Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-11-27
GALES ano gketrRes.
THE BELLE OF MONTEREY.

The Monterey of twenty five years ago
was a 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 hoOf Of the gaily attired CaJallero'S
horse the uniform of the English and
staid black mantilla Of the pretty SefOreta; ;
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 prosperous seaport
town Now an untenanted harbor, mass
of half-ruined unoccuped buildings, and a
drowSy air of neglect and Indifference, con-
stitu.e the modern Monterey. Still the ro-
ses and the tall hollyhocks cling lovingly to
the adobe walls, and peep in through the
low windows; but the blushing olive
loungirg woOers at the garden gates twen-
ty-fve 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 somnoence, there is
a charm about the old town, sitting like
some sad widow by the sea, mourning the
commerce which has deserted her, and yet
in all her grief, Enoch Arden like, hoping
and waiting for 4 sail, and seeing
The great stars that globed themselves in hea-
ven,
The hollow believing ocean and again
The scarlet shafts of sunris e--bUt no sail.
Slowly in the bay sunk the evening sun
on the oath 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
oak that stood in the old Spanish grave
yard, and disappearing among the pines
that sentineled the hill tops in the back
ground,
Maria Ignacia Gomez, as the UngeluS
bell rung out from the mission church,
crossed herself devOutly, for mOmentne-
giectng the rose vine that climbed To the
red-tilcd roof of her low, long dwelling.
And as she stood in the garden, with cross
ed hands and large brown eyes uplifted, her
black shawl dropping from her graceful
shoulders, and her red lips moving in pray
er, painter could desire no better model
for Madonna or an Eyangeline, for the
! face had all the sweetness of the one, with
! the resigned expression of patient waiting
( of the other. \ sour looking, querulOus
looking face appeared at the deep window
/ Come here Maria tits supper ume.'
/ Yes, Mo1re mja;;' and Maria, securing
/ the erratc vine to nail in the adobe wall
/ entered the house.
Ten years before the date Of our story
. when Maria's sweet wOmanhOOd was at il!
dawn, for many mile rode the youth o
the southern country to catch 4 glimpse o
and exchange n word with the belle o
Monterey. \ rosebud from her finger
was rare gift, to be carefully preserved
and worn with pride, and kind glanc
from her eyes sent the recipient back to th
rancho on the Salinas happy man. New
cr n cloud rested on that calm earnest face
nor passion found moments harbOr il
her breast.
But at last her sorrows came in this wise
In June, 1S4S, the stout ship Delight furlet
her canvas and dropped her anchor in tn
Bay Of Monterey She was owned by tn
great Hudson's Bay Company, and wa
bound north to drain the posts of the com
pany on the Frazer and Columbia rivers O
the valuable furs which lay in their stOr
houses The supercargO of the Delight
James Gilmore, was son Of the vice pre-
sident of this opulent corporation, ant
showing positive disinclination for eacl
and all CT the learned professions, and eN
pressing n hearty contempt for the hum
drum life of Europe. had been sent by hi
father to the Pacific shores, to drink hi
fill of the adventures for which he thirsted
He was a youth of a singular force of cha
racter, very undemonstratiye, and possess
ed some decided opinions Of the dilettant
which had won for him iE his universit.
days the title of The Radical. The unani
nous verdict of the jury of old wisehead
to whom Gilmour senior had applied 70
an opinion of his sons character, was tha
James was talented, but Odd-an eccentri
young man, in fact-who, unless travt
tempered him down, would never be an az
duisition to the merchant office With
whose dusty precincts his father ha
amassed bulky fortune. So James foun