New-York tribune., 1878-12-07
FACTS AND FANCIES.


pOsToN Nov. 3O.-FrOm Babylon to Athens
comes the request for q breezy letter. Phew IL
eould only imprsOn and mail that roaring, flotouS
Vbirlylnd which has just dashed down BeacOn-st''
stealing the hats of dignifed men. and making
ladies look like hens a gale forcing the
dust through double plate-glass into my cosy
boudoir the breezness would be certain.
On the other side OF the house is grand and ever
changing view of the Charles River, sung by Long
fellow. "its stiffness rufled by white caps during
the recent dcuge, but more beautiful as peaceful
mirror whore
"Thy waves Of blue
From ce esuai seas above thee
Take their own celestial hue"
Lazy schooners float silently by my windows;
Harvard athletes with bare and brawnv arms,
dash by in racing wherres; snowy gulls come at
morning dipping here and there for prey curling
smoEe-wreaths stand out against the sky while
"Tbe Bridge" is nevcr-falLng delght-the
"bridge with wooden piers" made effective at
night bv the long rows of gas-Gghts, reflected IN
the water below.
Do Won know, it is little difficult to be original
OF startling in writing from Boston to New-fork
ANY facetiOus alusiOn to the Common OF cow
paths to the mammoth and gllded dome, which, as a
young lady remarked of the moon, is rather cOnspc-
uous any inquiries to novelties in striped shawls
seem trfe stale and as for the horrible climate
and prevailing cough, that's twittlng on facts. /
did nv very best to cheat old BOreas or Kolus;
borrowed an elegant cashmere shawl, made stiff
plait lust in the centre of the neck fastened Dy
gold bar put on my thckest boots, and purchased
an inexpensive eye-glass, went to three lectures
daily aud concert every evening; but Just at the
corner of Park and TremOnt-sts., where tradition
saws the West Wind has been waiting for the Devil
TO come out of the church for the last tfty years.
was discovered a pseudo BOstOnian, and made to
into, 1ar 1rnO OCtOr for
Bronchial, on inhaler, and cubeb cigarettes, the
proprietor looked so alarmingly feeble, and
wheezed and cOughed so violently, that l
felt too much like the old woman who
refused to pay for bottle of famous and unfailIng
hair invigorator when the clerk, who had sworn 1t
was sure happened to take off his hat and display
bald pate. But what have 1 seen or heardf The
usual round, of cOurse-and, aatter myself, good
deal more. On Sundays to the new Old South, very
elegant but slightly sOmnolent IN its atmosphere.
When Dr. Storrs is there it is crowded but other
wise there are many empty pews; to Trinity, where
that giant, Phillips Brooks carries You irresistbly
along with such rush of earnest thought and such
reckless disregard Of the simplest rules of eOcutiOn,
that your head gets weary from the intense effort to
catch every word of the eloquent torrent, and
your throat aches from sheer sympathy Not one
minute can your eye wander to admire Mr. La
Farge's wonderful work But went again, on pur-
pose to study the decorations, and especially the
second painting in the nave, Christ COnyeTsng
with Nicodemus," added by the artist during the
Summer La Farge's pictures have reused deal Of
discussion and comment here, but they have sold re-
markably well, bringing twice what he asked for
them so he Will bear with equanmity the sarcastic
slaps at his struggling shiver in an elm sapling"
and pathos in melting snow on the black shingles
of a barn." The savage critic of The Gazette AYERS
that he sent the sweepinGs of his studio to be dis
posed of here"
have now an opportunity, long desired, to study
household art in the homes of Boston, and find it
surpasses my expectations in originality of design.
Each room, each piece of fancy-wOrk, is unique,
and expresses the taste genius of the individual.
Even uninteresting flats are made to blossom with
charming effects. The latest novelty IS covering
the door-frames with scarlet cloth. The common,
homely cat-tails, which were so unappreciated
until lately, are at the very acme
Of asthetic glory. In one paTlOr no
tice a sofa-cushion of mummy cloth with
several cat-tails the right, a group of opu-
lent dandeons at the left and above two gOrgeously
tinted butterflies. Panels display the same weed,
with the golden-rod aster, immortalized by Whit
tier and in one elegant home saw cheap fans and
the ubi0utious cat-tail artisticay arranged over
door adorned with Maesanle lace. Miss Preston, of
Provenca poetry fame will forgive an aluslOn TO
her exquisite embrodcries i'll the South Kensington
and many other flowers aud vines are as perfect as
if growing. Another friend showed me nay
where a branch of scarlet wOOdbne with us purple
berries was thrown careIeSSly across, WhlIe a
few Autumn leaves OF various hues seemed to
have tluttered down and rested there.
Mr. James I. Fields rejoces IN many choice specl-
mems of Celia ThaXters LandiwOrk-ln water coloTs
and on dainty china. The picture that has gwen
me the greatest pleasure IS a new Maud Muller by
considers Maud as ore of his family Whittier
saws he cannot remember how Maud looked out
this face, with its dark ewes, dreamy, NeU earnest
must satisfy him.. spent peasant gay ~, Oak
Knoll" Danvers last week, with the dear OLD poeJ
who unlike Bryant, refuses TO appear on pubic 0c-
casiOnS. His one big dinner, ne says, was quite
euOugh But friends from all parts of the country
visit him daily 80 he never solitary. His present
home is a farm of IilJy acres OF undulating land
the house very PLAN, but furnished for comfort
Followed by his three d0ps-a Newfoundland, Roger
Williams, a bright faced Scotch terrier Charles
Dickens, and a graceful greyhOunu-We ram9leu
over the hills visited the pet COW, VINO put up her
handsome head for pettlng, and enjoyed the hue
view. told him believed he answered every beg
ging letter with uniform and untlung amlaDlllty;
but he acknowledged that two recent epistes had
been a little too eXacting. One LADY, VINO had IN
CURED a debt Of 81 900 without her husbands
knowledge requested him to pay 1T for her. as
being a bachelor, he hads no family claims and no
wife's bills 10 pay. Another lmpecunlous female
that she would take $50 A new poem from him Is
to appear soon, written on the occasion OF boat
launch at Bear-Camp River, i'll which Mrs. Houston
West has received a rare trlbute:
Then a singer, richly gifted,
Her charmed voice uplltcd;
And the meau ow-lark and sparrow
Listened. dumb with euyiOus PAIN
Ole Bulbs enthusiastic reception here last Satur-
day must have been extremely gratifying he was
recalled four times, and never played WIN more
witchery. His playing should no more be criticised
than q morning concert from the birds. IL may De
characteristic and claprap but 1t reaches the heart
had a call from him q few days ago, and he tells
me that I'm his extempOre playing he loses all knOwl-
edge of his audience. feel myself back III my
own forests" If he would only relate some Oh the