The Glasgow courier., 1916-10-13

'hACCNh tIle san tcrnanOO val
ley, toward the hills of Calaba-
Il sas, runs that old road. FL Ca
mno Real Of the early mission
days.
And now replicas of old mission
bells. each suspended in solitary dig
nifty from rusted iron rod. mark in
tervalS along the dusty way, once
narrow trail worn by the patient feet
of that gentle and great padre, Juni-
pero Sierra, a trail from the San Ca
br1el valley to the shores Of Monterey
A narrow trail then. but. even then.
to him it was broad in it's potential
significance of the dawn of grace upon
the mountain shores of heavens lost
garden, California.
J. Not far from one iron posted bell in
the valley, Ell Canine Real falters, to
find eventually a lazy way round the
low foothills. as though reluctant to
lift its winding length over the sharp
pitch of the Canajo pass beyond.
+ Near this lone bell another road, an
offspring Of old Ell Canine Real, runs
quickly from it's gray and patient sire
Branching south in hurried turns and
multiple windings. it climbs the roll
ing hills. ever lodging the rude piled
masses Of rock with scattered brush
between, but forever aspiring cOur-
ageously through the mountain sage
and sunshine toward its ultimate green
rest in the shadowy hills.
In the sweet sage is the drone of
bees, like the hum OF far city. The
thinning, acrid air is tinged with the
faint fragrance Of sunburnt shrubs and
grasses.
With the sinuOus avoidings Of Il haf-
fed snake the road turns and turns
upon itself until its earlier promise Of
high adventuring seems doubtful As
often as not 1t climbs u semibarren
dun stretch OF sun baked earth dotted
with stubby cactuses. passes these
dwarfed grOteSques and attempts the
narrowing crest Of the canyon wall, to
swing abruptly back to the cactuses
again. gaining but little in its upward
trend.
Impatient, it finally plunges dixzily
round sharp outstanding angle Of
rock and down into the unexpected
enchantment of MOonstone canyon.
Here the gaunt cliffs rise to great wild
gardens, draped with soft rose and
poignant red amid drOwsy undertones
OF gray and green and gold. Dots Of
vivid cOlOrs fame and fade and pass
TO ledges Of dank vineclad rock and
drifts OF shale as the road climbs
again.
At the next turn arc the indiStinc,
voices of water '"n,mingling in Il
monotone-and the road ceases I" n
as the cool silver nf Il mountain stream
cuts through il with seemingly iMcom
sequential ncanderingS. but with the
soft arrogance Of power too great to
he denied. And the indistinct voices
Rft behind fade to unimag aginable
sounds AS the stream patters down it's
gravelly course. cOntented beyond
measure with its own adventuring.
Patiently the road takes up its way,
moving in easier sweeps through a
widening valley, but forever climbing.
Again and again fetlock deep across
II runs the stream. gently persistent
and forever murmuring its happy so
liloquies.
Here and there the road passes
quickly through a blot OF shade-a
group of wide spreading live oaks-and
reappears gray white and hot in the
sun. Then. it's high ambition fulfilled.
the road RECEIVERS from It's last climb
ing sweep around the base of shOul-
dering hill and runs straight and
smooth to its ultimate green rest in the
shade Of the sycamorss. Beyond these
two huge limbcd warders of the noun
tain ranch gate there is a flower bor-
dercd way. but it is the road no longer.
The mountain ranch takes its name
from the canyon below. 1t is thr
Moonstone ranch. the home of Louise
whose ancestors. the I.acharmeS. grew
rncoS In old France