, 1870-04-11
BOSTON.

BOSTON.
hefofsna and backward Movements
IN MnAHnchuxcttx-LcE md
Munlcipal mntxesH-Lit1ruxy and
Att Gossap-A Revy Of Lndy writers
Tho Next New RookB-Ptcturc Gall
lcFacA-A Miniature Jnbilee-Mr. r.
>. GumoFc-Thcntr1cs1l 1Inttcrz.
(FRox QUE own CORRESPONDENCE
Boston, Apsila
LOCAL. POLITICS.
Our stste Legislature has had rather m un-
usually dnll session this ycar; nothing has
corns up to exercise tho public mind, and no
body has had chance To distinguish himself;
yet the neceasary buaineas has been pushed
forward quite rapidly, and there is already
talk OF IN early adjournment, which ia very
Likely to come to nothing. The inevitable row
olution in tho Liquor laws haa seemed likely
TO be interrupted By \ deadlock Of the two
Houses, the Senate hANng sufficient number
of Pzohihihonista to stick BY an imprscacable
statute. But Just now there il talk Of com-
promise On really iudicious Law, fo1bidding
open bars, but licensing innholder1 and
spothecaries, which really gives glimpse
Of the possibility Of SOHO rational action
On thln most troublesome subject The inter
esting hearing Of the winter has been that On
tho Affairs Of the Boston. Hartford 4 Eris
nailroad, sturdy beggsr, which, having squan-
dered millions upon millions Of dollars from
the Btafe Treasury, With the modem method
Of administration introduced by It's New York
ulrneeake, en1iching its Directors at the e1-
pense Of its stoclholdets md Of the public,
asks boldly for moro while In = condition Of
utter bankruptcy. The old attempt to obtain
. repeal OF The State laws which are held to
forbid ths opening Of public libraries On Sun
days has been renewed, and though exceed
ingly successful in tho lower branch, has once
more failed in the Senate, The female suf-
Erzge question also is in committee, but no
definite action is probable this year or next,
There IL movement for "IbezAlizing" our
divorce laws and bringing them closer to the
Western standard, which Is more likely to sue
ing the State Constitution. SO thlt the two
brlnches Of the Legislature al,all
be only partially changed each year,
making each moro permanent bodies,
which is urged with good deal OF strength
1he Knights Of St cHapin are pushing again
for = charter, with more chance for obtaining
it siuce they profess to have abandoned all the
more objectionable features Of their constiau-
ton and Eitna1, counteu4ncing coescive meaA-
uzes and fotbidding the teaching Of appren-
tees,
In city afraits even more dulnsss and tran
guilty prevails. A streak of economy per-
yades the city government, aud all PROPOSE
tions for further costly Btreet improvements
have been nipped in the bud The liscontent
with our unwholesome detective Rystem has
eliminated in ! revolution, sweeping away tho
giving a new head to tho police department.
There has, at least, been no increase Of crime
since the change Was made, and re h4vs been
free from tie scandal Of constant compromise
inga with burglars and thieves. Meanwhile,
the State Constable haa taken hold Of the
vlgor than ever before, and by keeping large
detachment OF his force on constant patrol
duty, day and night, has, for between two and
three months, he1meticalIy scaled theao dens,
80 that not . game has been played, and tho
| professional gamblers have betaken them
| eelveo in deep discontent to other cities.
Il1EQART And Net oos4P.
The literary neua market is rather dali The
| two ne1ling books Of tho season arc Miss
Ncott's tOld Fashioned Girl" and Miss
Phelps Hedged In y and ererr mail brings
in not cnly orders to the publishers, but letter.
1 to the authors, from strangers who have been
| fascinated by their styles, widely different Il
| they are, and with but the one common quality
| Of being sympathetic, and hAve been iuesisti
BY moved to confide their Joys and griefs Il
the writer's themselves. When We add 10 these
| the remembrance thAt the two great LITERARY
sensations Of tho year have como frum Mrs
Stove md Gail Hamilton, We must acknow,
| ledge that woman ia at Last having her innings
The victorious ladies' fit about the world lkt
birds Of passage. aud seem to enjoy their In
dependence. Mtb. Stowo Is in Florida, =,
usual At this season: escaping the
England year, entertaining treachcrorl
guests who write to the newspapers about he.
household RhAirs and tahle-talE, and employ
ing her leisure in writing half if-desachcd, hA1f
connected series Of short tales, called q Old
Town Stories" which will make their first ap
pearance in the Attonsic Monthly. Gail Ham
1ton, "a ' Gath" has told yon, Is in Washing
ton, seeing how men may struggle over nation
al questions without half the ea1nestnes o.
ouc-tenth tho wit abe puts into quarrel ovel
books- As she Is 90 fsr away, I suppose vi
must credit to soma bright agent the sprghtl,
advertisements in her name which chronicl,
the success OF her puguacious bool,- It ssye.
her reputation for veraaty to shift them from
her shoulders, for If the booksellors Ar
ts TO. b 'sls''d ID ,e1 The ..pdl7 ,S1G' ds DO;
that The inner circle Of aterad personally in
terested have been supplied. Hiss Alcott xa,
on her way acroes tho ocean before her bool
was fairly before the public, having only waitet
to set it out Of the way before taking . trip Il
| AALVPtf AAAE4t t&AEA tGl0thA4eAyy QAk AAVtA AE
ecesity, for the benefit Of her health Sh'
goes Accompanied BY two ladies', her artist sis
ter and friend, Ill 4iugle and Ill b-ave- Thu
party viii stay Auhile In brittany, trying th'
effect Of the y2unted climate Of that region
before pushing through to lt.ly: Miss Aeots,
hes return: but ehe may do some GtcraE
work abroad, il her health improves, weaving
| in in ZONE way the scenes and experience
through which she passes. -..
| Since have given no long paragraph Il
female writer's, lie. me sdd that Mis- Kat,
| Field is hero, having taken + furnished hons
and rettled down for good solid rest after he
tabotious lecture tour, which she can look b.cl
upon with tho pleasure which comes Of sub
stantiA profit. She is likely 70 lecture agai
next season, ind will probably take for he
there 5 LETT s4e phase Sc. q the ssE. & s5ss se
very infancy. her parents being aetoFs an
, herself An ardent thcatrc-Rocr and bTil!lan
critic. She is studying Fechter with the sam
admiration she gave TO Ristoti and Dickens
and of cousse viii write her Impressions 70
some periodical or smother.
Messrs- Fields, oegood / Co. have issue
al the books Of thtiS spring iat, except II
recoud volume Of R1yant's Homer" tho CO
, lection OF sketches By Mr. F. Bret H1rte, an
the Englsh Note BooknF Of Nathaniel HAv
, thorne.
Mcesrz. Roberts Bzoshern have fairly finishe
; their spring catalogue, and lcsr OF. nothin
further coming from them 1t present e1cet
; imported editions from English plates, bea,iu
their imprint, Of two clever old books OF rel
er.tions, by sir Humphrey DAvy, "salnonis
Q and Confessions o7 Ttarel = and yolum
z of poens bv Nj. Dante Gabriel Roesetti, nj
! yet issued in England This iAttez book. wit
s much that il eccentric, uncouth, and eurzy,
: CANT, contains few things showing quite .
5 much poetic fire Is bus been displayed by au
{ other member of that gifted family. f,
+ AMONG these, l shonld place 1.-THE Last Co
fcssiou," poem belonging to t5pe Great.
:. hr browning, hut showing IN its cloainS pas
kEes, Ann. iu1e~s, <A=ouehout, = decTre
strength which Browning himself has nov
surpassed.
\ Nessrs. Lee / Shepard seem to be less ,
IS tive than usual. The first volume Of tht
,e elaborate edition of Charles Summers wor
Il yet fingers in the proof-rcader's loving hand
i Their illustrated book, by Lieutenant Dali c
is AlAskx, h also kept back By tho elsboratene
G, Of its rn partition They ANNOUNCE m Anne
r. icsn novel, with the unpleasant aud most u
n suggestive title, life and Alone" md hA
g commenced series Of musical bioqaphi
N called The Tone Masters" BY young a
,e thor, Who has made : hit in the treatment
1t such subjects.
II At The Nverside Press they are chiefly occ
+ pied with = new book called "Tha EAtio1
le treating the essential, fundamental prinnpl
P Of political science As they have harily .,
h ! been discussed IN this country. The author
It \ Mr.. E. Au1ford, = careful student. who max
ch with this solid octavo, his Art appearance
er believe, in Gtcratrrr.
w Our art galleries are singularly destitutA j
r. naw Of objects of interest; except that ono