Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-02-13
THE BELLE OF MONTEREY.

THE Monterey of twenty-five years ago
was vastly different town from the Mon
terey 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 gayly-attired cabal-
LerO's horse; the uniform of the English
and American naval officer contrasted with
the staid black mantilla of the pretty sen0r-
StG; 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 prosper
Gus seaport town. Now, an untenanted
harbor, mass of halfruined, unoccupied
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 win
dows; but the blushing, Olive-cheeked
girls that offered them to the lounging
wooers at the garden gates twenty-five
years ago have grown into dowdy ma
irons, wrinkled by family cares, or else
sleep peacefully in the old graveyard,
whose margin is washed by the spring
tides, which, knowing no change, MUIR
mur yet as of old on the crescent
beach.
With all its dreary somnolence, there
is charm about this 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 gobed themselves in
The believing ocean, and again
The scarlet shafts of sunrise-but no SAIL"
Slowly in the bay sunk the evening
sun on the Gath of December, 1S4S.
Across the waters streamed its last golden
and purple rays, glistening ON the wet
sands, tenderly shimmering through the
branches of the oaks that stood in the
old Spanish graveyard, and disappearing
among the pines that sentineled the hill
tops in the background
Maria Ignacia Gomez, as the GnqeZals
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 dwell
ing. And as she stood in the garden,
with crossed hands and large brown eyes
uplitted, her black shawl dropping from
her graceful shoulders, and her red lips
moving in prayer, painter could desire
no better model for Madonna or an
Evangeline, for her face had all the
sweetness of the one, with the resigned
expression of patient waiting of the other.
A sour-looking, querulous face appeared
at the deep window.
Come here, Maria: tits supper time"
eyes, naadre MIA :" and Maria, securing
the erratic vine to nail in the adobe
wall, entered the house.
Ten years before the date of our story,
when Maria's sweet wonlanhood 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 carefully pre-
served and worn with pride, and kind
glance from her brown eyes sent the re-
cipient back to his rancho on the Salinas
happy man. Never cloud rested on
that calm, earnest face, nor passion found
a moments harbor in her breast. But at
last her sorrow came, in this WISE
In June, 1888, the stout ship 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. the
company on the Frazer and Col.
umbia rivers of the valuable furs which
lay in their storehouses. The super.
cargo of the Delight, James Gilmour.
was son of the Vice President of this
opulent corporation, and showing a posi-
tive disinclination for each and all of the
learned professions, and expressing a
hearty contempt for the humdrum life of
Europe, had been sent by hisfather to the
Pacific shores, to drink his fill of the ad-
ventures for which he thirsted. He was
youth of a singular force of character,
very undemonsnative, and possessing
some decided opinions of the dslettante
lite OF the wealthy youth of Great Brit
ain which had won for him in his uni
versity days the title of "The Radical
The unanimous verdict of the jury of old
wise-heads to whom Gilmour, Sc
NOR. had appealed for an opinion
OF his sons character was, that James
was talented, but odd-an eccentric
young man, in fact-who, unless trave
tempered him down, would never be ar
acquisition to the merchant office withir