New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-18
LETTERS FROM NEXT DOOR.
No. Y.
Observation-Disclosures

of stringed instruments following sdStd"c" " y,
gro in all tho sharps and flats at once by the iui
orchestra Or like the quiet hustle of usual industry
after the shouting activities Of Worlds Far. Is
vonp, and smple-hearted but it was born to luck
and so must thrive. Calamity has pursued but
uavor ovcrtnken il. Once it was ordained 10
be called Boston, and was saved from that
oppollipg fate only by the tossing OF
conner which, happening to fall heads up
heads representing the allegiance OF Maine man 10
bis iubosnitable bome-covered from sight the germ
of another Athens of America. Then it was mcnaced
with PROSPEROUS coast and foreign trade the fear OF
which it has outved Last there was prospect that
the Mining exctements of Idaho. with tho delusiVe
wealth and business dependent on them might fOrco
the Oniet thrifty town into largo and by no means
religious city, and that peril too is overpast SO, to-
day. tits the most wetodO, sensible, pleasant intel
gent, hosptabe, tidy. welldressed busy, lesurely'
agreeable old-fashoned place in tho Pacific States
Portland lies on the west bank of the Willamette
forests all about her. and her eldest suburb. East
Portland-how much better Willamette or Sisqua. or
Callipooya, than this impersOnal East Portland
across the shining stream. The halfdoze business
streets are thronged enough and busy enough; but
they look as if they could leave off at any minute 10
see something really worth the seeing. Inc streets
of houses arc broad, level, treened and with Wde,
excellent sidewalks of invitation. The houses stanu
quite back from the road in lovely gardens most OF
them with lawns of such soft, brilliant, velvety
grass as thrives in Newport fogs.
WHEAT AND PoPPIEs.
Flowers changing their skies, change their hearts,
and the simplest and painest among the Atlantic
blossoms is red red rose for splendor and perfume
when this sunlight falls on it, and this earth
cherishes We saw kitchen garden hedge high as
our heads, the most lovely and graceful barrier
scarlet and yellow blossoms holding and cleaning
like banners on the outer wall mass of sturdy
rouqh-edged leaves crowding each other to give air
and light to certain hanging, shining, deeploOed
balls, dark green, and amber, ana StreaRed
red No hedge could climb moro lightly, nor
weave q closer tange, nor branch moro sturdliy'
And they called it-the common tOmato-yine OF
of my dear my native land and said 1t was planted
from the seed. think the day but one before, bat
possibly it was in the Spring. There must nave been
acres of verbenas of cOors than the most daring
rainbow. And as for geraniums and fuschias and
mignonette and tube-rOses and carnations ana
great superb lilies; MS for English iyies Ovenunning
whole house fronts and fences dripping with
the honey of jasmine and trumpet Hover
and columbine; as for rooms stepped III
the fragrance Of the roses that shook their
cups over the wndow-sllls, why, | do not
even mention them as adOrnmcnts of Portland be-
cause they seemed to be Portland.
And tho wonder Of il is not tho prOfusion
but tho intenseness aud yvidness of this floral
life. tiny slip of geranium or heliotiope'
set ont when tho sap thrObs widest in the Spring,
will be q strong plant in two months, aud
great bush, all perfume and blossoms, by Scptcm-
ber ! remember an arbOr Vita which had grown
three feet during the season. And for the
corn!-I really must decline to say,
even on tho authority of the Mayor
and Common Council. what tho corn did, because
nobody thereafter would believe word OF
these letters. But if il not to pork mp its pretty
green head above the mould, unlnyted, IN Feb
ruary, and finding this a pleasant world, to grow
and grow with all its might, oil night aud every
night and every day and all day to nod and tutterin
the wind and vibrate in the sunshine all a-quiycr
with its own delight in life. and presently,
! long before anybody dreamed of expect
| ing it, to stand golden ripe in tho June
| fields, and to scatter its little quick ker-
nels all about, aud next day to SEQ
| their pretty green heads perk up above the mould
| and watch tbem-still joyous, but with sOberer
paterna joytill they too, stood ripe and golden in
the September fields. and scattered their quick little
kernels-why, it was something quite astonishing
and 0uite as beautiful. And the apples-Dnt we saw
| the apples afterward after all. Yet suppose We
had all thought Of Oregon so far away in the iogs.
as OF cheeTfuer sort Of Alaska if indeed it had had
n more real local habtatiou than the green patch in
the Atlas half of which had lately turned red with
modification at being called Washington, instead.
California laughs at her Northern neghbOrs for
Webfeet and pTetends TO believe them amphbiOus.
But Oregon skies are as blue though not as dazzling
as her own, and Oregon suns of as intense though
not as unteinpered heat. There runs rumor, in
deed, that from November till April Portland
streets are no more streets but bitches of black mud
and running water Still. think if the choice were
offered me to be as splenddy beautiful and noble
Oregon is for seven months Of the year at the cost
of the most fearful and unlighted misery for the
other five, should take it and be wholly satisfied.
OREGoNs TRICKS AND HER MANNERS.
II it were possible to Dc moro hosptaJle than Ne
vada and California had been. Oregon would have
stood with reader hand and cheerfuer face to lid
MS welcome. All through the West Mr.. Colfax is the
best beloved man of the nation, but Oregon Is so
much further from home than the rest, is 30 much
less worldly, so chershes in herself the simple vir
tues of honor and simplicity and sef-respect and
so instantly recognizes them in others, is CRATE
full to her Vice-Presdent for his loyalty and help
fulness to her, that her affection for him is
more direct and personal and unquestoning than
that of any other State perhaps. To kill the fatted
calf for him was nothing. She would have gone
hungry that he might feast, kept watch that he
might sleep, tOed and mOiled that he might rest,
had the need happened. What she did do was to
take us all into her beautiful homes and offer all
they contained FOX his sake.
In Oregon as in New-England home is the center,
the organizing principle. man keeps the best of
himself 1or the resde, and therefore finds the best
Of himself there His wife is bright and his children
are bonny and his home is full of sunshine and life
Days are not feyerish and energy is not abnormal
Money is spent in books and pleasant household
adomments and in those household cOnyeniences
which do not show bit mike the WAYS Of the house