The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-01-04
Letter from Washington.
Correspondence Of the journal.


eternity: to you and |, 4 fearfully brief space
10 be sure, dire want and pitiless poverty have
been severe even upon the little ones; but
somehow, the sturdy growth of the most I'M
fortunate de1ies cold and starvation till we
often find the children Of misery stronger and
healthier by far than those whom fortune has
surrounded with tenderest care. Just now [
heard a whistler coming down the street. Won
derfug clear and true was every note; it was
4 care-tree happy sound, piercing the still cold
air, and couldn't help singing the last strain,
from pure sympathy,
"There's no place love 80 we'll
There's no place like home"
Now. the artist-for he was an artist--came
directly beneath nv window and | looked to
>ee-not we'll clad, we'll fed boy or man, but
a little ragged darkey, 50 ragged and forlorn
that he might have taken his entire wardrobe
from the fag-heap of''Good Mrs. Brown" His
hands were tucked into some holes where pocll-
cts had been: a scrap OF hat covered his WOolly
head, and he shutted along i'll Il pair of shoes SO
utterly misshapen and broken, that their stay
ing on at all was Il mystery. The air was sting
ing, but apparently its keenness troubled him
very little, for he walked slowly, Whistling
have found so sweet What could home
mean for him? Some wretched room crowded
with many equally tattered and torn, who hud-
die together content with an existence which
would be worse than death TO any who had
ever known how sweet ''homc' can be made.
Yet, the children have had good time, especi-
ally on Capitol Hill.
The newly paved drives on the south side
have been glorious coastng places where Il
small army Of boys, and girls too, shot swiftly
downward in high glee quite content 10 toll up
over and over again for the excitement of the
rush in going down, aud woe batidc the pedes-
trian who has tried TO walk on the sidewalks
of Thirteenth street. I speak, rs the deacons
say in prayermeetng, with Feeling sense,
Tor yesterday morning tried the romaal eX-
pertinent Of sitting down very suddenly and
ungracefulIy, TO the insane delight of three I'M
regenerate little newsboys, one Of whom OBJ
served profaneIy "lIold the F0rt'
To-day in the churches Christmas garand-
are already hung, and Christmas trees, filled
many locked parlor, for Christian and lntidel
alike keep high holiday. wonder if Bob ingcr-
soil himself doesn't enjoy tilIing stockings foI
his household As much as any dnYont church
man:
last wear, IN his Christmas sermon, heard
Rev. Or. Newman say that If the story OF Beth
lchem had wrought for mankind no other good
IT. ~
enough to secure our reverence and love; this
year, walking down the Avenue, and watching
the hurrying crowd loaded with oddly SHAPED
bundles, who cared nothing for the weather
in their ali-engrossing shopping, the Doctor,
assertion came hacl. to me With added force
Winter, the savage tyrant, is shorn of half hi,
horror by the coming of this beautiful festival
and the thought occurred whether the time Of
Christ's birth We're not specially chosen so the
Light Of the World" dawning in the drear
ness of winter, might farther symbolic Hi
divine mission Had lie come when the ludeal
hills We're green with summer herbagt; when
the Sea OF GaIilee lay blue and clear beneath 3
blurr heaven, the gIa,tness now marking oll
celebration would not have seemed 50 Intense
as now, and the child Jesus would not have
been born i'll that manager which has become
2 shrine to halt The world. In the dreary dark
ness OF winter night, with no sweet wrlcOm
ing excitement; in all loWlinPss and poverty
'Sthc Babe was born at Bethlehem"
Even the business of the nation must be laid
aside for this, so Congress stands adjourned till
next Tuesday, though practically the recess vii
continue till after the New Year. Every one is
iated. The last session continued till wear
ness and illness made many aVacant desk; Their
there was the hurry, the labor and excitement
of the campaign, and the call for our Iaw-lnak
ers TO reassembie came 50 speedily thai the
leaders had no rest whatever. Now the teW
days Of so-cailcd respite will be employed in
Surveying the situation on both sides of the
political fence, and taking long breaths before
renewing hosiliteS. Just here | should like
to moraize upon atlairs-but leave that to the
editorial fraternity who are more used to moral
ling ION paper at leaSt)
Editors have been Hooking 10 Washington by
scores. They came from all parts of the land
and the wise men are aStonsheu to see what
young heads are managing the most powerful
journals OF the country. | overheard senator
and Il cabinet officer talking Of this the othel
day. said the senator, hen YOU and first
knew Washington. it was an honor to be A
Washington letter-writerw "les, yes," chimed
in his higbness Of the cabinet, but nova. DAYS
if boy is too lazy to learn trade and hasn't
brains enough for a profession, he sticks il pen
behind his ear, gets some bigger noodle to en-
dor>e him as belonging to his journal, and the
youth dubs himself as a correspondents
| couldn't help acknowledging that there was
some truth in this, but the real workers, whose
dispatches are both interesting and reliable are
nearly all young men, Ben Perley Poorc of the
Boston Journal, Barthell Of the Independent,
Adams of the World, Boynton of the Cincin-
natl Gazette and Shaw of the Boston Tran
script are the seniors of the gallery: but no
one sends brighter or more audacious ,egrams
than Crawford of the Chicago Times, and Ned
Luther Of the Boston Post and Philadelphia
Times; yet neither Of these gentlemen hay e
seen thirty; while White of the \. y. Tribune.
Wight of the Chicago Tribune and Boston
Journal, Vance Of the Cincinnati Commercial,
Mcbride Of the Cincinnati Inquirer, and Col
burn of the Times barely crossed the first OF
the thrties. 1t really makes me feel quite
venerable as sit among these Young gentle
men whose rapid comprehen>ious and tram
scrptiou OF events stir all the nation: but was
never quite much tstonshed as when the
editor of the famous Burlington Hawk Eve was
presented They Were bright laughing eyes
that met mine, with never hint Of crow S-teet
while no one would guess from the first look at
the smooth boyish face how much energy. talent
and business tact lay hidden away beneath the
abundant black hair. You would not call Mr.
1ialon twenty at the first look Won might
say TWENTY-FIVE on close INSPECTION but he is
nearly thirty. and no paper west of Chicago
carries with il the authority OF that spicy sheet.
The world moves indeed. Dung America i,
decidedly ahead. old men have the ripe wis
dom of experience. but the bright bows of This
quickly snatrhnG that from the
trembling hands, use il rs :; stepping stone Ia
reach a still higher place where their vouug
vision Srasps ii once a broader view than thef.
fathers ever saw.