Smyrna times., 1879-01-01
Three Days in Boston.


Robt. J. Burdett, the editor of the Bur-
lington Hawkeye, thus sketches a three days
visit to Boston:
How human humanity is after all. How
women and men resemble women and men,
anyhow. That is, how strongly does human
nature show forth in mankind. What
want to get at, is this, there is always some
thing about people that reminds you of
somebody you have seen; do you not find
it so? What | wish to express is, the
thought that you like Boston better the
closer you get to it. And no one need
throw this paper down in terror, for am
not going to write a guide-book letter,
Autographed in manifold, marked special
correspondence and positively no similar
copy furnished to any other paper in your
county. Historic Boston is known "by
heart" all over America, and shall not
insult the intelligence of the Ha0keyc'S
$4,000 readers by dwelling on Old South
church and the Monument.
The first thing that strikes a western
man, when he lands in Boston, is the won
derful reserve Of the people here. He sits
down in utter desolation as he misses the
cordiality and frankness and heartiness OF
western society. The Bostonlan is not
gruff; lie is not supercilious; he is not i'm
polite. He could not be more corteously
attentive to the wants of the stranger; but
his courtesy never runs to "gush.' | stop
ped man on the street yesterday to ask
the way to a certain locality. lie looked at
his watch, and hesitated a moment.
can't direct you SO that you could find it, if
| you are stranger" he said and in spite
of my feeble protestatiOns, he turned back
and went with me, and saw him, when he
La l.. H..
away at gait that indicated feverish de-
sire to make up for lost time, and if he
kept up that gait he is in San Francisco
! this morning. 1t is a very simple incident,
| but it illustrates one phase of Boston
character very plainly. He wasn't at all
sociable or conversational during our ten
minutes walk, not a bit of it. Now, out
West, we would have shaken hands with the
puzzled stranger, slapped him on the back
called him "old boy" directed him as fal
as he could follow our instructions intelli
gently, and then told him when he got tC
that corner, anybody would tell him the
rest Of the way. One doesn't get intimately
and accurately acquainted with the motive,
and inner life OF community in three
days, but | have found the people | hav,
met here to be the most delightful of ac
quaintances, as this reserve, that at frs
freezes the western man, wears away
While this reserve, / think, is genera
characteristic of Boston people, it ism
universal. This afternoon Major Pom,
took me down to the greatest publishing
house in this country, and within five min
utes Mr.. Houghton and Mr.. Osgood mad
me think was back in Burlington, and
instinctively looked out of the window t
see what the South Hill woman was doin
for tomorrow mornings HaVkeye.
| am aware that my hasty impression
may not be correct. You will remembe
that this is my first visit to Boston, and
while l know it is not right that | shoul
feel so, yet have a far more profound r,
spect for and lvelier terror of a certai
: audience | am going to face in Tremon
) Temple tomorrow night than feel for Ol
South church or Bunker Hill monument
D Everybody reads in this town. Everybody
They don't read as many newspapers i
this country, generally, as we do out Yves
| am pretty certain of that. And | thin
!, Mr.. j. NJ. Bailey, of Danbury, has notice
the same thing. But they do read book
think there is circulating library
every block on Washington street; | al
? not sure that there are not three or four
some Of the good blocks. The very hacl
men carry a whip in one hand and boo
in the other. Men and maid servants carr
away books for themselves from these ci
culating libraries every Saturday nigh
:, No other city in the United States ca
show such changing throngs of people, q
day long, about the book stalls. And the
do not do great deal of light reading,
should judge, from what my limited tin
and opportunities for observation have
lowed me to see. At one book stall I'll
afternoon l waited thirty minutes and sg
, sold two copies of Matthews new boo
l. Orators and Oratory," volume of Tenn
son, Latin text book, and a copy
st adam Bede." And about every 9th
es girl you meet in the street in the mOrni
has a book under her arm. | never ST
an such universally reading community.
believe Boston people read as other peoI
swear. They become addicted to it a
can't stop it. They hail new book
joyously as a Texan greets a new exp
tive.
| haven't faced my own audience yet, /
/ went to hear Joseph Cook last Mond
= and | stared as curiously at the audience
- listened to the speaker. The faces of
older portion of the people that crowd
into fremont Temple certainly reflect
more intellectually than | ever before S
nd in one assemblage. The faces of
ses- Younger women displayed the same ref
ment, thoughtfulness, higher intelligen
that SO strongly marked the features
their elders. The young men, and it \
!. surprising to see how many of them W
there, looked like the same young men
where else.