The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-04-09
Correspondence Of the Knickerboker Magazine.
sketches Of Boston. 4r,
A correspondent Of the Knickerbock

A correspondent of the Knickerbocker
Magazine has lately visite Boston, and he
has chanSS1 upon several little incidents which
lmpress kim With profound sense Of the so
1emnity Of Boston people. The fremont
House is good institution, butthe waters are
gloomy; The chanbermaids attend prayers in
the morning; there are Bibles in the rooms; the
man in the office never smiles, and altogether
the place is precise and quite peculiar. We
win let him'speak for himself, however,, : %
Ihave attempted but two Jokes IN this SOL
emn place, and they fen ike the flakes Of
snow, silent. unnoticed. An unfortunate IN
dividnal in the reading room last evening was
seized with an unusual violent fit OF coughing
which, if man could by any possibility, be
turned inside out, would have done II, and as a
partial cessation Of II occurred, with his hair
standing on end, Che had coughed his hat off,)
his face glowing with exertion, and the tears
standing in bis unhappy eyes, he very natural
| ly gave vent to prcfane execration. Every
body looked shocked! REMARKED in an an
dible tone to my companion, that the exclama-
ton was coffer-dam; an admirable contrivance
for raising distractions from the bottom of
streams, and probably adopted by the gentleman
to clear his throat; but no one laughed, and
incontinently went TO bed. vss1 ST17sa7
This morning, on arising, discovered that
my boots, left outside the door to be embel-
lished with backing. had. like those Of Bonn
bastes, not been misplaced;so said to the per-
ter, man Of grave and solemn aspect: sYou
have very honest set of people abo It this
house, sWhy?' said the porter, with a some
what startled expression. 'Because,' rejoin-
ed, Il left my boots outside my door last night,
and find this morning no one has touched them ,
That man walked OF all slow and stately, and
never knew that had been humorous Dis
appointments have been my lot life took
a short ride yesterday in the Metropolitan
Railroad cars, which are dragged by horse
power from the fremont House to Roxbury-
The only other occupant of my car was young
and lovely female in deep mourning. She wore
a heavy black veil, and her thick and beauti-
ful auburn hair was gathered up on each side
Of her face beneath spotless cap, widows
cap of snowy muslin. 20 f'#sao5E
had always feeling for widows; young
and pretty widows particularly, always excite
my deepest interest and sympathy. Igazed
with moistened eye on the sweet specimen be-
fore nae, so young, so beautiful, thought, and
alas! what suffering she has experienced. I
pictured to myself her devotion to her nus
band during his last illness, the untiring watch-
fulness with which she hung over his pillow.
the unwearing and self-sacrifcing spirit with
which she hoped on, hoped ever, till in despite
Of her care, her love, he sank forever, and her
| agonized shrek rang in my ear as with hands
clasped and upturned eye, she felt that he was
dead, her dream OF life was over, her strength
was gone, her heart was broken. ss@a taaf7
The Young widow had been regarding me
earnestly during this time, and probably imag-
ined what was passing in my mind, for throw
ing her veil over her hat, she turned partly a.
round towards me, and looked .steadfastly in
my face--she winked her eve! Yes, Sir, she
winked her eye at me-the moral Phoenix; and
rose from my ashes and left The Metropolitan
car and returned to the fremont House. And
is it possible, thought ], as gazed from my
window upoR fremont street and observed a
sanctimonius gentleman in long black over
coat, look hastily up and down the street, and
then dodge up a small alley in great haste; is it
possible that this little wido y in the car is at
all typical of the great city to which she be-
longs? A most respectable, stand, and solemn
outward appearance-covering a very strong
disposition to that delivery which is defined by
| the Bible as .sthe lust of the flesh the Inst of
the eve, and the pride of life." But Boston,
clothed in It's robe Of snew, looked too pure,
too bird-ike, and dismissed the supposition
from my mind. ae"fs' ass'seh its72 sa1f6