New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-26

American village. The old houses are many enough
and prominent enough to give it antique aspect,
in spite of the factories and avOrs of the haforgot-
ten past, such as hung around Hawthornes custom
house down at the port, waited along its quiet
road Of to the right at the foot of the ridge there
is pond inlet of brackish water; steam railway
along there and there most of the factories
but; but in the main street the hill there is lit
tie to break the stiffness. Just by the side of the
road there is an old graveyard. Right opposite, on
the other side of the water, lies Harmony Grove, a
and more fashionable place of sepulture, where
the upper classes may be inferred with all the modern
improvements, including patent burial case and a
granite monument. Mr.. Peabodys remains will be
placed in this grove but the precise spot for their
permanent resting place has not yet been selected.
THE HOUSE IN WHICH MR.. PEABODY WAS BORN.
In company with Mr.. Poole, the courteous Librarian
of the Institute. went to the house in which Mr.
Peabody was born. 1t is the outskirts of the viii
lage, and eighty years ago probably quite in the
country. What it was eighty years ago. it is not
in any respect, that most of the old build
ing remains and can be identified. A long L has
been added; a small kitchen which was ancently
attached to the rear like excrescence, has been
moved away; and improvements, enlargements, and
alterations have been made to such an extent that
the old place has all the external appearance of
lanheo village mousse. n lew IOuS III INC
rear is a tannery few rods away at side is q
glue-factOry, and the owner of the factory, Mr..
Upton is also the though not the occupier of
the house. We met the lady of the house the
door, and she very kindly gave us permission to
enter, and showed us all that remains of the old
house where Thomas Peabody lived and his son
George was born. 1t was a two-story house. with
short hall and narrow stairway in the middle and
on each floor single small on each side of the
hall-four rooms in all. These, with the kitchen
clubhouse. now removed comprised the whole. The
front door opens close to the ground and only foot
or two from the street railing. There is no porch,
and the front of the house is almost bare if it
had been shaved off with plane. Bare and ugly
enough the place must have been when the old Pea
body family held it, though now With its enlarged
proportions, bright paint, and neat appearance it
is so far improved that sensitive man might per-
haps live in it without absolute unhappiness. The
orr gnal rooms have not been altered. On the first
floor they are only little over six feet high, and
across the middle of the ceiling runs beam which
tall visitors must stoop to pass. The heavy timbers
of the framework also conspicuous at the corners
But for these with the fresh wallpaper, bright
pets, and modern furniture there would be nothing
in the appearance of the rooms to remind you of
their age Il have tried everywhere" said Mrs -,
10 get some furniture WHICH belonged 10 lne Olu
place, but not bit can be found I would like
above all things to make at least of these
look as it did when the Peabodys had it,"
"You must be very much annoyed with visitors"
said l. " and am ashamed of my own intrusion upon
your patience"
"Oh, not at all ; know that strangers like to
the house. and / am very happy to show it."-But
before the funeral is over fear the kind adys good
nature will be taxed to its uttermost limits.
The room in which George Peabody was born is
the one up stairs the right as you enter the house.
The town is very proud of that roOm 1t was pointed
out to us before reached the house by citizen
whom we met in the road. 1--WE intended" said
Mrs. -, "to drape the house in mourning on the
day of the funeral but the town authorities asked
us to leave that duty to them. The procession will
probably pass by here" If it does, it will have to
pass great deal out of its way and considering that
Mr.. Peabody himself never showed any attachment
to the house. such hOnOrs to those four little rooms
seem rather superfuous.
THE INSTITUTE.
shall not detain you with description OF the
Peabody Institute for that has been described too
often. placard on the door announces that it is
closed to the public until after the " funeral
obse0uies," but l had no difficulty in obtain
ing leave to see what had been done in the
way of preparation. The library. on the lower
floor, is fitted up for the lying in state. rich
catafalque, draped with black velvet and silver
fringe, and studded with the conventional emblems
and ornaments of grief occupies the middle of the
ROOM and around it is railing, draped in mourning,
and pointing out the way for spectators to enter,
walk about the bier, and pass out by another door
At the head of the bier is the celebrated portrait of
Queen Victoria presented by Her Majesty to Mr. Pea
body few years ago, and now kept in kind of
safe, built into the rear wall of the library
and closed by large doors. When these
doors are thrown open the picture will be
seen in very appropriate position. The walls of the
library will be draped and the flags of England and
the United States intertwined among the drapery.
have seen in various newspapers descriptions of the
somber magnifcence of this draped hall; but the
descriptions prophetic rather than historical for
as yet not much has been done. The writers have
trusted more to the decorators written scheme than
to personal observation. The lecture-room the
second floor is at present in halfmouning, and will
be more fully draped for the eulogy which is to be
delivered there some time next month by Mr. A. A.
Abbott President of the Board of Trustees.
GEORGE PEABoDY's SHOP.
Nearly opposite the Institute is the shop in which
George Peabody, during his apprenticeship, served
out groceries to the village customers 1t is little
white wooden building plain enough outside, and
distinguished within by that uncomfortable sort of
perverse irregularty which generally marked the
achievements of country architects in old times. 1t
has been enlarged by additions at the rear, but is
otherwise unchanged, except by the introduction OF
larger front windows than used to be the fashion.
The groceries have now given place to drugs, and
one corner is used a telegraph office. smart lad
behind the counter told me all he could of Mr.. Pea
bodys visit the town last year. but there was little
to tell.
Did he come TO see this shopT
"weu VOC Sir he drove by in a carriage but he