Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-24
Letter from Boston.
Professor TyndaIrs Lectures-The Radf-
cal CIub-Art and ArIisIs-Tbe First
Fair of the seasOn-One Thing Boston
Is Ashamed of.
[FRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENCE
BosroN. October 81. 1872.

around the outside door, ready for that mai
rush, were turned away disappointed, and
rather cross at having wasted their time in wait
| ing. MANY more tickets were issued than there
are seats in the hail. the low steps in the asles
were all occupied, and the walls lined with men
standing. Professor Tyndall is a man of me-
dunn height, slender in figure, and with hair
and beard Just tinged with gray. His eyebrows
are peculiar aud very expressive; he is not
handsome, and yet seen, as he sometimes is in
silhouette against the brilliantly lighted screen,
prepared for his experiments, the outline of his
| head and face is beautiful, fine and
spirited. The hearty applause that greeted
| him showed that he had already
won the sympathy and good will of his audi
ence, with whom he is delightfully."- familiar
without ever losing dignity. His manner is I'M
studied; he is indeed unconscious of it, being
wholly occupied with his subject. He begins
with both hands on the table before him, and
leaning forward, but in a. minute or two stands
erect, and as the subject grows in interest he
uses slight, swift, expressive gestures, with
hand, with eyeglass, sometimes with his whole
| body. On Saturday evening he had good
| deal to say about Thomas Young, the founder
OF the undulatory theory of light the greatest
man, in his department of science, since New
ton: but a man whose greatness has never been
appreciated, and who lived and died in compar
alive obscurity. While speaking with deep rev.
erence of Mr.. Young'S life and scientific work,
Prof Tyndall dropped into slightly sing-song
manner, not in the least unpleasant to hear or
to see; l say to see, tor his body rocked in the
regular undulatiou of his words. As soon as
he turned TO his experiments he was alert aud
nervous again; the experiments are beautiful
and fascinating, but cannot be described with
| ont a full report of the lectures. When
they do not come out quite right, he finds the
reason for it, and makes the partial failure as
| instructive as entire success would have been;
sometimes he tries again and again till he does
succeed; and at such times the audience watches
in profound silence, and at the moment of sue
! cess breaks into tumult of applause, as if each
individual nearer felt responsible and reioiced at
his own triumph, l never saw a pleasanter re-
lation between a lecturer and his audi
ence. He tells them just how long he
shall keep them, and when he shall re-
quire close attention, or real hand work, as he
calls it, from them. And they are perfectly re-
| sponsve. Saturday evening he left off in the
middle Of exquisite experiments in color with
soap bubble, and this evening be began at the
| very point where he left off, without word to
Indicate that forty-eight hours had passed since
| his last sentence. Tonight his experiments
were to illustrate Newton's theory of the
propagation of light by emission, and Young's
theory of its propagation by undula-
tions; also the architecture of crystals;
and the marvellous phenomena of light
and color caused by Interference This
will be the subject of the lecture next Wednes-
day. Professor Agassiz was one of the listeners
this evening, and his appearance excited great
enthusiasm, of which he was apparently uncon-
seious, not seeming to have the least idea that
the applause had anything to do with him.
Professor Tyndall has found the Boston air too
pure for some of his experiments, and has
amused his audience by smoking it little, in
order to make it more like the London air in
which he is accustomed to work.
This morning the radical club held its first
meeting since the long summer vacation. There
was large attendance, with more than the
usual number of interesting people. Mr.. Hig-
gnson talked about his visit in England aud
France, in free, intimate, agreeable way, that
was quite charming TO his audience. He used
no notes, and he is one of the few spea4ers to
whom notes are unnecessary. His talk was pic
turesque and very suggestive, and when he
stopped, questions were asked, and an
animated conversation followed, in which
n n. Wi
Mr., A. H. Louis (of LondoD), Miss Peabody,
Mrs. Howe, Mr.. Sanborn and Prof. Hunt took
part, discussing the characteristics and the con-
duct of English and Americans, their points of
resemblance, their dissimilarity, their effect
upon and mutual need of each other. The
meeting wGs an exceedingly pleasant one.
The matters of chief importance in the city
are the site for new court house, and what
shall be done with the Hancock street reservoir;
tie extension of Washington street, and-small-
pox. This disease is still prevalent, but is kept
in check by the care of physicians, and fortu-
nately has not yet spread over all the field
which the city government have persistently
left open for its free course, but which they are
now making some attempts to protect. A place
for hospital on the mainland has been bought,
and buildings will probably be erected there
believe compulsory vaccination is still going on.
Most people approve of it, but some funny sto-
ries are told of vigorous alterations between the
unvaceinated who are obstinate, and the consci-
entious doctor who is determined 10 do his duty,
and who Is accompanied by policeman. We
have heard Of only one case, however, and that
probably is not in any official re port, where the
representative OF the law was obliged to strip up
the sleeve of a rebelous young woman, while
the representative Of science and public health
marked her with the sign of safety-a sign
that the plague should pass over and not be upon
her
Art is the fashion; more than that it is in the
air we breathe, and we have opportunity to take
it in at every pore. Mr. Smiths book on Art
Education, and Mr. Perkins edition of East
lakes Hints on Household Taste will, of course,
be popular, for everybody is interested in houses,
furniture, and ornaments and now everybody
can know just what is artistic. Mr. Eastake's
book is delightful to the eye, and very entertain
ing; but we hope every body will not order
book case over his design, or set up a small
museum above the mantel piece. His book is
really useful and full of nice things but
bis dogmatism excites slight feeling
of opposition. However, if books and
teaching and talking will persuade car
penters and cabinet makers to make strong
and handsome furniture, we will find no fault
with dogmatism or any other thing that helps
to bring about the good result.
Mr.. Samuel A. Ways collection of Egyptian
curiosities, bequeathed TO the art museum, is soon
10 be exhibited at the Athen@um, and new
store is to be opened where artistic furniture
and artistic ornaments are to be sold, and moth
ing ugly or doubtful is to be seen. The stock
is selected to suit what should be the public
taste, not what it is; so If one has money, one
can buy there without fear of laundering, and
can without misgiving and inward trembling,
exhibit the precious purchases, or even dare to
offer them as gifts to cultivated" friends.
Williams & Everett have had recently few
very valuable pictures. A mass of hollyhocks,
bright, beautiful, and maryellously painted,
with two goats in the foreground, by Troyon,
a most attractive picture, cost six thousand dol
lars. In singular contrast was large picture
by lnness, view on the Tiber at
sunset The sunset light had faded; the
| foreground was unaee nf roIiouo