, should any on
approach from the house. Already the shadow
Law dark tene tn the thick, low branches Of III
olive trees, and at every rustic and sound III
fair transaressor started and rembled Sudde,
ly tall figure sprang over the wall, and creI
stealthily along its shadow, till he came clo'
TO where the waiting maiden stood "Csrlos
she cried, holding out her trembling hands. a.
1t you, M,rcellinaY All, poor little one, no
she trembles! They hre very cruel, dirlin
but we shall not be separated They shall nj
take you from me, my precious one
And then no spoke long, low and rapidly
beautiful Spanish lansuaye-so sxquisitely Fl