Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-12-14
Correspondence.
BosToN, Dec. 6, 1871

Iuto hne Distraction,
An errlng lace which here and there
Enthralls the crimson stomacher,-
cuff neglec;ful, aud thereby
Ribbands to flow conrusedly-"
Oh Robert, Robert Hcrick-how did you
know? Had you been shopping for Christ
mas and wandered into Holbrook's, and been
caught in meshes of point lace, enthralled and
held captive by mantillas and hoods of real
old Spanish lace, such as the dark-eyed senori-
tas of Madrid and Seville wear to half hide
and half reveal their glorious beauty? had
your brain been turned by fichus of silk. mus
lin, crepe de chene, with edges of silk, gui-
pure and valenciennes and
Been tosscl about
With many doubt"
between the loveliest gossamer hnndkerchiefs
into which the glories Of summer blossomings
have been woven by the artistic fingers of
some French girl, and the lace-edged scarfs
which are distraction" to the average FEM
mime brain? Were you looking for pretty
things with which to captivate julia Then
surely you have found them. And know if
she be a woman like the rest of us, you can do
no more for her happiness than by showering
the seasons compliments upon her in confec-
tions like these. Unless, indeed she be do
mestically inclined, a thrifty housewife whose
abode is as the apple of her eye, in which
case guipure bed-spreads and shams, tides
and bureau covers, will appeal to her better
nature and open her heart to you. Poet that
you are, you ought to choose gifts by a deli
cate intuition that is denied to other less IA
vored mortals: but | make no doubt poets,
like other men, don't always "do as they'd
orter" in the matter of gifts and-other things.
But it is puzzle how to select holiday
gifts there's so much to choose from, and
you've such an indistinct notion what the
dear creature of your heart really wants Now
she is in no such dilemma When every
thing else fails she has her one resort. With
faith that is sublime, and an unwavering be-
lief in her own intuitive powers she turns her
face unfinchingly in the direction of Nose
ley's and buys for you pair of slippers of al
hgator's skin, or a scaly material suggestive
of snake skin, which she admires because it
is new. 1t doesn't matter if you have dozens
of pairs, she takes it for granted that you are
n centipede, and adds to the number yearly
until you are driven to the verge of setting
up shoe store to relieve yourself of your in
cumbrances. Perhaps, like the popular rector
of Trinity church, you pack them in barrels,
not feeling at liberty to give them away. and
being debarred by natural delicacy, from
turning the sentiment of your lady admirers
into marketable wares. Apropos of Mr..
Brooks, l can't help giving you n bon mot of
his just here There is no more popular man
among the young men of Boston than WIN.
H. Baldwin, the former President of the
Young Mems Christian Union. He made it
what it was, brought it up to its present pros
porous condition and has always been untr-
ing in his efforts in its behalf. A few months
ago the Young Mems Christian Association
were retitting their rooms. and wishing to
make them attractive, one of the officers ask
ed Mr. Brooks what they could do to draw
the young men there and hold them to make
it in short, as popular as the Union. We'll"
said Mr. Brooks, in his accustomed direct
manner, Il think you'd better Baldwinize it.
j. II. Osgood & Co., have issued for the
holidays two magnificent books of heliotype
engrayings, The Millais Gallery" and "The
Faed Gallery" They comprehend the best
known of their works, and are each accom-
panied by life of the artist and review of
his paintings. Many of the pictures are well
known from the engrpvings which have been
made from them, others are new to us. They
make lovely gift books, and valuable ones, too ;
the engraving is finely done. the letter press
is perfect and the whole forms very valua-
ble addition to the already quite long list of
painters whose works have been collected in n
similar form. These books, engraved by the
heliotype process bear favorable contrast to
those printed by the old method. They have
all the effect of fine engraving, while the eX-
pense is much less. Many books of this kind
have only the pictures, the descriptive portion
| being omitted. The presence of this renders
these books particularly valuable, since from
| it, you find the history of each picture, its
motive, the time of its production, and all else
| that naturally interests one Whoever is for
tunate enough to find one of these books on
the table a holiday memento, has some
thing which will give perpetual pleasure and
| be never failing delight. Blanche Howard $
| Zone summer" that charming, natural, un-
affected novel, that made such an impression
on many others than the story reading por-
| ton of the community, has been illustrated
| by Hoppin for a holiday edition. and publish
| ed by Osgood. The Illustrations are capital
there is 1.-THE young lady and her umbrella,
| (that unfortunate umbrella), the cool-headed
Philip, Gem, bless his heart, and the irrepros-
sible MANDY" all pictured to the life. think,
however, of all the holiday books, none will
| be more sought after than the illustrated edi-
ton of the Scarlet Letter.. Mary Hallock
Foote undertook the difficult task of making
the illustrations and she has succeeded admir-
ably 1t seems to me not an easy book to il
| lustrate but Mrs Foote has caught the weird
ness of it in wonderful manner. Especial
| ly has she succeeded with the elfish child of
Hesters love, the wayward, wilful little Pearl.
There is whole chapter in the vignette of
the prison door, heavy, grim and cold with
the roses that have clambered there of their
own sweet will, blossoming over it.
The Florences are proving the power OF
the mighty Dollar at the Globe theatre this
week, to large audiences Plays by Boston
dramatsts are quite the rage; this is the third
within two weeks. Mr.. Williams's Soldier OF
Fortune" which is still running at the Muse
um, Mr. Bradford's "Our Bachelors which
filed the Globe last week, and now this laugh
ter-provoking, irresistibly funny play of b. E.
Woofe's which the Florences have immortal
lied. The latest Lyceum success has beer
scored by Collector Simmons. The Redpatl
Bureau says, that in all their experience they
| never have known n success so genuine. Ev
erywhere he has appeared he has had a recall
and the demands for him this season are dOub
lie the number of evenings he has to give
He spoke at Music Hall ON Tuesday evening
to crowded house. and made very fine i'm
preston. Even those who are opposed tC
him politically were compelled TO acknowledge
his power as a lecturer. He has an easy man
ner, IA pleasant delivery, wonderfully cleal
enunciation, and personal magnetism which
no one can resist He has jumped at on,
bound to position on the lecture platform
which it has taken other men years to attain
and he will hold it, too. Well he deserves
success. he has worked hard for it all th'
way through life which was filed with strug
gle and hampered by untoward circumstances
but he has overcome the one, risen above thu
other, and he has done his own fighting
Pluck like his should win, and has.
went the other day, through a pouring
rain. to Jordan & Marsh's to get the frs
glimpse at the newly imported garment