The Project Gutenberg EBook of Ramona, by Helen Hunt Jackson

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Title: Ramona

Author: Helen Hunt Jackson

Posting Date: December 31, 2008 [EBook #2802]
Release Date: September, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RAMONA ***

Produced by David Reed

RAMONA

By Helen Hunt Jackson

I

IT was sheep-shearing time in Southern California, but sheep-shearing
was late at the Senora Moreno's. The Fates had seemed to combine to
put it off. In the first place, Felipe Moreno had been ill. He was the
Senora's eldest son, and since his father's death had been at the head
of his mother's house. Without him, nothing could be done on the ranch,
the Senora thought. It had been always, "Ask Senor Felipe," "Go to Senor
Felipe," "Senor Felipe will attend to it," ever since Felipe had had the
dawning of a beard on his handsome face.

In truth, it was not Felipe, but the Senora, who really decided all
questions from greatest to least, and managed everything on the place,
from the sheep-pastures to the artichoke-patch; but nobody except the
Senora herself knew this. An exceedingly clever woman for her day and
generation was Senora Gonzaga Moreno,--as for that matter, exceedingly
clever for any day and generation; but exceptionally clever for the day
and generation to which she belonged. Her life, the mere surface of it,
if it had been written, would have made a romance, to grow hot and
cold over: sixty years of the best of old Spain, and the wildest of New
Spain, Bay of Biscay, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean,--the waves of them
all had tossed destinies for the Senora. The Holy Catholic Church had
had its arms round her from first to last; and that was what had brought
her safe through, she would have said, if she had ever said anything
about herself, which she never did,--one of her many wisdoms. So quiet,
so reserved, so gentle an exterior never was known to veil such an
imperious and passionate nature, brimful of storm, always passing
through stress; never thwarted, except at peril of those who did it;
adored and hated by turns, and each at the hottest. A tremendous force,
wherever she appeared, was