The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-03-20

IL NA-6H' * OllSHteu plaCesJ WutresOSEer you LnaN
Ye look away from earthland, and ye murmur
Where is homer"
Homeless hearts God is home.
THE BELLE OF MONTEREY.
The Monterey of twenty-five years
J ago was a vastly different town from the
Monterey of to-day. The silent streets,
: now the almost exclusive property OF
geese, COWS, and nomadic hogs, then
! echoed to the ringing hoofs of the gai-
lay attired c0baLLerO'S horse: the uni
form of the English and American naval
officer contrasted with the staid black
mantilla of the pretty senOrit1; the
guitar tinkled on moonlit nights under
the lattice of the dark-eyed belle; and
the romance of Spanish life mingled
with the hustle and activity of a pros
porous sea- port town. Now, an unten-
anted harbor, mass of half-ruined, un-
occupied buildings, and drowsy air of
neglect and indifference, constitute the
modern Monterey. Still, the roses and
the tall hollyhocks cling lovingly to the
adobe walls, and peep in through the
low windows but the blushing, olive
checked girls that offered them to the
lounging wooers at the garden gates
twenty-five years ago have grown into
dowdy matrons, wrinkled by family
cares, whose margin is washed by the
spring-tides, which, knowing no change,
murmur yet as of old on the crescent
beach.
With all its dreary somnolence, there
| is a charm about the old town, sitting
like some sad widow by the sea, mourn
| ing the commerce which has deserted
her, and yet, in all her grief, Enoch Ar
den like, hoping and waiting for sail,
| and seeing
The great stars that globed themselves in heaven,
| The MISUNDERSTANDING ocean, and again
| The scarlet shafts of sunrise-but no sail.
Slowly in the bay sunk the evening
| sun on the Oath of December, 1948
| Across the waters streamed its last gold
en- and purple rays, glistening on the
wet sands, tenderly shimmering through
the branches of the oak that stood in
the old Spanish graveyard, and disap-
pearipg among the pines that sentineled
the hill-tops in the background.
Maria Ignacia Gomez, as the a11geluS
| bell rung out from the Mission church,
crossed herself devoutly, for a moment
neglecting the rose vine that climbed to
! the red-tiled roof of her low, long
| dwelling. And as she stood in the gar
den, with crossed hands and large brown
| eyes uplifted, her black shawl dropping
from her graceful shoulders, and her
red lips moving in prayer, painter
could desire no better model for Ma
donna or an Evangeline, for the face
had all the sweetness of the one, with
the resigned expression of patient wait
ing of the other. A sour looking,
quel ulnus looking face appeared at the
deep window.
Come here, Maria; it's supper
time"
eyes, Madre mia :" and Maria, secur-
ing the cratic vine TO a nail in the adobe
wall, entered the house.
Ten years before the date of our sto
ry, when Maria's sweet womanhood was
at its dawn, for many mile rode in the
youth of the southern country to catch
| a glimpse of and exchange word with
the belle of Monterey. A rosebud from
her fingers was rare gift, to be care
! fully preserved and worn with pride,
and kind glance from her brown eyes
sent the recipient back to his rancho on
| the Salinas happy man Never cloud
| rested on that calm, earnest face, nor
passion found moments harbor in her
| breast.
| But at last her sorrow came, in this
Delight furled her canvas and dropped
her anchor in the bay of Monterey. She
was owned by the great Hudson's Bay
company, and was bound north to drain
the posts of the company, on the Frazer
and Columbia rivers, of the valuable
furs which lay in their store-houses.
The supercargo of the Delight, James
Gilmour, was a son of the Vice-p -presi-
dent of this opulent corporation, and
showing a positive disinclination for
each and all of the learned professions,
and expressing a hearty contempt for
the humdrum life of Europe, h d been
sent by his father to the Pacific shores,
to drink his fill of the adventures for
which he thirsted. He was youth of
a singular force of character, very un-
demonstrative, and possessing some de-
cided opinions Of the diLCttG'ate which |
had won ssfor him in his university days |
the title of the Radical. The unani-
nous verdict of the jury of old wise |
heads to whom Gilmour, senior, had |
appealed for an opinion of his sons |
character, was that James was talented |
but odd-an eccentric young man, in |
fact-who, unless travel tempered him |
down, would never be al acquisition to |
the merchant Office within whose dusty |
precincts his father had amassed a |
bulky fortune. So James found him |
self aboard the Delight, anchored in the !
Bay of Monterey, and, though nomi-
nally supercargo, really in that tangled |
maze of young man in pursuit of a |
vocation.
"Captain Brown" said Gilmour, af- |
ter that worthy seaman had squared the |
yards to his satisfaction, got his fancy |
go II %
spected the fitting on of the good |
clothes, which merchant vessel dons |
in port" do you know any of the in
habitants of this dd-looking village on
the hillside ?"
Village = Mr.. Gilmour. pray you |
you don't cali this a village This is
city, sir-the first city in California
and if I mistake not" continued the |
captain, "yonder at the custom house
stands the GLcGlde, hospitable gentle |
man to whom our company is indebted |
for many favors."
A few moments afterward, both !
speakers were heartily greeted by that |
official, who, as the boats keel grated |
on the sand, welcomed them to Mon |
terey.
Among the many young and pretty |
Spanish girls whom Gilmour met in |
Monterey was Maria Ignacia. A spirit |
of rivalry induced him to throw him.
self into the list with the Spanish gal |
lants who strove for the fair Maria's |
smiles. He was more than successful. |
The difference of his manner, his re-
citals of adventure in Europe, and de- |
scriptions of the grand places of histo-
~, were something so novel to Maria,
so totally different from the stereotyped |
compliments of her wooers, that she
found a charm in his society which, in
her innocence, she cared not to conceal
But the end came at last. The Delight
UaS To TEOppa1 mort tbuor1 and tho