The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-03-04
John Phausx IN Bos,ou.

John PhGuix In Boston.
The Kuickerbocker for February contains .
letter from John Phe nix written in Boston, which
| is, IN very extensive sense of the word, rich:
| LETTER TO THE EDITOR: FROM JOHN PHGNrx.
| Il Is Sunday 10 Boston. l have been sitting in
my room, No. 78 fremont House., by the window
| which commands . cheerful view Of . grave yard,
musipg Oh various matters and things in . solemn
state Of mind well BETTING the place and the occa.
| sion Seventeen inches Of snow fell last night
and Boston looks white like the leland of Ichabod
| TO the full as desolate. Through the hollow and
| reverbersting passages of this ancient building
around the corners Of the sinuous streets from
each door and window, in every private and pubs
lie building, and from the houses Of God resounds
the peculiar sharp. backing cough of the popula.
fon Of Boston. Every soul Of them has 1t. 1t 10
the disease of the country. When I meet an
quaiutance in the street. abstain from the ususl
greeting, and invariably say, How is your conshf
and the reply invariably is about the same -
Coughing, and the ancient pastime CT hawking.
followed by expectoratonD the principal
amuaements in this cold city. 10 the grave yard
beneath my window, . slate tombstone, may
De found, am informed the following touchius
inscription:
here l lie bereft of cath,
Because q cough carried mo of in,'
which, doubt not, describes the case of the ma.
jority Of the silent incumben.s of that place of
rest.
institution; it is perfectly clean and veil arranged
the attendance is good and the fodder excellent;
but there Is an indescribable air of gloom and 60
lemny pervades the entire establish ment well suit
ed 10 Boston, but chilling to stranger to tho last
aeSree. The walters, dressed in black with white
neckcloths, move silently and sadly about the ia
Dies, looking like so many ministers with thirteen
cniidrer, four hundred year and two donation
parles; the man IN tee office never smiles-in any
point OF view laIge Bible, with the name Of the
house stamped upou 1t In gilt letters ito prevent
ienSious strangers from bottling itD lies on every
tabls, and the chambermaids attend family PRAYER
10 the basement All grand, gloomy and must
De confessed exceedingly peculiar 1 have st
tempted but two jokes In this solemn place. and
they fell like the flakes of snow, silent and un.
noticed
An unfortunate individual in the reading room
iass evening was Sc zsd with an unusually violent
n! OF coughing, which, If q man could by any DOS.
sibility have been turned inside out would have
doue 1t; and as partial cessation of it occurred
with his hair standing on end (he had couehed his
nat OF bis face glowing with exertion, and the
IearS standing In bis unhappy eyes, he very natu-
rally gave vent to profane execration. Every
body looked shocked remarked in an audible
tone % my companion, that the exclamation WAS
Golfer dami Al admiral contrivance for raising
oostructions from the bottom of streams and pro
badly adopted by the gentleman to clear bis ihroa
but no one laughed, and incontinently " ent to
bed.
This morning. on arising, discovered that my
boots, left otside the door TO be embeilished with
blackng, bad, ike those of Bombastes, not been
displaced; 30 said to the porter, man of grave
and solemn aspect: Y on have very honest set of
people about this house. 'Whyf said the porter
with somewhat startled expression. Because
reJoined. Ikft my boots outside my door last
night, and find this morning no one has touched
them
That msn walked off slow and stately. and
never knew that l had been humorous Disap.
poiotments have hesn my lot in lits. l remember
in early childhood going to the theatre to see Mrs
W Ii Smith appear in two pieces the III ls said
she would do it, and she came upon the stage per
fectly whole and entire like any other lady Upon
the whole 1t is my impress ZION that Boston is q dull
gloomy, precise and solemn city, which take TO
bs owing entirely to the intense cold tha, pre-
walls there in the winter, which chills and
freezes up the warmer nature of the inhabitants
who don't have time to get thawed out before the
cold comes back again l have met many Bosto.
MONS in more genial climates, who appeared 20 be
very hearty and agreeable fellows took short
ride yesterday in the Metropolitan Railroad cara
which are dragged by horse power from the Ire.
mont Hous. to Roxbury.
The only other occupant of my car was q Young
and lovely female in deep III burning She wore a
heavy black veil, and her thick and beau ifui all
burn hair was gathered up each tide of her face
beneath spotless cap, q widows cap of snowy
muslin. had always feeling for wido ws; young
and pretty widows particularly, always excne
my deepest interest and sympathy Igazed with
moistened eye on the sweet specimen before me
so young, 30 beautiful thought, and alas what
sutferings she has xperienced. pictured to my
self her devotion to her husband during his last ill.,
ness, the untiring watchfuness with which she
hung over his pillow, the unwearying and SELL
sacrificing spirit with which she hoped on hoped |
ever Till in despite of her care her love, he sank
forever, and her agonEed shrek rang in my ear |
as with hands clasped and upiurned eye, she felt
that he WAS dead-her dream of life was over |
her siren 9Th was gone-her heart was broken
The young widow had been regarding me earnest |
y during this timo, and probably imagined what |
was psshng in my mind for throw lng her veil over
her hat she turned partly sIou-d toward me, and |
looking stesdastlJ in my facesh winie ed her eve
%, Sir, shs winksd her eye at me-:he moral Fbo-
nix sod res. flom my ashes and ie ft the Metro |
poiitan car sLd returned to the fremont House- |
And s 1t possible. thought l, as gtzed FROM my |
window up fremont street and observed q ssnctl-
monious gentleman in long black overcoat loox- |
ing hastily up and down ih, street, and then dxe
up small alley in great hsse; s it DC bic thst
shis little widow in !he all typical Of tn,
great city to which she belonssl
N ost respectable, said and solemn outward ap
pearance sring very stfo ag oispt ton to that
dsvtry which s defined by Bible rs cha lust Of
the e,h, the lust of the eye aud ths PRIDE uf life
But Boston, clothed IN its robe of snow looked too
pure too bride llae and oismissed the sapposi,ion
from m? mind.
They don't have theatrical performances in Bo,
ton Saturday evenings; the theatres open at
O'Clock, n, and the performance 10 over at six
Thu oerg was allowed TO give concert here last
evening, however. ne was practicing . little this
morning also ON tho piano, ~ hen message came
ftou serio ls ia mlly 10 the room begging him
not to play dancing tunes. He didn't.
had ioIended TO have written to you more at
length, but OF to New Or.a directly. and must
pay my trunk Boston is great place. am orry
hadne time TO 6, and soc the Mcnsstery presided
ever BY Abbot Lawrence, that was burned by the
Onngsmen.
"JoHs PHGstx."