Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-11-24
AMERICAN NOTES FOR CEN.
ERAL CIRCULATION"
BY CHARLES DlcKENs,

By CHARLES picKENs.
From the work which bears tbs title.
We make the lollowingsextracts
Landingat Boston.
When landed in America, could
not help being strongly impressed with
Tie contrast their custom-house present
ed. and the attention. politeness, and
good humor with which Its officers dis
charged their duty.
% AS we did not land At noston,. in
const quence at sumo detention at the
wharf, until after dark. received my fii ST
impressions OF the city in walking down
To the custom-house on the morning after
our arrival, which was Sunday. am a.
f'ad to say. BY the wav, how many offers
fi pews and seats in church for the morn
Ing were made TO us. hv formal notes of
,lnv.fat'on. before we had half finished our
hist DINNER in America; but if nav be
flowed 10 make a moderpte guess. With
ont gu into nicer calculation. should
ray that at least as many sittiags we're
l.roi!pred us as woalt! have accommodate
IL u score nr two OF grnwn,up families
'the number Of crecds and forms Of
religion to which the pleasures Of cur
company was requested was in very fay
rrnpor,ion
- When got into the streets upon this
Sunday morning. the air was so clear,
the houses were SO bright and CAV. the
signboards we're painted in such sauIy
collars. the ei'dcti letters were So very
golden. the b.icks were so very red, the
stone was SO very white. the blinds and
area riilin9s were so very green. the
KINKS and plates upon the street doors
80 marveilonsiv bright and twinkiing.
and al so slight and unsubstantial in APP
rearance. thai every thuroughfare in the
city 10 ked exactly like scene in pam
tonline. 1t rarely happens IN the husI-
ness streets that a tradesman-- if may
venture TO call anybody a tradesman.
where everybody is a merchant-rcsides
above his store so that mary occpatinns
are often carried en- in one house. and
the whole font is covered with boards
and inscriptions. As | walked along. |
kept @iancin% up at these boards. con-
fde'!ntiv expecting to see a few Of them
change into something and never turn
nd a corner Suddenly, without looking out
i-ir the Clown and Pantheon, who, had
TO doubt, were hiding in door way or be-
hind some pillar close at band. As to
Harlequin and Columbne, discovered
immediately ti,..t they lodged obey are
always hacking after Lodgings III a patomi-
ne) al q very small cIockmakci one stu
ry high. near the hotel: which. in ad"';;
ton to various symbols and devices. al
most covering the whole front. had "a
sreat deal hanging QUITO he jumper!
through, Of course.
The suburbs are, if possible. even
more unsubstantsa looking than the city.
Tile white wooden houses, (sn white that
II makes one wink to lock al then. } with
their green ialousie blinds, are so sprin-
kled and dropped about in all directions.
without seeming to have any root at all
in the ground and the small churches
and chapels arc.so prim, and bright, and
highly vanished. that ] almost believed
fiae whole affair could he taken up piece.
iueal, like a chi!d's t,v, and craninesl
iuto little box.
The city is a beautiful ono, and cam
nDt i.Ii. SHOULD imagine, to impress all |
s rangers very favorably. The private
'iweiling-hou>cs are for the most part, |
large and elegant The shops extremely
good and the public tuildings handsome.
The State House is built upon the sum.
nit CT hill, which rises gradually at
first, and afterwards by steep ascent.
almost from the waters edge. IN front
j. green enclosure. called the common.
The ste is beautiful, and from the top
there IS a charming panoramic view of the
whole town and neehborhond In addi-
ton to a variety OF commodious offices,
ii contains two handsome chambers; in
one, the House of Representatives Of the
STAR h9lu their meetings. in the other,
the Senate. Such proceedings as saw
here were conducted with perfect .gravi-
~ and decorun.. and were certainly cal
caIated 10 inspire s4teHtion and respect
finer CA La,c Cou, is and Lawyers.
" To an Englishman ACCUSTOMED to the
l'aral hernalia of West.ninistt." Hall, al
American court ef law is as oeid . s:qht
as. J suppose, ;an EnsIsh court OF law
world be AZ American. Except Ia thu
Supreme Cnurt.at Washington, (where
'he judges wesF plain black .rabe, there
j. no such thing as wig or gn.yn connect.
cd with the administration cf Justice.
he gentlemen Of the bar being harris
tiers and attorneys too, for there is ro
ois'sinn OF those functions as in England
ere no more removed from their clients
than attorneys in our court furthe relief
Of insolvent debtors are from theirs. IRE
jury ae quite at he NE. and mike them.
selves as comfortable as circumstances
Will permit. The witness is so little ..
seva'ef above. or rut aloof from, the
crowd in the court. that stranger enter.
ing during pause in the proceedings
would find IT difficult to cick him out
from the rest. And, If it Glanced to be
h criminal trial i.iS auoa 10 .,;,o