Worcester daily spy., 1872-08-20
Letter from Boston.
The InIOlerabIe Weather 49, a Catholic
COneerI-HOspitaIs and Hospital Work
Professor Agassiz' Museum-POIIIicaI
EnIertainments-NewR Books.
TFRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENCE


MSalhcI MOulu require Il suppression VI uhtuidl
emotion that no editor is cruel enough to de
mand. The season is a series of exaggerations
which would be startling if ones capacity TO be
startled had not been destroyed long ago by
parboiling and debility. Intense burning heat
alternates swiftly with floods of hot rain, fierce
thunder, roaring for an hour at once, and light
ming blazing for the same time; even moonlight
is no longer cold, though it continues pale; and
the east wind has lost its character, and is as
false to its traditions as Mr.. Sumner to his.
"In the sweat Of thy face thou shalt eat bread, )"
is curse thoroughly appreciated but since
the days of poor, foolish Adam and Eve, who
Sinned themselves into clothes and work, its
extent has been enlarged and il now embraces
the whole body and every possible occupation.
was going TO say, and amusement, but there
is no such thing as amusement now; and be
lieye the only exhibition open is the Gallery of
Anatomy, where skeletons sit in their bones )"
But with faith that the worst is over, or will
be over in a week, the Catholics have advertised
a monster concert at the coliseum for next Sun
day afternoon. Thirty thousand children, all
Sunday school members, and the powerful coli
scum organ, are to do their utmost in making
noise, for the benefit of the House OF the Angel
Guardian, one of the numerous asylumS here for
orphan and destitute children.
The small pox hospital at the south end has
been practically closed; no patients are admit
ted there, and the few whom it was not desira-
BILE to take to Gaoups island will soon be well.
New cases are taken at once to the island, if the
patients can be moved there without injury; if
not, they must be treated at home, for there is
no hospital for them on the main land, Statis-
tics in regard to small poX for the last half CEN
fury are really interesting. For part of that
time the law required "seclusion," as hospital
imprisonment was called; and then for some
time the experiment was tried of compulsory
vaccination, instead of legal interference with
the sck-prevention instead of cure. That did
not work so well, and "seclusion" was once
| more established by law. The negligence and
| abuses at the hospital are not thought of
as an argument against " secluson;" no
body objects to the law, but human people,
| aud those who don't like pestilence, are
indignant with the board of health and the
aldermen because they do not enforce real,
instead Of nominal SeclusiOn, and do not pro-
vide the best possible accommodations for the
patients. Whether Galloup's island will be an
improvement on the south end hospital, or only
place in which it is easier to conceal horrors,
| remains to be seen. The city physicians have
no authority over pest houses, and are in no
| way responsible for them. | believe the physi-
clans here have done everything in their power
to keep the hospitals in order, and are conscien-
tous and faithful men.
The new buildings for the N. E. hospital for
women and children in Roxbury are very nice.
| They stand high, on Goldman avenue, just off
| Shawmut avenue near Egleston square; have
| plenty of sun and air, fine views, and so much
land, that sun and views can never be shut out
from them. The wards are pleasant and con-
venient; the upper story is devoted to children;
and the lying-in patients are in smaller houses,
quite detached from, but near the main build
ing. One of these houses is built, and three
others will be, when the hospital has money
enough to support them. The buildings will
be finished, and the patients removed there in
| course of two months The hospital needs
money to pay for these new houses which it
could not possibly do without; it is a well and
economically managed institution, and an ex-
ceent thing to which to give donations or be-
| quests.
Professor AgassE museum in Cambridge
has grown wonderfully this last year.
| The roof has been raised, making Il
large, light dry attic, an invaluable place for
the storage of certain things; the grounds have
been put in order, and borders and boxes of
gay flowers make the place quite pretty. Inside,
new rooms have been finished, and the accom-
! plished professors who labor therei have much
better accommodations than they did last year.
| All the collections have increased; from the
great, rough, woolly buffalOes, to the eXq usite
| creatures with jeweled bodies and fairy wings
that Dr. Hagen puts so daintly in their glass
covered boxes, arranging each box SO that it
tells the whole history of the insect it contains
On one side is the female, in every stage of her
| existence, from the minute egg TO the perfect
| butterfly; on the other Ga sort of Quaker meet
| ing arrangement is the male in all the stages
| Of his life Below them, in the same bo Y, are
all the enemies that prey upon them, exhibited
| in every stage OF their development. / believe
Dr. Hagen has more than one hundred thousand
| specimens classified in this perfect way. In
this room gentleman was making pencil draw
ings of marvellous decacy, from some insects so
| small that he had to look at them through
a microscope. Think Of the accurate eye, the
trained hand, the patient temper and the faith
| full spirit required for such work | looked
with great respect at the man who could put so
much virtue, and so much knowledge, and so
much beauty on to less than a square inch of
| cardboard. Professor AgasSiz collection of
Brazilian palms and ferns is there, but not yet
unpacked; and the snakes and fishes are end
less Professor Wilder has been making large
| collection of the brains of animals, very interest
ing to those who study formation and develop
ment, but throwing very little light on the rela-
| ton between instinct or mind, and the shape
and size of the actual brain. But there is no
end to the curious and instructive things col
lected there.
| Yesterdays horticultural exhibition brought
out beautiful collection of roses, a magnificent
| show of gladioli, some fine lilies, and onions as
big us good-sized summer squashes. The bas-
ketS of cut flowers are always arranged with
taste, and the exhibitions attract great many
visitors.
To non-yoter the political game is rather
amusing just now, and looks as if the partners
were dealt for, as in whist, Mr.. Sumner and Mr..
Greeley playing against Mr.. Phillips aud Gen.
Grant; the advisers are as queer as the part
ners, JEFF Davis looking over Sumner, and The
odore Titon over his old enemy, Greeley. Gen.
Grant is quiet, and shows his hand to no one;
the others don't follow the rules of Hoyle. Mr..
Sumner is always inclined to play the king
when he can, without regard 10 the game; Til
ton prefers queens, and makes great account of
those on his side; while Greeley, who is never
sure about trumps, has prejudice in favor of
low cards, and likes to play the deuce and the
knave. JEFF Davis hates black trump, never
has had luck with one; Grant does Mt care
Whit for the color, but he knows how to make
the most of those he has. The last deal gave
Phillips brilliant hand, which he used to adj
vantage, and, holding the honors too, that side
did well. We are curious to see what the next
deal will bring
OF all weak and forlorn things Greeley fans are
the weakest and the forlornest. They must be
painful to his friends for they are pathetic to
his opponents. On shop counters, on window
Sillg on hook stalls lie these fiat old faces the