The time passed rapidly away. The rainy season had nearly ended,--we
were only favored with occasional showers, and by the latter part of
February, the early spring had burst forth, and nothing could exceed the
loveliness of the rich, verdant landscape around us. After the treaty
and capitulation had been signed by the Picos at Los Angeles, their
partizans dispersed, and all who resided in Monterey shortly returned to
their homes. Every day brought an addition to the place--great ox-cart
caravans with hide bodies, and unwieldy wheels of hewn timber, came
streaming slowly along the roads, filled with women and children, who
had sought refuge in some secure retreat in the country. Cattle soon
were seen grazing about the hills. The town itself began to look
alive--doors were unlocked and windows thrown open--a cafe and billiards
emerged--pulperias, with shelves filled with aguadiente appeared on
every corner--the barricades were torn down--guns removed--and the
Californians themselves rode blithely by, with heavy, jingling spurs,
and smiling faces--the women, too, flashed their bright eyes less
angrily upon their invaders--accepted pleasant compliments without a
sneer, and even Dona Angustia Ximenes, who took a solemn oath upon her
missal a few months before, never to dance again, until she could wear a
necklace of Yankee ears, relented too, and not only swept gracefully
through waltz and contra danca, but when afterwards one of our young
officers became ill with fever, she had him carried from the tent to her
dwelling, watched him with all a woman's care and tenderness, as much as
though she had been the mother that bore him, until he was carried to
his last home. Yes, bella Senora, you may swear the same wicked oaths
forever, and still be forgiven by all those who witnessed your
disinterested devotion to poor Minor.
Gradually these good people became aware that the Yankees were not such
a vile pack of demonios as they first believed, and thus whenever
guitars were tinkling at the fandangos, or meals laid upon the board, we
were kindly welcomed, with the privilege of making as much love, and
devouring as many _frijoles_ as may have been polite or palatable. Upon
visiting the residences of the townspeople, true to the old Spanish
character there was no attempt made in show or ostentation--that is
always reserved for the street or alemeda, but a stranger is received
with cordiality, and a certain ease and propriety to which they seem to
the "manner born." With the denizens of Monterey, even the wealthiest,
cleanliness was an acquirement very little appreciated or practised, and
I should presume the commodity of soap to be an article "more honored in
the breach than the observance." For being given to cold water as a
principle of lady-like existence I was something shocked on one
occasion, to find a nice little Senorita, to whom I had been playing the
agreeable the night previous, with a chemisette of a chocolate hue
peeping through a slit in her sleeve; her soft, dimpled hands, too, made
me speculate mentally upon the appearance of her little feet, and I
forthwith resolved, in the event of becoming so deeply infatuated as to
induce her papa to permit a change of estate, to exact a change of
raiment in the marriage contract.
The occasion of inspecting the arena of this young woman's vestments was
during a visit to her portly mamma, and I may as well, by way of
example, describe my reception. The dwelling was a low, one story pile
of adobies, retaining the color of the primitive mud, and forming a
large parallelogram; it enclosed a huge pen, or corral, for cattle, over
which guard was carefully mounted by crowds of _gallinazos_. There were
divers collections of Indian families coiled and huddled about beneath
the porticoes and doorways, each member thereof rejoicing in great
masses of wiry shocks of hair, quite coarse enough to weave into bird
cages on an emergency; there were some bee-hive shaped ovens also, from
the apertures of which I remarked a number of filthy individuals
immersed neck deep, taking, no doubt, balmy slumber, with the rain doing
what they never had the energy to perform themselves--washing their
faces. This much for externals--men and beasts included, merely
premising that the whole affair was situated in a quiet detachment by
itself, a few hundred yards in rear of the village. My guide, though a
good pilot, and retaining a clear perception of the road, was unable to
convoy me safely to the house, without getting stalled several times in
the mire; however, I reached terra firma, thankful to have escaped with
my boots overflowing with mud, and then we marched boldly into the
domicile. We entered a large, white-washed _sala_, when, after clapping
hands, a concourse of small children approached with a lighted tallow
link, and in reply to our inquiries, without further ceremony, ushered
us by another apartment into the presence of the mistress of the
mansion. She was sitting _a la grand Turque_, on the chief ornamental
structure that graced the chamber--namely, the bed, upon which, were
sportively engaged three diminutive brats, with a mouse-trap--paper
cigarritos--dirty feet, and other juvenile and diverting toys. The Dona
herself was swallowing and puffing clouds of smoke alternately--but I
must paint her as she sat, through the haze. "Juana," said she, calling
to a short, squat Indian girl, "_lumbrecita por el Senor_,"--a light for
the gentleman--and in a moment I was likewise pouring forth volumes of
smoke. She wore her hair, which was black and glossy, in natural folds
straight down the neck and shoulders, dark complexion, lighted by deep,
black, intelligent eyes, well-shaped features, and brilliant, white
teeth. I saw but little of her figure, as she was almost entirely
enveloped in shawls and bed clothes; the arms, however, were visible,
very large, round and symmetrical, which of themselves induced me to
resign all pretensions to becoming her son-in-law. She excused herself
on the plea of indisposition for not rising, and it being one I surmised
she was a martyr to every year or so, I very readily coincided in
opinion, but in truth I found the Senora Mariqueta sensible,
good-humored, and what was far more notable, the mother of fourteen male
and five female children--making nineteen the sum of boys and girls
total, as she informed me herself, without putting me to the trouble of
counting the brood; and yet she numbered but seven and thirty years, in
the very prime of life, with the appearance of being again able to
perform equally astonishing exploits for the future. She named many of
her friends and relatives who had done wonders, but none who had
surpassed her in these infantile races. In Spain she would receive a
pension, be exempted from taxes and the militia. On being told this she
laughed heartily, and gave her full assent to any schemes undertaken in
California for the amelioration of the sex. Her husband, who chanced to
be absent, was a foreigner, but the whole family were highly
respectable, and universally esteemed by their fellow citizens. After an
hour's pleasant chat we took leave, with the promise on my part of
teaching the eldest daughter, Teresa, the Polka, for which I needed no
incentive, as she was extremely graceful and pretty.