The Portland daily press., 1868-09-03
Correspondence.


BOSTON AND PORTLAND.
1t may be doubted if any American CITY
has stronger attractions to a stranger than
Boston. New York is of course, more mag
nthcent, but Boston is more curious ana
aoomds in peculiar and original opec'S OIL
interest The narlowness of the streeis, the
severe solidity and compactness OF the buld-
ings, the innumerable angles, turns and cor.
ners. and the many quaintnesses OF structure
which meet you everywhere with suggestions
of an earlier time, are in pleasant contrast
with the busy spirit of modern life, of rest
less, eager working life so apparent at all
points. Here indeed is no Southern
ease or languor, yet the Southerner will be
greatly IN error who fancies that the spirit of
trade has crushed intelligence, art or ltera-
ture. A lounge through the business streets
IL very entertaining. Here are the stores
where thousand wants are supplied by
thousand inventions peculiar to New Eng
land. Here are labor-saving contrivances OF
every kind, from a washing-machine or
wringer to an apple-corer or patent pencil
cutter; and here the most beautiful and deli
cate fabrics, and articles manufactured OF
gold and silver, of porcelain and of glass
in every variety of form and beauty of color
Then the bookstores-here the lover of nat
ural history may revel in superbly illustrated
editions OF the works of Agassiz and Cuvier;
here are works on law and history here are
poetry and philosophy, and divinity. Here
the children, too, can be made happy by Oil
yer Optic, and Little Prudy. When will the
time come that Southern cities will show
such evidences of intellectual activity?
And as we are whirled through the country
by the magic power of steam, we find every
acre cultivated, and that with the most pains
taking effort. And he must be little given to
thoughtful inquiry who can refrain, as the
luxuriant soil OF the South and the unpar-
alleled advantages of the single State of Vir-
ginia an "Otd Dominion" indeed, are recalled,
from the inquiry, whence comes this differ
ence not only now when we naturally look for
desolation and ruin, but for years past, for
the contrast has always been remarked.
True the natural beauty and wonders of
Virginia are great. her soil rich and fruitful
her climate genial, but has not labor been de-
grading, and did not the distinction of color,
of master and slave make it so? New Eli
gland is free, instead of depending on the
sweat, toll, and blood of few hundreds of
enslaved beings, her sons and daughters,
early taught to depend on their own efforts,
know that idleness in world like this, is in
fanny. and honest, well performed work, truly
honorable! We do not despair that when
our own people have found this truth, the
sold Dominion, once the first of States, may
regain much of her vanished prosperity,
though like other blessings it has been bought
with blood and treasure. e,s
1t is worth while to spend an hour or so in
the Art gallery of Mr.. Child, fronting the
Common, it is always stocked with fine works
of art, and now contains Bradfords great
painting Crushed by Icebergs". In Port
land, we saw and admired Hills "Yo Semitic
Valley" and to the thoughtful courtesy of one
OF its resident physicians, DIR. F., are indebted
for memories of the coast of Maine and the
beauty OF Portland, which weshall always recall
with delight. Few more charming summer
resorts can be found, than the shaded streets of
Forest City," the promenades from which
Casco Bay and its lovely islands and the sea
white with the snowy CLEAN of passing sails
ale seen; Cape Elizabeth, with its sandy
roads, white cottages, and clumps of vivid ev-
ergreens; the beach, and the Ocean House,
where the ceaseless plash of the surf is mu-
steal to the ear; and Portland light house,
with its warning blaze and solemn bell, its
rocks. caves and beetling precipices, which
one sees the ocean lashing in impotent rage
Robinson Cove, and the broken fragments of
wrecks, among them part of the Bohemian
all these form pictures in memorys gallery
and will give 10 the paintings of Brown Ia
Portland artst) as we'll as the universal
chromos OF Prang, ne,c, and greatly added
interest, for the coast of Maine read of, and
pictured foo, from our childish days, is no
longer dream of fancy, or imagination, but
real picture, seen and long to be remember
ed.
JANE BOSWELL MOORE.
PORTLAND, SEP. 1, 1868. E