Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-08-30
"ZOE ZELLA."
On the -DisappOintment- - Coed
Advice to Girls-MOre Oceanic Rhap-
sOdism-Walks and Talks.

EDITOR HERALD:-Last Saturday af-
ternoon about three o'clock found us in
that "dainty ambulance on the road
to Santa Monica. We hurried impa-
tiently forward over the first nine
miles, when, you can just imagine our
chagrin and disappointment; we were
compelled to acknowledge the fact
that "Lou Louis'' and the "burros''
had failed to keep their promised ap-
pointment.
What use to us then was the draw
ing paper and pencil, we had kept in
such readiness to make the first sketch
Of our literary friend? We crammed
them down into our pockets, and as
we proceeded on our journey, mused
thoughtfully upon the want of stabili-
ty in the human race. If "Lou
Louis" non appearance at the Half
way House had been our only disap-
pointment, we might possibly have
yielded to the soothing influence Of
the ocean breeze, GAS it kissed from
our foreheads the furrows of care;n
and brought us
OLD FATHER NEPTUNE's CORDIAL
WECOME.
But there were others we could not
forget; so we turned in that humane
and philanthropic state of mind,
which even Mr.. Pickwick might
have envied us, and whispered to
those 1.-TWO good girls"
There's no belief in man,
Not even In q brother;
So girls II you must love
Love one another"
We reached Santa Monica in safety
about sun-down and found the Double
Cliff house cleaned out as nice as pos
sible, and all ready for our reception,
thanks to "Lou," who was the first to
greet us, and assisted not little in
that mysterious "screaming."
SANTA MONICA
has grown since we left; we were made
aware of the fact by finding a tent
placed directly in front of the Double
Cliff House. We are strongly inclined
to think that if "Zoe and her two
companions" had remained here, the
occupants would have thought it ad-
visable, to have pitched their tent
on the opposite side of Main Street, or
up Lovers Lane. Saturday evening
we spent on the beach. Only those
who have seen the ocean by MOON
light, can realize the surprising
beauty of the scene spread out before
US. 1t is one of which we should
never tire. Our long walk on the
beach showed us many pretty pic
ture of the rough, rugged cliffs, ,softened
and subdued by the silvery rays.
1t must have been nigh unto the
'wee sma" hours when we turned
our steps up the arroyo In search Of
stirred Natures sweet restorer;" every
light was out, and we were the only
ramblers abroad.
Sunday morning we were up long
before old King Sol came creeping
over the hills, and after a hearty
breakfast and quarrel between the
''two good girls" as to who should
wash the dishes, we started for the
beech, before the majority Of our fell
low campers were out of bed.
At about ten o'clock the Sunday
visitors began to arrive, and before
eleven o'clock everybody was on the
beach, to watch the bathers. The
buoy that was anchored here this
Summer, is nowhere visible, and the
rope drifts around in anything but
safe style.
IT is CHARACTERISTIC
OF Santa Monica pleasure-seekers to
form in groups; and we have often
wondered what social or scientific
question they were discussing with so
much avidity; so with perfectly non
chalent air we joined (by invitation)
one of the most loquacious groups. We
were fully prepared to be mentally in
structed and entertained, 80 we listened
in silence and speculated upon the
strong magnetic influence Of those
three girls, which had the power to
draw that brilliant and intellectually
assembly at their feet We listened
patiently for more than an hour for
one sentence that was worth remem-
bering, and finally gave up in despair,
knowing that our tortured nerves
could bear no more. We hurried up
the arroyo, feeling satisfied that there
was but one thing worse than the
group we had left on the beach: that
| is a party of gossiping women, whose
| charitable mission it is to soil all who
| have the decision to differ with them,
| or refuse to walk in the path of bigotry
they have marked out. 1 doubt if
there is any place where the weak
points of character are so strongly
| brought out as upon a camping expe-
dition, and there is but one way upon
which it can be entered with any
safety: that is to Danish from the first,
hate, envy and gossip, three of the
GREATEST EVILS HUMANITY is HEIR
TO.
We continued our walk up the cafion
| for about two miles and were fully