The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-11-20
Letter from Bcstor.
Correspondence Of the Journsi.

entertainment III large city presents to
the observant eye audiences of most d.
verse composition, each hall being occu-
pied by an asscmblagc distinctive in char
acter and utterly unlike all others. While
in the patrons OF the different theatres
this variance IS not 50 apparent, yet the
trequenters OF the Boston are different
class from that which fills the Museum.
and the Howard finds its supporters among
the less refined masses Of the city; but in
the lecture room are these contrasts more
pronounced. Is some distinguished for
eigner 10 occupy the desk, or u native
speaker eminent in science or art. then Il
nasty glance At the audience would give Il
stranger the impression that the wearing
OF halr on the top OF the head had gone
out OF fashion among the male members
OF society-their deficiency more than
made good, however, by the capillary
wealth OF the gentler sex present From
this gathering of Solons. and ladies array
ed IN all the glory OF fashionable attire.
We passed TO another lvccum where some
1aVoritc orthodox pastor is giving vent to
some most uuorthodoN cogitations, much
to the ediiieation OF hi, legal flock, who
come TO the lecture solely because THE
minister" il TO speak, and quietly acqui-
este IN whatsoever their darling shepherd
may utter, without once considering that
on the preceding Sabbath the lesson de
| llFereI from the pulpit was OF bitter de-
ANNEXATION IF the Sceptical views now L.
glibly falling from his eloquent lips. II is
something wonderful, this difference in
sentiment when OF and when on duty in
some OF our clerical brethren, ana The
complaccEcy With which hprosiaS are
swallowed by their people in the one ca,e
which would shock them 10 their ,oul's
foundation in the other.
But in the Lowell Institute il to b, found
an audience the like Of which is not a. be
found elsewhere in Boston, aud most eer-
tainly not oul> side of il And a. some Of
| Your readers doubtless know nothing Of
this Boston notion, and many more hut
vague ideas at best, propose. L. give 4
| short description Of the msri1ute foi. rhg;r
editication.
Nearly opposite Franklin street On
| Washington, is situated The rather homely
| Marlboro Hotel with its lead-coorcd
! brick front. The centre of the facade is
broken by an arch Of generous dimensions,
abundantly garnishcd with books, the
stock IN n'ade of A. W. lowering, the
well-knoWn bookseller. Passing through
the motley crowd porting over the litcra-
ture 50 temptinglv displayed. we arrive at
the door of building covered with mas
| tic, and over the portal read in Gilt let
tiers on 4 black ground the word, Lowell
| Institute. Crossing the threshold and
| traversing the entry, We come to the two
| flights Of stairs leading 10 the right and
left Choosing the left, ", make our
way 10 the auditorium, i room rs innocent
OF ornamentation rs the most seycre Of
our Puritan ioretather4 could wish for,
while all the air 2 solemn stiffness holds !;
not to mention the inSufferable 1ntistinesz
that ohcndS the nostriis and tickles the
throat. causing 4 general and long
| tanned coughing by those present, sugges-
| tive OF 4 convention Of coyotes From
the rear ii the hall the floor declines at
/ L. H.
| five 10 the centre, and thence on a more
| gradual incline TO the base Of the lecture
platform 4 plain circle Of gas lets in
the centre Of the ceiling furnishes the
Illuminating power, reinforced by i shad~
ed lamp on the lecture desk, which per
forms the twofold duty Of throwing light
on his notes (if he be unable 10 do 50 him
self and casting I. shadow OF illnercal
| hue on his Nisasc, which must be emf
nenty rcassurins to one unaceustomed
% appear in public on the stage
| Professor Proctor and James I Fields
are now giving courses Of lectures III tbe
! Institute, the former on Astronomy and
latter upon English Literature; both gen
tlemen being abundantlv able to do Jus
tice to their subjects But spoke OF the
| peculiar character Of the attendants on
these readings. Well / am free 10 say
| that | never saw so many intellectualizcd
| and unfeminine faces rs | saw last week
| at one Of Mr.. Fields lectures, and il high
! education is to rob the American woman
| Of her face divine, then fewer male hearts
| will be shattered than is now wofulN the
| case. And all the pretty little nothings
| that 90 to make up those bcwitching toll
cts that raise the old mick with the lords
of creation We're wanting here everything
severely plain, il not positively ugly. as
| each and all had no time 10 waste on the
! frivolties of fashion
| the tickets TO these lectures arc given
| out 10 the first comcrs gratis, and ut the
time announced for their dispensatlon
| long lines of anxious ones are to he seen
| headed towards the common goal The
doors are closed 1T IL o'clock upon the
evening Of the entertainment, and II the
hall is not full any one may enter, and the
doors are then closed AMI no one is after
| wards allowed admission. These lectures
| are the result of the muniticcnt and en-
| lightcned generosity of John Lowell, III,
who was born in Boston on the Nth Of
May, 1899. His father, Francis Cabot
Lowell, wealthy merchant Of eonsidcra-
Bile eminence, sent his son to Edinburgh
Scotland, TO continue in the high school
Of that ancient capital his education and
| fit himself for entry 10 Harvard Universe
| ty, where he was admitted in 1918. But
impaired health interfering with his sG,id-
les, he was compelled to abandon the
college after renE,ining therein two years,
and seek in travel abroad the precious
boon that was denied him at home lie
subsequently spent q few years in com