Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-12-25

per correspondents, ought to begin this letter
with "Dear Americdn.- But, on the whole,
that would be somewhat ambiguous and might
leave some doubt as TO the particular American
Imam or woman) the object Of my affection.
IfIwere to begin thus,-'Dear American, your
cousin was here last night. The NEE ting house
was burned up Tor DOWN. Tuesday morning;
having been set on fire. probably. by an incen-
diary. There Is going to1be a raffis at Mr.
Smiths. Opposite the Boston grocery Sell
your stove covers for old iron and come and
see &" l should convey All immense amount
Of intelligence, but not Of very definite kind
But II say ITO the Ellsworth American
everybody williknow Tor ought to know the
party In. question.
We have had, here IN Boston, many days. of
unsettled weather. many, indeed, that they
have come to be almost rs tedious a. unsettled
bills. People haven't been out Of late to take
the air--they have taken umbrellas instead.
Umbrellas have been the rage. They have been
more fashionable than spring bonnets. What
is money without an umbrella! IT l. wealth with
out protection. And a man without one. chem
ically speaking, is a saturated solid. A horse
might as well be without tail in as-time or
boy without body when he wants TO go TO
bed. We shall all be glad when the clouds,
like pulling horse. are disposed to break away;
when the traditional Boston mud is dried up,
and the streets are less like that floor which
Mr.. Dick swiveiler termed "sloppy."
Did you ever read Of Charles Lambs sympa-
thy with London street life, and how the tears
came into his poor tender eyes at the sight of
80 many human faces. One on city streets
the whole gamut Of humanity. Comparing the
scene to the scale OF piano you get everything
from the big growing end to the little .queaky
one
Here is great and good man-onc of the city
council. "A good portly man i faith. and
corpulent," and proud Of his fieshy aris,ocracy
How great he is In his chiljlikc innocence, or
how innocent he Is in his childlike greatness
innocent, OF moral force. innocent Of virtue.
Look upon his puffy cheeks. notice his wai-
ding gait. see his ferocious BuebearJ whisk-
ers, observe his Falstafiian figure and think
how noble 1t is TO be a councilman. and to have
place in the hearts Of your countrymen.
"Her-r-r-did, five o'clock, full account o the
lection" cries the little Dickon Sudge OF a
newsboy who plays the very imp with your
ears. His larynN Is TO sound what bullseve Is
to light, it concentrates ii. He just throw. his
mouth back on its hinges and utilities all the
sound he has. The result is $ pure extract;
there il nothing wasted There Is energy
enough in one Of these yells TO run Manches-
ter mill The ncwsboy is a force; he i also a
wit. lie /, "unputaboutabc, irrcpr essiblc,
and 1t behooves one not TO tempt him.
Behold the crowd. What a versatility Of
dress. What \ variety of face. What an in
tensity Of purpose. Everybody going but no.
body knows where. Your n.ighbor il Of no
account, for you don't know anything about
him. Everyone appears to be struggling with
time. forgetting the Indians reply To the man
who complained Of having too little, II sup
pose YOU have all there is" The member from
Bsngtown is little hinlercd by his sizabc
boots but heayes ahead manfllly. His wife is
generally tribe behind but keeps a solid grip
on her noble helpmeets arm and thinks she
can anchor him II anything can. You are re-
minded Of Gen. Harbottc's observa ton that
"a married man. with hi. wife hanging on his
arm, always put, him in mind OF a chamber
canilestick. with its extingui-hcr hitchcd 10
It,"
But gentlemen DO not AWAY. have their wives
with them. Too many come 10 the city Tor
lark, and leave their wives At hong, anil, alas
too many mis-. the lark in tn morning from
going 10 bci so late the night beforc.
People not used 10 crowded thorpughfarrs
sometimes get bewildered. An Irish friend and
his wife were about to cross the track just in
front Of hor.e-car. The man saw the danger
-"h ti,u with an interesting
amount Of decision AMI dispatch 4nd earnest
ness and precipitation. You should have seen
the look OF CONSERVATION on her face ~ she
struck the attitude Of = clothc,-horse on iron
Ing day. II was, indeed. like the nozzle 10 a
hose pipe. \ narrow escape.
Sometimes you wonder II everyone Of the
crowd has place 10 sleep in. You smile at
feminine enthusiasm over the complications Of
dry goods. You admire the typical merchant
Of Boston. You pity the young gent" OF the
period who Is straining after the latest neck
tie. You see men wretched 10 nose. unhap-
py as to mouth, miserable as TO feet and de-
formed as to shape. You see women clothed
with bundle Of ragged knick-knacks. their
hair tied up with a shoe-string, battered and old
and worn like target after long service. But
In the midst OF this lavishmcnt Of ,lefornity
there is greater proligalitv Of beauty. And
beauty, too, not OF the hot-hou,c. bat Of the
garden. Too much art i, too much fu.iian.
Apollo Bevcdcre is admirable; but Apollo
Belyedere with a cigar and cooked hat il shock
ing. The freshness Of budding beauty needs
foreign aid 10 set it on 1t pe:t,ts merely b,.-
cause II is fresh, and budding aud beautiful"
Boston women. think, haye claim 10 good
looks. You see some Gf the freshest, farc,t
women here you ever see. Sofl-h.i d. gentle
eyed, sweet-faceI " omen. Women Of brilliant
mind and tuneful shape. Who ha, not heard
Of Boston women: Of their refinement, Of their
Intelligence, of their wit, Of their beauty: Who
has not heard Of Mary A. I.ivermores who can
make as eloquent and graceful q speech as any
man in Boston, and whose modesty is equal to
her intelligence. II Is safe TO trust "Woman's
Rights" with her and she is sure TO make many
converts.
Would that l could speak highly Of Julia
Ward Howe, seeing I'm in the vein, but my
honesty will not be kept down. Mrs. Howe is
= weaker woman. She can speak her piece
with tolerable accuracy, but she has Giiatish
manner and thin voice. II you will allow
the comparison, she has scared look, like a
chicken perched on the roOst for the first time.
She lacks Ms boldness Of Anna Dickinson
anu nobody is sorry for that. Anna Dickinson
Is made Of other metal-which is brass.
Miss Jennie Collins is another Boston uele-
brity; a faithful working woman, the Queen Of
Boffn's Bower. She appears to be doing good
for its own sake, and will be rewarded, As wo-
men are now estimat ed, by apublc benefaction
Of new calico gown and $500 year for her
time, Sundays accepted.
But you mustn't think we are all women up
here,-and it's lucky for the tailors we are not.
Mr.. Murray is one Of the exposures Of Boston.
lie is star performer. Some Of the ladies at
our table are constant attendants at the Park |
street church. (Some miscreant has dubbed it
the Mystic Park church.) They think "he's
splendid" Miss Is. hires diagonal seat so AS
to compromise between side and front view
Of the great preacher. Mrs. L. does the same
but likes any view. Il think she would be con-