Connecticut western news., 1895-08-15
Written for the CONN. WESTERN NEWS by
 Lucia Dowd Smith. !" BOSTON ...... '95. i"

This has been the rallylng cry for year; and nobly has Boston responded with hearty welcome and cordial ''free- dom of the City," It was estimated that 70, GOO Christian Endeavorers met in Boston last month, besides 4,000 Christian Unioners. and thousands more who gladly took advantage of the half fare rates.
 The reception committees, in their white caps, sought out the strangers, welcomed them. answered their myriad questions and led them rejoicing on their way. Hotels, stores, newspaper offices and public buildings were ablaze with welcomes in electric lights, flags, streamers and Christian notices Bos ton was in gala dress The crowds and the festival air remirded us of the re- mark of an exuberant c. E on the way, ''I tell you, Boston's going to be all up sot when we get there At Schuman's, Continental buttons, in buff and blue, were given away as mementoes of the | glad occasion.
 The saloons. with one exception, were | dumb and made no sign. The excep- tional saloon hung out the red and white streamers and "Welcomel o. E !" It was taken at its word, and young, enthusiastic band entered aud held meeting of prayer and praise.
 Mechanics Hall was filled with its thousands of worshipers, and the large tents on the Common, "Endeavor" aod "Williston, could not contain the overflow About twenty five churches were used for State headquarters and overflow meetings. In part of Me- chanic's Hall, State booths were erect ed. which reminded one of the Worlds Fair Florida was draped iu graceful festoons of flowing moss; and here,
 "Our Associate Delegate"-a huge alli- gator-rested in state. Much excellent reading was distributed. Parts of the
 hall represented the work of the Junior Society, Kings Daughters, and W. C.. IT U.
 The Christian Unioners had the same
 enthusiastic zeal. The Church of the
 Unity was kindly rendered to them by
 Rev Minot Savage; and overflow meet
 ings were held in the Second Universal.
 ist church and in the "Everyday
 Church" Rev Elmer J. Felt, president
 of the National Y P. c. U., presided
 over the convention, with admirable
 tact and wisdom.
 The visitors were deeply interested in
 the mauy historic places of old Boston,
 till finally the natives" said if they
 wished to learn anything new concern.
 ing their treasuries of history, science
 and art; they had but to ask member
 of the convention. In fact, one of the
 Westerners was heard to remark that
 "Bostonians know nothing whatever
 about their own city There was much to see and to study--one would think,
 enough for lifetime e-Faneuil Hall s'The Cradle of Liberty,"-Ol South , Church, Old State House, State House
 Kings Chapel, libraries, museums and Public Garden. The Garden was dec
 orated with Welcomes" written iu the
 plants and ou the archways of the
 bridge. Never were welcomes more
 graciously given or more gratefully re ceived The newspapers vied with one another in giving full and accurate re
 reports of convention proceedings. Il
 was said to the praise of conventioners
 that Boston had received as large (
 crowd before, but never before, o e SC ! quiet and orderly--a crowd interested
 in all the best and worthiest; whose , very presence was an unfit to the vel
 coming city. The most sacred places , of all, the ancient cemeteries, wer, f thrown open, and all through the day eager feet pressed down the grass, anC eager, reverent, eyes read the old in scriptions to Boston's ancient and hon
 ored dead. Many paused by the monu ] ment, built in the Granary Ground, tt the memory of the parents of Benjamin f Franklin. It is said that only twice be
 fore, within ''the memory of the oldes s inhabitant," has the public been admit l ted within these sacred precincts
 ? The electric car service in Boston i : most excellent, and in 0 short time on, ? may visit uncounted scenes of histori : and natural interest in all the countr,
 round about It is short ride t
 Charlestown and Bunker Hill. Anothe
 short road leads to old Cambridge, pas
 Hsrvard College and the Washington
 Elm; past the homes of Longfellow ant : of Lowell, to the quiet Mt. Auburn | where we find their graves. Here als, e have been laid to rest many others 0 l. our greatest and our best Among tn
 names we see those of Holmes. Chan
 ping, Fannie Fern, Sumner, Everett e Pierpont, Agassiz, Edwin Booth Johl e Murray and Hosea Ballou The Univel t salists decorated the two last name graves, the Sabbath of the convention :, On that day many fingered by the gray U of the beloved Phillips Brooks, wher d fresh roses had been brought. The ir [. scription is simply the name, dates v Dec. 13, 1835-Jan. 23, 1893 and tn verse Him that overcometh, I wi make Pillar in the Temple of m e God" Before the light of another Sal !, Oath dawned, another grave was mad }. in this little enclosure; for Revereu . brother, Dr Arthur Brooks, who sough
 for health beyond the sea, and passe 1T himself to the land where "there sha l. be no more sea-"
 a In Mt Auburn we enter the chape i. which contains noteworthy statue,
 Without stands the Sphinx with ii face of sweetness and of strength. Fror IS the highest point rises the Tower It whence one has a grand view of field l. river, city and sky. reaching far beyon :, the unforgotten graves below.
 u Boston has many outlying district, n which may be visited by electric car, l. as Everett, Brookline, Dorchester, Son
 erville, Roxbury. Or pleasant trip l. may be taken by water to the summe . resort t-Nsntasket Beach, or to rock 's Nahant. An interesting day may b ia passed at Brook Farm, where tn ,. Philosophic Society lived five years, an
 where now there is thriving, Germa
 Orphan Asylum. Here is the rec
 from which Elliott preached to th
 Indians who gathered in these deeI
 still, woods. Natures voices still spea II here from wood and dell and dark lall r. of weird waters, where Hawthorne cas '. his magic spell Wildfowers grow i # varied and beautiful profusion.
 The Convention excursions were e places of great historic interest I s Salem we saw the ancient church an