The clarion., 1885-09-02
A Jackson Young Lady's Impres
sions of Boston.
Extracts from a Private Letter. ]

Extracts froA q Private Letter
The first place we went was to Bunker
Hill Monument over in Charleston. On
the horse-car We told the conductor to put
us off as near the Monument as he could /;
lady was sitting by us who heard what
we said, and said, my home is very near
mere, and if you will allow me, 1 will
direct you to the best way there" 80 we got
off with her. She gave her name az Mrs.
Lord, and her home was quite imposing.
When we reached her house she called a
little boy and told him to show us Bunker
Hill, which he did so we had no trouble
The Monument ia two hundred. aud
twenty-one feet high and is ascended by
two hundred and ninety-fve steps winding
around the center. We went to the very
top, and you may imagine how exhaus'td
We were but we felt fully repaid by the
splendid views to be seen from the four
windows in the top. On the South lay the
city of Boston on the East was the Navy
Yard, of which we got u very good idea /;
near us was the immense Dry Dock, and
in the distance lay Nahant and the lana-
ing of the Cunard Line of Steamers. On
the West side we could see Cambridge,
and far away the tops of the White Noun
tains and Wachusett mountain in Massa-
chusettes. There aie very small opening
at intervals in the monument but it would
be very dark if not Ii. hted BY gas. I felt
safer when ge reached the bottom again.
Aft. r Bunker Hill, we turned our step-
to the Agassiz MUS um in Cambridge /;
| this, they say, is the most complete in tn.
world, and We certainly were bewildered
by the strange things we saw. Animal
and birds that lived in the Carbouiferons
Era, beside every imaginable thing of our
own time, from the common hy to bug
and spiders of enormous size from Africa
and Australia, and from the tniest hum
ming bird to the tall ostrich with long
black and white plumes, the green and
gold parrots and lovely pink aud white
Fiamingos from Asia. We also saw mon
keys ranged in order up 10 and beyond the
lnIssing link, and really there does not
seem to be very much difference between
the Ouraug Outang, the highest type Of
monkey, and the native of South Africa.
The low 81 type of man. The Museum
WAS immense and very handsome, but W,
had to hurry through, as our time waA
Limited.
Our next visit was to Harvard Square
to see the school buildings, SO very
large and so many IN number. w.
could only see them from the outside ar
they were all closed excerpt two. Th.
large gymnasium we did not care to
visit, as we had 20 little time, but the other,
Memorial Hall, we entered. This wa
erected in memory of students who went
from Harvard and were killed during the
tate war. We saw the bust of one man who
was wounded at Port Hudson. Tablets oi
white marble are placed in the walls to
their memory and in an adjoining Hall are
paintings and busts of very many of the
great men of the world in all the walks OF
life. This room seemed to be used as a
.tudv room, as there were tables and chairs
up aud down the room. The paintings are
surely fine. The stained glass windows
threw ~ierd light on every thing, and the
building 50 large and the ceiling 30 lofty
that the air of sublimity and grandeur wa
quiie oppr ssive. On the lawn is hand
some Iife-size statue of John Harvard, the
founder of the University. Last winter.
soon after it was placed in the Park, the
College boys '.tarred and feathered" il, ju-r
for pure meanness. and they say this in
jnred it more than fifty years of wear and
tear. The grounds around the Uuigeritv
are very pretty indeed. Going over in the
horse car from B ston to Calnbri lee We
passed over the long bridge celebratrd by
Longfrilow in his poem II stood on the
bridge at midnight" This increased our
desire to see the poets home, 40 after much
walking ard inquiring we found it, On
our way there we saw the oil Elm under
which Washington first took command of
the American forces in I775. What is
Longf llow'- home now was w .shington,s
headquarters them Here still the two old
maid daughters Of the poet live, and the
HOUSE Is not open to visitors. This we did
not know until We rang the hell. and the
hoas-keeper came to the door; she rather
harply told US visitors we're not allowed.
and was about TO close the door when ",
told her we were from the South then she
opened the door md said, s.Miss Alice lef. |
IL 10 my discretion whether people rhou d |
come in, aud yon may zee the rtlidy.n Here
every thing is jnrt as he left it,-his books |
and pens and paper; on an eas 4 Il spien- |
did portrait Of Lonaf-iIaw, painted by hi. |
son Ernest. In the hall half way up the |
stair stands the tall clock we have read |
about; the whole place seemed 90 sacred We |
hardly dare speak Cora pulled = spr ' |
from vine growing on the terrace aud We |
vent back to the city.