The Republican journal., 1869-01-07
Correspondence Of the Journal
LETTER PROM BOSTON.
Christmas Alnusements-Du Chaflfu and
Africa-BOOks Of the SeasOn-The New
Boston, January I'd, 1865

Christmas has gone. Old Santa Claus in his
ermine robes and frosty beard has been on his
accustomed round and now has retired for an
other year into the mysterious icy region where
he hides himself almost out of remembrance
till his season for temperance comes round
again. The weather was such as Christmas
weather should be, and is always described in
novels, clear, crisp, and eXhilaratlnS. The
true New England Christmas should, perhaps,
; find snow Astounding, so that sleigh-riding may
form one Of the entertainments, but we rejoice
that your Maine Indians have predicted Alright,
and that the open winter they prophesed has
until now taken the place of the severe cold
storms which the experience Of the last two
= years has made us dread for this season. The
day was celebrated here in the usual way
perhaps rather more particularly than in for
mer years. Many of the churches were dec
GRATED with evergreen; festive gatherings
abounded; the theatres were in full operation
all the afternoon and evening, and on the Frog
Pond and the grand sheet Of water spanned by
its stupendous and magnificent bridge in the
Public Garden, boys swarmed like SO many ca
ger flies, TO take advantage Of the skating.
This, by the way, has been excellent at Fresh
and jamaica Ponds, and at the Skating Park
at the South End, which was opened to the
public few evenings since, with the price OF
tickets put up high enough to keep out the
crowd, and music by Gilmore's band
For the past week great deal OF pabnlum
of various kinds has been offered to the public
mind, which is supposed at this season to ex-
pand sufficiently to comprehend and appreciate
everything. Concerts and lectures abound
among the latter am happy to speak OF very
entertaining one by Du Chaillu, the African eX-
plorer. He gave to large and attentive audi
ence Il very humorous and at the same time
earnest account of his travels ii the interior
Of A frica, where strange beasts and birds
abound, where gorias walk about in great free
dom, and as striking contrast, dwarfs three
feet high are found; where most Of the inhab-
itants are wild cannibals, and the thermometer
in March and April, which are the hottest
months, is 400. In this ''delightiul land" he
) made the acquaintance Of some cannbal fam
ias who We're in the habit OF sending the
bodies of those members Of their families who
died, as delicate attention to some OF thell
friends, expecting in return similar courtesy
whenever opportunity offered. As he was the
first white man whom some of these pleasant
brethren had ever seen they naturally regarded
him with some interest, not UnmiXed with Gu
riosity, and one thing which surprised them
particularly was that his feet (Which they con-
sidered his boots to be) should be black while
his face was white. One of the kings, being
pleased with Du Challu, invited him TO re-
main with them permanently and as an induce
ment brought out eight hundred Of the pref
= ticst girls and women of lis noble realm iol
: him to choose wife from. As an excuse tC
escape from this dreadful attention, he sale
that if he took one it wolld make the other
799 Jealous, which the Elders of the tribe
: thought good idea, and generously offered
: him the whole, which he declined with grea
difficulty. He spoke Of .he interior of Africa
as an immense forest, which is estimated a
1900 miles in length, and 700 in breadth. The
trees are of enormous size, being from TWO tc
three hundred feet in height, and twenty five
in diameter. Under these, smaller trees grow
and under these again jungle which makes Al
. almost impenetrable labyrinth.
attractions offered to the public at this time,
did not mention the new books being a sub
ject too extensive to be included in the cursory
glance given at the holiday novelties within
those limits. But they form one Of the mos
alluring and undoubtedly profitable kinds o
merchandise Al LnlH season OF course there
is whole avalanche of new books Launched
upon public favor of more or less excellence
for children, and those Of maturer years We
rejoice now in so many really excellent book
stores that it is quite difficult matter to de
> eide which is the best learned bbliopolis
recently remarked that he chad bought books
in every celebrated bookstore in the world
but had never found in Europe or America
richer or more elegant display than Little !
Brown make at Christmas" To the untrave
led this does not seem to be eXtrayagant praise
but comparisons are odious, and what is
said of one may be said of all, and that car
hardly be too much in favor of these attractive
stores, beside which the emporums of dry
goods seem too frivolous to be noticed coafec
tionary becomes for too ordinary kind of de
light, and the fancy stores with all their gay
destinations fade into entire insignifcance. The
bright coors and FURNISHED gilt OF the books
lining the shelves and heaped in lavish profu
sion in the windows and on the counters make
q dazzling display of all that is snmptuous and
recherche in literature. Fresh in their dainty
bindings, enclosing exquistelv printed an.l en-
graved treasures, they open to us a world OF
delight which may remainl Ia life long possession
and enjoyment. As Sheridan so neatly ex-
presses in his School for Scandal, 'E You shall
see q beautiful quarto page, where neat rivu-
let Of text shall meander through a meadow OF
margin"
The so called gift books are many of them
very beautiful, massive volumes, rich in illus
trations and choice reading matter The poet
here appears in his most exquisite dress, and
! the works of noted artists and painters are
faithfully transferred to paper, forming most
interesting volumes. Among these NAV be
mentioned Barnes "Rural Poems," whose title
is amply suggestive of the style of the contents
which of course are all of the loneliness and
happiness of country life. The poems are pure
and sweet, full of the never wearying beauties
and me lolirS of field and wood of ,noocac , :, 7