Dawn and the Dons/SOME CURIOUS CONTRASTS

by Tirey Lafayette Ford

CHAPTER XX

SOME CURIOUS CONTRASTS

THE lure of the Monterey peninsula has brought within its circle of enchantment a strange mosaic of diverse communities. The common and dominant note of satisfied content runs through them all, but the means employed by each community in the pursuit of its ideal is peculiarly and strikingly divergent. In one, religion holds the key that unlocks the door of happiness, and discloses the quiet abode of puritan serenity. In another, literature and art, led by the spirit of Bohemia, invite to intellectual joy and informal merriment. In yet another, a vast playground out-of-doors entices the pleasure seeke to its alluring and perennial charms. And in the midst of these more recently developed communities, quaint old Monterey moves serenely on in her accustomed way, giving little heed to the intruders who have elbowed Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/219 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/220 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/221 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/222 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/223 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/224 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/225 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/226 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/227 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/228 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/229 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/230 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/231 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/232 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/233 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/234 Page:Dawn and the Dons.pdf/235

CHAPTER XXI

THE OLD PACIFIC CAPITAL

AMID these curious contrasts the “Old Pacific Capital” retains its quaint and peculiar charm and lives on in satisfied content. Rich in historic memory, unmoved by the feverish activities of a commercial age, Monterey has been slow to depart from the pleasant paths along which she has found such happiness and delight. Down through the centuries she has marched with dignity and grace, ever cultivating and practicing those ceremonial courtesies that have left an indelible impress upon her daily life.

The visitor to this old historic town will find no towering skyscrapers nor throbbing centers of commerce, but he will find a business center with clean and well paved streets and modern and well conducted shops. He will find no palatial dwellings whose architectural splendors typify the luxurious display of inordinate wealth, but he will find the pleasing and fascinating picture of charming homes in a picturesque setting under the spell of an