The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-27
WTH0RNB IN THE BOSTON Gus.
TOM-HOUSE.
Extracts From His Private Lstters.l

III Vhe same way LhaJ IL IS 10 every t0lsome
man, and mine is healthy WEAKNESS, such as
needs only nights sleep to remove it. But
henceforth forever l shall be entitled to call
the sons of toll my brethren, and shall know
how to sympathize with them; seeing that
likewise have risen at the dawn, and borne
the fervor Of the midday sun, nor turned my
heavy footsteps homeward till eventide. Years
hence, perhaps, the experience that my heart
Is acquiring now will flow out in truth and
wisdom.
August 27.-I have been stationed all day
at the end of Long Wharf, and rather think
that had the most eligible situation of any
body in Boston. l was aware that it must be
intens ely hot in the midst of the city; but
there was only short space Of uncomfortable
heat in my region, halfway towards the centre
Of the harbor; and almost all the time there
was a pure and delightful breeze, hutterng
and palpitating, sometimes shyly kissing my
brow, then dying away, and then rushing
uIon me in livelier sport, so that was fain to
settle my straw hat more tightly upon my
head. Late in the afternoon there was a sunny
shower, which came down so like a benedict
tion, that ii seemed ungrateful to take shelter
in the cabin or to put up an umbrella. Then
there was rainbow, or large segment of
ore, so exceedingly brilliant, and Of such long
endurance, that almost fancied 1t was stained
into the sky, aud would continue there per-
manently. And there were clouds floating all
about, great clouds, and small, of all glorious
and lovely hues (save that imperial crimson
which was revealed to our united gaze-so
glorious, indeed, and so lovely, that | had a
fantasy of heavens being broken into feecy
fragments, and dispersed through space, with
its blest inhabitants dwelling blissfully upon
those scattered islands.
February Z, 1S40-What beautiful weather
this is beautiful, at least so far as sum- sky,
and atmosphere are concerned, though poor,
wingless biped is sometimes constrained to
wish that he could raise himself little above
the earth. How much mud and mire, how
many pools Of unclean water, how many slip
perry footsteps, and perchance heavy tumbles,
might be avoided if we could but tread six
inches above the crust of this world Physi-
Cally, we cannot do this our bodies cannot
but 1t seems to me that our hearts and minds
may keep themselves above moral mud -pud-
dies and other discomforts of the SOULS path
way.
February Ill have been measuring coal
all day on board of a black little British
schooner, in dismal dock at the north end of
the city. Most of the time, paced the deck to
keep myself warm, for the wind (northeast, |
believe) blew up through the dock as if it had
been the pipe Of pair of bellows. The vessel
lying deep between two wharves, there was
no more delightful prospect on the right hand
and on the left than the posts and timbers,
half immersed in the water, and covered with
ice which the rising and falling of successive
tides had left upon them, 80 that they looked
like immense icicles. Across the water how
ever, not more than half a mile off, appeared
the Bunker Hill Monument; and, what inte-
rested me considerably more a church steeple
with the dial of a clock upon it, whereby was
enabled to measure the march of the weary
hours. Sometimes descended into the dirty
. little cabin of the schooner, and warmed my
self by red hot stove, among biscuit barrels,
pots and kettles, sea-chests, and innumerable
lumber of all sorts-my olfactories, meanwhile,
being greatly refreshed by the odor of a pipe
which the captain or some one of his crew
was smoking. But at last came the sunset,
with delicate clouds, and purple light upon
the islands; and l blessed it, because it was
the signal of my release.
February 12.-All day long again have l
been engaged in a very black business--as
black as a coal-and though my face
and hands have undergone
thorough publication, l feel not
altogether fit to hold communion with doves.
Methinks my profession is somewhat akin to
that of chimney but the latter has
the advantage over me, because, after climb
ing up through the darksome fue of the
chimney, he emerges into the midst of the
golden air, and sings out his melodies far
over the heads of the whole tribe of weary
earth -plodders. My toll to-day has been cold
and duh enough; nevertheless, l was neither
cold nor dull.
March ID pray that in one year more l
may find some way of escaping from this un-
blessed Custom House, for it is very grievous
thraldom. do detest all of6ces-Rll, at least,
that are held on a political tenure. And
want nothing to do with politicians. Their
hearts Wither away, and die out Of their
bodies. Their consciences are turned to India
rubber, or to some substance as black as that,
and which will stretch as much. One thing
if no more, | have gained by my Custom
House experence-to know politician. 1t is
a knowledge which no previous thought or
power of sympathy could have taught me, be-
cause the animal, or the machine rather, is
not in nature.
March 28.--I do think that it is the doom
laid upon me of numbering so many OF the
brightest hours of the day at the Custom
House, that makes such havoc with my WITS
for here am again trying to write worthilY,
e. . yet with sense as if all the noblest
part of man had been left out of my compost
tion, or had decayed out of it, since my nature
was given to my own keeping. Never
comes any bird of Paradise into that dismal
region. A salt, or even a coal ship, is ten
million times preferable; for there the sky is
above me, and the fresh breeze around me,
and my thoughts, having hardly anything to
do with my occupation, are as free as air
Nevertheless, you are not to fancy
that the above paragraph gives cor
rect idea of my mental and spiritual state.
Il is only once in a while that the image and
desire of better and happier life makes me
faal the iron of my chain; for, after all a