The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-11-25
LETTER FROM BOSTON.

Kingdom. | am sure that the heads beneath
the bonnets to be seen in church today are
buster far with plans for feasting all the auntS
and cousins expected next week, than in duti-
fully forswearing the moral denquencies to
which humanity seems preCiSposed. How
much the spirit Of the occasion is cnycl0ped in
the pies and punches of the day. Those who
have everything to be thankful for do not real
ize their good fortune, perhaps, AS much as
others whom the world would expect to be
wholly Wretcled and given over to rcpining
1t always seems to me that the contentment or
easlly-promoted enjoyment of humble people
on such occasions as Thanksgiving and Christ
mas is something cnvabe and beautiful. Who
can forget that Christmas dinner of the Cratch-
its, in their four-roomed house, so eNqusitely
pictured in A Christmas Caro=' Such il
goose, and such padding; and The odor Of
the latter ''likc IN eating house and a pastry
cooks next door 10 each other. With Il lIln-
dress's next door to that,' is a description that
would have made Dickens reputation had he
not written another line. we are continually
saying how Dickens exaggerated, but th.re is
not believe, Il touch too much of color any
where in that picture of Bob Cratchit', Christ
mas dinner. In many little home this week
the joyous scene will he repeated, and the
smallest sort Of Il turkey, or perhaps only il
chicken, will furnish callsc for greater thanks
than the grounin@ table, in more prosperous
households.
There seems to be Il sort Of society i'll Boston
for the encouragement Of pie-making. | DON'T
mean IN actual organ lation, though I've no
doubt it will soon come TO that. Recently
was present at Il club meeting where a discus
sion Oh the home and its duties was in order
OF course the servant question took convel>a
ton into the kitchen, m there it lowered about
| the cook stove, and Get into the frying pam
which was pronounce an invention of The
devil--and finally into the oven, where it en-
countcrel a pie. Then to have Seen the lifting
| of hands and eyes one would have supposed Il
procession OF ghosts had flied into The ROOM
each one of which had found is way into the
grave through the medium Of pie. But there
was one woman sensible and independent
enough to sit unmoycd and champion the cause
of poor beElborea pie Every Thamh>gN ing
had found Il goodIy array Of pies in her house,
She said, and pot Of minced meat 10 last
through the holidays and please God, il should
while She lived. She said she was not dvSpcp-
tie, and had not Il olisma-tacpi member in her
family, and consequently did hot propose to
order inyaiiGs diet. | honorcd her courage.
but the enemies of pie only regarded her a,
| lncorrigible and perhaps dementcd. Dy>lnI-
ties are great deal like the fox who LOST hi,
tail; they would persuade every one that what
they must avoid Should be generally passed by
Prof. Proctor draws the Questioning eli}e to
his astromical lectures at the Lowell Institute
and Sunday afternoons i'll horticultural Hall
Emerson has often taken them up to the stars.
but Proctor revcrSes things and only OCCASION
| ally descends to earth This blue-stocling
clique is gradually increasing in numbers. Re
Gently they have formed society TO encourage
home study. Any person with Il sincere wish
to give up his leisure moments TO the acquire
ment of philosophical historical, art aud lin
guistic knowledge, understand. can be admit
ted and directed rs to the best method Of pur-
suing these studies i'll solitary confinement.
From time to time the students will meet to-
gcther and report progress, and thus be saved
ing interest. There is Il certain kind of culture
that is not pulled up, &c. and then there i,
| another kind that is the outgroWth of Il mere
desire to be known a. cultivated, that is in
| tensely artificial and di~a@reeabIc, Those per-
sons who constantly pirate of ''inproying the
mind" and who ''SuSh" in conventional chan
| ncls often make UNCONSCIOUS ignorance actually
charming.
The latest charity, altd one that c;lnot l,iI to-
commend itself, is home where school teach
| crs with no relatives in the city can find quiet
retreat in case of illness. Mrs. T.. j. Pike is
the thoughtful patron of this home, which is
located far out on Washington street. This
lady has spent $500 in fitting up this home,
which will accommodate sixteen persons. OF
course She desires Aid TO carry it ON, and of
course She will got it, for what household is
there that does not owe some grateful tribute
to one or more of TIL, hard-worlrd profession.
\ teacher-I mcan one of the rank and lile-
when i'll is obliged to hire Il substitute to take
her place. She has to pay the substitute so Il
week out of her salary, which i, often Hot more
than 81 She has then left - weekly, with
As that can't be done they rum in debt. and
when they do get on their feet again the ro;ot
seems all up hill. 1t is 4 wonder that no ono
of the host of good and generous persons i'm
this city has never thought of this much-ncedrd
institution before. But the millennium won't
come till we grow to it, ought just here 10
give story Il primary school teacher Of this
city has told that shows what many il rUor
,'Schoo marm'' has to deal with. and why not
a few believe in the total deplHyityof BOYS:
one little fellow had contracted the habit of
being late in the morning, but he always had
some good excuse for his tardiness. lie WAS
repeatedly told that he must mend his ways,
with no good result. At last, the teacher said
She must punish him ia order to improve his
memory. The boy stumbled up to the plat
| form, and between those pumped-llp Nobs that
show the dramatic element in budding chAlac-
tcrs stammcrcd that the baby was SICK und his
mother couldn't get his breakfast IN time. The
teacher laid down the rattan and ~sud ii that
WAS the case he might be excused. The next
morning he was late again, bat She thought the
"baby" might still be sick and the household
not restored to working order, and she con-
cudcd TO say nothing. 4 few morning, after
this the boy was again late, and the teacher
said encrgetcally Nov | must whip YOU
this time" The boy again began to cry before
he was touched and again mutercd his excuse,
which this time was to the effect that the baby
died the night before OF course the rattan
was vet again put away and the boy sent with
Il kind word to his scat. The second day after
this the boy was absent and on the following
morning the child was accompanied to school
by an older brother, who had come to complain
that the little fellow had played truanl the day
before. "Wel," said the teacher TO the Older
boy, II must punish him now. have excused
him many times of late, but Of course could
not whip him when the baby wa, sick on when
it died" "What." exclaimed the older brother,
with an ncrcdulous look on his face. The
teacher explained. 1--WE h'aint had no baby
was the indignant response. The denoucmcnt