, 1859-04-07

Tho Professor On the Great Cities.
The Professor at the Breakfast Table, in
the April humber Of the -4t1dattc Uonthly, e1-
presses his mind freely on several Of our great
cities. Boston comes first, Of course, and thus: 8:
BOSTON.
"Boston is the brain Of it Il. c., the Ncw
"orld) and has been any time these hundred
years! That's nll claim for Boston-that it is
The thinking centre Of the Continent and there
fore, of the planet.
And the grand Emporium Of modesty"-
said the divinity student, little mischierously.
"Oh, don't talk to Inc Of nodcsty answered
Little boston" I'm past that! There isn't
Thing that was ever said or done in Boston, from
pitching tho tea overheard to the last ecclesias-
tical lie it tore into tatters and flung into the
dock, that wasn't thought very indelicate by
some fool, or tyrant or bgot, and all the entrais
Of commercial and spiritual conservatism are
twisted into COLES as often as this revolutionary
brain Of ours has Gt Of thinking come over it.
No, sir--show me any other plncc that is, or Was,
since the megulosaurus has died out, where
wealth and social influence are go fairly divided
between the stationary and the progressive
classes! Show inc any other place where eyery
other drawiug-room is not chamber Of tue H.
QUESTION, with papas and mammas tor ir3uisi-
tcrs-and the cold shoulder, instead ofiLc " dry
pan and the gradual fire. tue punishment Of
'heresy!'"
I've think Baltimore is pretty civilized
kind Of village" said the young MaryIander,
good -naturedly- "But suppose you can't for
give it for always Keeping Little ahead Of Bos-
ton in point Of numbcr.--tc1l tue truth aow
Are we not the center Of sotncthing:"
"Ah, indeed to. be sure YOU are. You are
the gastrononlic metropoli: Of the Onion. Why
don't you put Il canvasS-back duck on tbc top OF
tl,at Indy oA' from 1;atrle Monument, mud punt
terrapn in her place: Why will yn, :*E for
othcr glorics r;ltu ynn have soft crabs: No,
si--you live too well to tA:n.. 4s lasl as We TO
in Doston. Logic coucs TO lis with tllc salt fish
Of Cape Ann; rhetoric is born Of the beans Of
Beverly; but you. il yol, open yoni mouths to
sptak, NItnr- Stops them with !: iat oyster, or
Oilers slice Of the brras: u yo,tr. divine bird,
and s!euccs all your aspirations"
PHILADELPHIA.
-.'"And what Of Philadelphia 2" said the Mary
lander.
''uil, Philadelphia ?-W'aterworks.--killed by
the Crotnn and Cochituate Ben F1auklin,-
borrowed from Boston ;-Dayid Ritteuhousc,
made an orrery ;-Henja,nin Rush, made med
ical system:-bo1il interesting 10 au:iqnariaus;-
great 1tcd-riycr rift OF medical students;-srut-
taneous generation Of professors to Inatch;-
more widely kNnTn through the Muya!nensinE z
hose-conlpany. aud tne Wistar parties for geo
logical section Of social strata, 70 to Tie L2"h.
Good place to live iu,-Grst-ratc m1rkct-tlp-
top peachcs, what do VIC know about Philadel-
p'lia, except that the engine companies are
alTars shooting at each other:"
TIE METROPOLIS.
"And what do you say to Ne York;" asked
the Koh-i-noor-
"a very .opu1ent, splendid Gity., A point o!
manence for much that is respectable a gTea,
money-center. San Francisco with the mines
abore grouud-und some Of 'em under tho side,
| wallis. II hare seen next to nothing yfdadDsl
out Of New York, in NIL our cities. 1t makes
them all look paltty and petty. Has mauE ele
nlcnts Of civilization. May stop whore Venice
| did, though, for aught we know The order o
| turc; upholstery; painting; sculpture. Print
ing. as mechanical art-just Us Nicholas 1cnso,
| aud the Adj, who were scholars too, made Ven
| ice renowned for ii. journalism, which is th'
accident Of business and crowded populations
in great perfection. Venice got Us far rs TitiaI
| and Paul Eeroncse and Tiutoretto-great color
| lists, mark you, magnificent on thu ficstl.and
blood side Of Art, bnt 1ook over to Florenc
and SEE who lie in Santa Crocr, and ask out O
whnsc loins t'antc sprung.
| "QI, YES, to bc sure, Venice bnift her Duca
Palace, and her Church Of st. Mark, and lie
ta>a dora, and thu rest IF hcr golden houses
and Venice h;sd yreat pictures and good music
| and Venice hui Il Golden Book, in which all til
Large taxpayers had their names written; bt
Ill that did moi make Venice the brain of Italy.
II tell YOU what, sir, will al the-c 1l.,nit
cent appliances of civilization, il il time We b.
gan to hear something from thc ,j,H.sfsSt dor.
w!,nsc names are on the Golden Book IF ou
s',mptuous, splendid, n'asblc-palaced Venice
>nnletlling i'll the higher walks Of literature
| tFf ft,t fin1f
"fart, grant yui, sir; now, then, for vast |
l':,ri"s. aud far mighty scholars, and thinker
antl statrsmcn-fiye for every l;nstnn one, i
the population il to ours--tcn TO one mere prnI
trly. in virtue Of centralizing attraction as Il
alleged metropolis. and net call our people rrt
,nclals, and lave to ctnlr br... t. to rit
tie lives Of Henay'ck Hudson A,,d t'nasrrnty
| Morris!
The little gentleman VAS on his 1nlay. c!
| it!ng his own city 1T the expense Of every utht
place. don't suppose he had been III eth,
ii the cities Ire had been talking about. ":
just Eaing tu SLY >nnlctlin;, to snbrr him dow
i! could, w|,ei the yenns Marylander srol
IN.
"Comc now lie said. "wlua,'s the ls<c
these comparisons: Didn't hear this gsnt}
| man saving thu other ,y that crtry -turric;
owns all Amrrira: 1fynu have really gut mol
Trains in E"stou than otIer folks, as you see
tn think. VII" hates you t"r it except pack
| se,ibbiing fools? lfjlikc broadway better TIL:
Washington street. what then? | own thr
1,"tll :.s ,nucll rs .,lyh"ly owns either. ant
-lnirriran> an.s wherever ! Lnk up and $,
r"' stars and stripes overhead, that is hume
me'
He s1,akr, and lacked III, lis if l.c heard Il
cn,hlaznnrd folds cracking over him in II
ir..ezr. We all lo"kcd up invrlunsarily. rs
| VIZ should see thu Natinna! flag by so doin
Yhc sight of The Aingr ceiling and the "a
| ttSturpH ErncIt1inr thtrtfruE1 t}isnef5t.a tim