Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-03-07
Letter from Boston.
lrRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
BosroN. March @. IS

Fairs and art occupy the public mind, just
now, and perhaps should add charity, for fairs
and charity are so closely connected, that work
for one is supposed TO imply interest in the
other Wonderful tales are told daily of the
attractions to be offered at the French fair. The
last one is the announcement in Sunday pa
per, of che new and expensive dresses to be worn
by the attendants; and the statement that one
lady is taxing the ingenuity of her "modiste"
| TO provide twelve new and different costumes
for the twelve days Of the fair. 1t is probable
that Paris dresses will be imported for the occa-
sion, and a variety of French goods, for cable
dispatch states that the foreign buyers of one of
| the large dry goods establishments in this city,
! are in Paris, having been lingering for a long
while in Brussels, until Paris should be open.
So trade and charity will help each other great
| ~. In addition to the usual calls for the regu
lar yearly expenses of the charitable institutions
here, there are appeals for funds for four new
buildings, all really needed. The New England
hospital for women and children, now situated on
Warrenton and Pleasant streets, must be moved.
The situation has become too noisy for hospital,
and the opening of Shawmut avenue to Eliot
street will take a part of the hospital land.
Land for the new hospital has been bought in
Roxbury; the sale of the houses now in use will
not bring money enough for the new buildings,
and the rest must be begged. A fair was held at
Music hall last week to help pay for the pur-
chase and fitting up of Grove hail for DR.. Cul-
ISIS "Consumptives' Home" The Massachu-
sets infant asylum, at Brookline, finds its one
old-iashioned house entirely unsuited to its
needs, and asks for only ten thousand dollars to
build plain, comfortable and convenient house
for its babies. One of the asylums for old peo-
pie also needs a better place. All these are use
full and prudently managed institutions; and
their demands are not eXtravagant. They all
desire plain and substantial buildings, arranged
for the comfort and convenience of the inmates,
and do not propose to spend dollar on use
| less ornament or mere show.
The sixty-four pictures at the art club exhibit
ton, or reception as it is called, attract great
| deal of attention, and are universally praised.
| Amongst them are two landscapes by Gay,
pleasing, of course, but his landscapes are never
SO beautiful as his beaches; landscapes by
Thomas Hill, w. NJ. Fisher, J. F. Cole, Griggs,
and Champney, a coast scene by F. D. Will
liams, several pictures by VIM. Hunt, birds by
Miss Stetson, and fine portrait of Prof Tori
celli by Edgar Parker. A salmon by Bracket
occupies conspicuous place on the walls, and
is said TO be good, but painted fish not inter-
estng, and have become drug in the market.
They have been the fashion lately, and have
hung in the picture-shop windows till one is
tired of the sight of them. We may hope for
their disappearance after Lent The great piece
of Gobelin tapestry, from the front entry of the
Deacon house, hangs in one of the rooms Of the
art Stub; and pinned on the wall in the same
room is slip of paper, with the signatures of a
dozen or more artists, promising to meet al
that place on certain evening each week; every
one bringing something, an original picture
sketch, or model, photograph, or some boob
upon art The paper is far more interesting
than the square yards of tapestry, and suggests
talk, criticism, and encouragement of art that
one would like to hear more about.
At Williams & Everett's there are two full.
length portraits worth seeing, one of Arson
Burlingame by Bicknell, and one Of Cyrus
Wakefield of Wakefield by Ames. At the art
gallery on fremont street, formerly A. A.
Childs & Co., now Elliot, Blakeslee & Noyes, }
are Hopkins cork models Of Windsor castle,
Melrose and Westminster abbeys. They are
curious things and show a vast amount of pa
thence in the maker. The smaller ones are really
pretty, and think they repay visitor for the
few minutes time they require.
The use of bright-colored tiles on the outside of
houses seems to be gaining favor. Bands of them
are used with good effect on the handsome stone
building at the corner of fremont and Boylston
streets; and they are employed more sparingly
| on many Of the brick houses, on the new streets
leading from Beacon street. and Commonwealth
avenue. A free use Of them in bands, or in a
continuous ornament, adds much to the beauty
of house, giving it individuality and breaking
up the usual depressing monotony of new
street; but few tiles scattered over the front of
house, or marking the four angles of an
imaginary diamond under each window, are not
ornamental; they look patchy, and are pleasing
only because they suggest the more abundant
use of ornament by and by.
The statue of Gov. Andrew at the state house
does not add to Mr.. Balls reputation; the criti-
cism on it is slightly unfavorable, but not Sc
we're; the head and shoulders are good the
clothes, correct copy of those Gov. Andrew
used to wear, are awkward in MARBLE and the
cloak occupies both arms; it is thrown back
from the chest, and tucked up under the left
elbow, while the right hand, raised has taken
hold Of the front on that side, as if to keep it
from slipping off. This statue has revived the
| controversy in regard to the proper drapery of
statues. | say controversy, because, as modern
clothes are cast in bronze and chiseled in mar
BILE, somebody must believe in that style; all the
argument that one hears is against it; and Gov
Andrews marble trousers bid fair to receive as
much abuse, and call out as many sharp sayings,
as Webster's bronze ones Boston now has nine
portrait statues, of which l could find no printed
account | have, with some trouble, collected
the facts about them, and viii send them ia an
other letter.
Mr.. Hatch's arrest last week created much
less excitement that one would have supposed.
A vigorous and prolonged revival meeting was
in progress at fremont Temple, under the man
agement of Elder Knapp; and Mr. Hatch, a
Unitarian minister of Sctuate, took that place
and time to distribute Unitarian tracts Kuapp's
hearers were greatly disturbed, but what could
be done? there is no law against being disgree-
able, and no law against distributing tracts or
advertisements, as we all know; for tracts not
| Unitarian have been distributed broadcast many
a time, in horse cars, at the doors OF public
meetings and on the street; and hosts of men
| and boys thrust advertisements into your hands
or face at hundred places in the crowded
streets, and are an unabated nuisance. How
ever, Mr.. Hatch must be got out of the way, so
he was arrested for violating the law which
says;
"No person shall stand in any street for the
| purpose Of grinding cutlery, or for the sale of
| any article, or for the exercise of any business
or calling, unless duly licensed by the board of
| aldermen"
This was rather funny, and Of course Mr.
Hatch could not be convicted, for all the grind
ing in the matter was grinding of teeth. He did
not offer to sell the tracts and certainly TO offer
them where they were not wanted was not his
business, so he was let of, and proceeded to do
it again with grim and determined expression