The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-21
BOSTON BOOKS.

BOSTON, May 10, 1871
1t really seems II the makers OF books and the
writer's newspapers all under conviction that
Boston needed humiliation and werc systematically
devoting themselves to the work. Miss Martincau
flung some very sharp in this direction, gentle
Barry Cornwall had few words to say about certain
Bostonians, DR.. Townsend disposed to consider
barren ag trees, Joseph Cook We have always
with taking the conceit out OF US as fast as he cam
and the journalists give us no rest at all Once upon
tme before half OF US turned Unitarian In religion
and nothing aran IN politics, when we all went "
meeting Sun days and to tho polls election days, We
INDUCED ourselves riots whenever things did not SO
mind anything would arouse our noble rage aud
incite tear up pavement, and yell and build
bonfire and drink and not 60 homo TIL morning,
unless happened to have Mayor sufficiently spir-
tied TO read tho Riot make behave like men
and not like beasts Usually wo INDUCED IN these
transports tho expense deenceess creature,
negro a handful OF frightened women being tho
persons generally favored by our attention; but wc
never except In the anti-savery RIOTS so thoroughly
disgraced ourselves did when we committed the
act recorded in "rhe Burning OF the Convent'-a little
book written by Mrs. Louisa Whitney and published
by James II. Osgood Co.
Tho Rev. Or. Lyman Bcecher was less polite than
Mr.. moody and his ways Of fostering revival
in his church was to attack others, aud, In tho
=
against the devil and tho Pope OF Rome, denouncing
converts and dispensing considerable valuable nor-
about the depravity that on within their
walls. There is shadow OF doubt OF his honesty,
but the result OF hts ignorance disastrous HIS
hearers connected every word that he said with the
Ursulno community at Mount Benedict, IN the ex-
northern part Of Charestown, and little by little
rumors Of an attack the convent became rife HIS
discourses supplemented by the extraordinary
statements in ''Six Months In q Convent" book
written BY silly GIRL who, after receiving the charity
of the superior for time, became q nun, with
out any vocation, and away before her
novitiatc half finished. Tho Boston ruckmen TOOK
up the matter and summer night they poured
across charlcstown bridge giving wrathiul roar
as they passed, and then swiftly, silently sped through
the streets Of the sleeping town and with horrible
yell dashed into the conveat grounds For weeks the
nuns had lived In fear OF such an attack, and the Su
perior had been driven almost to madness b. Sian.
dcrous reports about herself aud convent and the
children, knowing what gong on, were half wild
with excitenent but preparations for resistance
for fight had been mado. The mob loitered about,
yelled shricksd fired two shots at tho SUPERIOR built
ponares drank themselves into frenzy ana finally
pIundered and burned the building The nuns cover
ing IN the garden, surrounded by their frightened
charges, and their home destroyed and then,
aided by kindly ncignbor. fled best they might,
and found refuge where they could. On the other side
oil the buling tranquil and curious, sat and stood
crowd OF Boston gentlemen watching to see what the
lruckmen would do and at last struggling back TO Bos
ton with them perfect amty, teasing coach load Of
fugitive children as they went
Such the story that Mrs. Whitney tells, and she
makes very interesting and gives many glimpses OF
convent life appears the clear, unsentmenal
visions OF child Until within year two Mount
Benedict kept exactly the rioters lott IT, except
that the bodies Of the nuns were removed from the
tomb at the foot OF tho garden and that fence
built around the base OF hill; the shattered walls
crumblcd away but slowly the trees IN the orchard
ceased TO be fruitful. and the who occupied the
old gardeners house found hts position sinecuro,
and even the Catholics while refusing sell their
land half forgot Why they held It. AT last they
yielded solicitation and the estate was cut into
lots and Did OF ut auction. Seeing the workmeD busy
cartng OF tho dirt from the hill and reducing 1t to
the dead level about It Mrs. Whitney decided to write
her story before 1t was quite forgotten
Several other new books appeared Saturday, but
nearly all OF them are very small Five Vest
Pockets come at once from Usgood h Co Three oil
them contain essays by EMERSON; ono IS Aytoun's
Lays Of the Scottish Cava iers,n tho Inst, Lowelrs
'My Garden Acquaintance" "Brief Histories VI
Russia and Turkey" also to be Issued by the
house. Roberts Brothers will bring out I. G. Apple
TONS syrian Sunshinen and Aicotts 1T .bo Talk"
Saturday Lee & Shepard promise the second Flake
Frixzo .'Doctor Papa" very soon; the most amusing
thing in 10 the little girls s,ru gc with the doctrine
Of ircewi and fore knowledge absolute which
| she is as interested in as Mltons Eve. Lockwood
Brooks & Co. announce whole set OF books
called "rhe Ways,dc Series" The first volume is 10
be anonymous and will DO entitled "Nrmport"
word OF mystic meaning; 'studcnt LILO at Harvard"
..Frau Dom ina and "Traveers' Talesn will follow
soon.
stu another book, which contains many small at
tacks Boston's self.conccit Is Warringtons 'Pcn
Portraits" volume just issued by its author the
widow OF tho late W. s. Robinson. As a city Mr..
Robinson loved Boston, and many OF her bes. men
were his best friends; but he did occasionally enjoy
punclurng idols and letting that they
stuffed with sawdusl or Inflated by gus Evcrybod
who knew any thing OF politics knew tho man who
had been Clerk OF tho House for long. and all jour
nalists watched for his letters AZ congr oaation
watches clergyman who Is accustomed TO mako per-
sonal applications, and Is likely 10 hit person
as another " they need IT. eve have got a live
stakeholder In the city, he wrote. 1856, land OF
course the Boston aristocracy arc In ecstasies
Of delight" Speaking OF legislative boro VINO put
the house 70 secp, no told OF man who doled his
iatc saying that he bud reader OF tho Daily Adj
petiser Tor years. but fell asleep he finished
reading the third number OF Little Dorr,t," with
which he had fortified himself lie says sharp things
about the fremont Temple mob another OF our ro-
! spectacle disgraces lie had reverence for Cam
bridge, and numerically rdicucd Judge Parker.
Even more interesting than the reprinted passages
iron Mr. RobiDson's letters Is Mira Rooinson's biog
raphy OF him, because II shows what the life OF
working journalist really Is, and how great the in
nucnce Of one pen may time TO DO tho man
who yields u never allows himself 10 use II dishon-
ostly His wife says
The domestic stages might be thus descrbed-Wh iie
IN this place We starved here paid our debts there
we comfortable.
For several years $500 served for the support Of
family Of four, and to the last no remained compara.
lively poor, but his influence never ceased. HIS wife
writes pleasantly, tcnderIy aud proudly OF him. and