, 1877-09-08
Washington Letter.
Letters 10 u 1apmcbOdy.
WASHINGTON. !
August |, 1871.

II is not Commendable, or agreeable to
hec,n A letter with the weather us Il topic;
I'm, what else can one do with the mer.
curry at 90 degrees and abovet This
,.mnerature is certainly the dominant
fact and all fancies and theories, all
ambitions and energies are in degree
modified and repressed by it. If duty
pleasure would make no such unreasona-
ble demand, call you out into the glar'
ing Streets your feet are scerched, and
your eyes blinded by the burning pave
men,s. while here and there at a crossing
oran open space, which no friendly
shadow visits the heat seems to rise and
surge around you, as if you were at the
mouth OF un Internal pit.
If you happen however, to have time
to spare, turn aside into Lafayette Park,
opposite the White House, and you have
the most delightful shade and coolness
which the city affords. 1t is the oldest
of all the parks, and there are depths OF
Of cool greennesS, which bring to your
mind dim forest aisles where your child
ish steps in days gone by, almost feared
To stray, so solemn appeared the shadoWy
gloom. You may pause and keep up
the illusion if you will, but u few steps
onward brings you back to scenes which
no wood nymph ever haunted, You
must be TAR gone into memorys snchant-
ed land, if the .car-bells lend themselves
to your fancy, and chime with the brook
whose pleasant tinkle over its pehbly bed
comes down through all the years.
But it is something to be even remind
ed in the hot and dusty city of such long
yone delights. II the little stream flow
ing from the Capitol reservoir, along the
edge OF the curving pavement, in its
followed stone bed, down to the avenue,
by its rush and sparkle, its leaps over
petty obstacles, and its tiny boats OF
leaves and peanuts shells-hurrying on
as if freghted with human hopes like
larger ones, reminds you-the chatterlng
sparrows in the boughs above helping
ON the ilusion--ot that other stream
near the old homestead, whose rush aud
sparkle you used to love, and upon
whose Lurrying tide you used to launch
your frail barks, and watch them out OF
sight-you have seen many a bark with
more precious freight go down since-it
is all the better for you. That childhood
which knows nothing Of running brooks
and leafy glades, OF forest depths. and
lonely mountain sides, of wooded river
banks, secluded glens and quiet lakes,
loses large element Of future pleasure
in retrospect, as well as present delight
though perhaps we who were brought
up in the country never fully realize all
this, until stern duty confines US during
two or three successive summers within
the heated walls of brick and stone.
Then, all these visions of by-gone days
pass before US, and scenes, which, amid
the cares and perplexities of later lite,
seem blotted out, ireshen and glow, until
the vanished childhood. all its troubles
forgotten, comes back upon us, like a
dream, or sojourn in fairy land.
But there are few who cannot at some
time during the summer months shake
off the pavement dust from their feet,
and betake themselves to seaside, mount
ain or meadow land, even among the
government employees, for Uncle Sam
graciously Allows to each thirty days
vacation, into which blessed period OF
time they generally compress as much
enjoyment as the fates permit.
To those who lost their much sought
places during the late reductions, sum-
mer OF freedom may compensate, in some
degree, for their disappointment, il in
deed they have country home, or money
10 secure one, '(as so many, more's the
pity, have not)-particularly if they have
some hope OF beirg restored in the Fall,
or when Congress meets. To the average
government clerk or copyist, the old
adage, awhile there's life there's hope, y
seems to apply with peculiar force. They
cling to the slenderest chance, and linger
sometimes to the wasting OF both soul
and substance. What else can they do
TO many it seems the ouly refuge from
utter dependence, not to say beggary.
:, ..,I., thz,c