The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-08-20
COMMUNICATIONS.
Letter from a Lady.
BEVERLY, Mass, Aug. IA, /,

To the Editor Of the Press:
Allow me to express through your columns
the satisfaction with which l have recently
visited the State of Maine, and especially the
pleasure experienced during a brief sojourn
in your beautiful city, environed with the blue
and sparkling waters of Casco Bay. which un-
til then had only been known to me as an alb
straction Of geography,-so to speak-but has
now become, in my memory, associated with
Keats immortal line,
"a thing of beauty is joy forever"
We-three weary ladies and weary boy
arrived in Portland in the evening, having
started from Newburyport some hours previ-
Gus, and enjoyed the ride over the Eastern
railroad, experiencing courtesy and kindness
from the gentlemanly conductors and finding
the cars as easy as any in which we ever trav-
eled. The day was warm, but wise arrange
merit on this road provided an ample supply
OF adams ale" and never were we more in
clined to sing the praises Of "sweet and spark
ling water"
On inquiring of the conductor, we were in
formed that the principal hotels were proba-
bly, full, and not caring to spend time need
iessly in hunting up" resting place for the
night, we listened TO his advice, and took the
nearest. called The Western Hoteln Here
we were kindly received and coarteously
treated, and when we paid our bills in the
morning, we felt that the proprietor,s respect
full conduct, quiet house, and comfortable ac-
commodations deserved the reasonable amount
we paid. We missed the presence of ladies
here, not seeing single female face, but one
book on the piano had familiar look, and as
one OF US read aloud from its pages an account
of the Divine Traveller, who "being wearied
with his journey sat on Jacobs Well and
rested, we all felt that we had reached haven
oil repose, though cast among entire strangers
and in hotel OF whose character we knew
nothing.
The morning found us on the alert, and the
forenoon was spent in viewing a city of whose
beauty we had heard much, and whose praises
had not been over-sung.
A visit to the new City Hall, escorted by a
kind Portland lady, greatly interested us, and
we thought we would gladly form part Of an
audience who might there listen to the elo-
guence OF abeecher or an Everett, or the thrill
ling music Of some gifted child of song.
we looked with interest upon the church in
which the sainted Payson preached, and the
house in which he laid aside the mortal for the
immortal, with the scriptural utterance on our
hearts, IL not on our lips, "The memory OF the
just is blessed
Having occasion to call al the noble build
ing In which IS your Post Office, we were
again assured that we were among friends
though IN land OF strangers, Tor unwonted
facilities for the conveyance Of messages, by
two of the gentlemen in your Post Office,
whose names we know not but whose acts of
Kindness will be held in fadeless remembrance,
acts that reflect honor on the city where they
are employed:
- Noon found us at the Grand Trunk Railway
Depot, where we dined with satisfaction, and
were pleased with the arrangements made for
the comfort of the travelling public. About
half past one we took the cars for Poland We
observed that the seats are wider, and thus
rather more comfortable, on the Grand Trunk,
than on most other roads. The scenery along
our thirty miles route was interesting, though
not varied consisting mainly of verdant plains.
and pine-clad hills. 1t was gala day for me.
as the day previous had been. for the dream OF
my youthful life had been TO travel far and
wide 10 our own beloved and beautiful land.
and then to cross the broad Atlantic. and view
the scenes of classic and historic interest in the
Old World. The "pine-cIad hills Of Maine''
had now become reality to me, and had but
time allowed var;lv hal;ora ~ caa, s,,,H
hardly have paused I'LL they pressed the wild