The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-11-13
Selette0 gtorp.
THE MOSS-GATHERER OF
MONTEREY.

Twenty years ago Monterey, that
quaint, dreamy town Of the past,
which has never caught the feverish
inspiration of the present, was little
different from the Monterey of to-
day. The wars of the outside world,
the king-makings, and revolutions,
and discoveries, and inventions, had
no power to send single thrill of
interest or excitement through the
veins of her somnolent Spanish pop
ulation. So long as the roses
bloomed, and the winter rains made
the hills green for the immense herds
of cattle which then tenanted the
Salinas plains-so long did the peo-
pie of. Monterey, proud of their long
stretch of sea-beach, their roses, and
the dark deauty of their daughters,
take the pleasant afternoon SiestG,
and dance to the music of the guitar
at carnival time. Twenty years ago,
as to-day, the cattle roamed through
the quiet streets, and the same low
ing hands that planted feeble rose
cuttings, now, with less of the dim
pied mOlding of yore, Gull with the
same delicate ease the buds from the
mature trees.
On a glorious May dawn in 1856,
as the sun crept over the pines that
sentinel the hills in the rear of the
town, a girl stood on the beach
watching the receding tide. AS the
sunlight silvered the long reach of
sends and glistened on the wet
rocks, it touched with loving splen-
dor face of singular beauty, with
features as clear cut as a cameo. Ju-
anilla was the daughter of an old
whaler who for many years had fol
lowed leyiathan in the lagoons OF
Southern California, but an accident
caused by the staving-in of boat
made him cripple, and, except his
little adobe homestead and the labor
OF Juanilla, he had nothing in his
old age to depend on. She was 6
moss-gatherer, who made pretty pic
ture frames of shells and sea-weed
and sold them to the crews Of nava
and merchant vessels. An early
lriser was Juanilla. The dawn saw
her on the beach when the tide suit
ed her occupation, and the porch o
the adobe cottage was wilderness
of crimson, white and yellow roses
Her beauty was not of the sleepy
lindolent sort, so characteristic of tn
Spanish woman. thad more of tn
animated grace and 1.-THE, suppl
vigor of the fisherman's daughter
of the British Islands.
"Madre de Dios" said she, softly
as she sprang from the top of
treacherous granite rock to tn
sands, chow those strangers ar
carrying off my shells! This beacl
is being ruined by those people.
shall soon be without material for
single picture frame.
Now, Juanilla's labors, thoug
Monterey was still slumbering, wer
not unobserved. Ayoung man stOo'
on the bluff above the beach, look
| ing down in the intensest admiration
at the barefooted beauty below. H
wore the loose, gray clothes of
tourist, and, from the sea-glasse
that hung by his side, was evidentl
out early to observe the sunrise
ClamberiDg down the rocks with
sure-footed ease that indicated th
experienced mountaineer, the strar
ger drew near her, and watched, wit
an amused expression on his hanG
some Saxon features, Juanilla's col
test with an envious wavelet for th
possession of a rare bit of mos
"Bravo" he cried, as, returning frol
a successful rush into the spray, sh
carried off her prize.
The moss gatherer turned quick
and blushed in the most charmin
manner imaginable as she hastI
arranged the short petticoat whic
clung limp and lovingly to her preti
ankles. The stranger took off b
hat and apologized for his presenc
"Ah, senor," said the moss-gatl
erer, "are you, too, looking for shel
on my beach3 Well, you shall ha7
some, as you are out so early. Con
and 1 will show you where the tiC
has thrown them up" And, qui
recovered from her first embarras
ment, she beckoned him to folio
her over the rocks. John ThorI
fresh from the London draWin
rooms, and in search of g heal