New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-06

IN college you couldn't get any further in by
trolley, going out toward Concord, than Airing
ton Heights, two or three miles north Of the
university grounds From Arlington Heights.
starting at noon, you walked out over the old
road the British tramped in sc to quiet. his
toric Lexington. the town Of few stores and
many memories and then you could tramp one
way 10 Concord. and dine in the Old inn where
Pitcairn stirred his brandy OF. directly north.
you could go up through a green New-England
interrale, now walking in the woods. now
tramTing through the open. with blackberry and
raspberry vines climbing over the dusty stone
walls on either hand. fields and pastures
stretching away 10 the blue western hills.
great farmhouse and mouse colored barn each
mile for company. and finally the white steeples
If Bedford of TO the left before you pulled up
the long ascent and plodGed into Biilerica at
dusk.
THE QUIET OF BILLERICA.
"Bilerica. dear old town, clustered about its
little common on the hilltop. its side streets
wandering of into the woods or the Concord
River meadows. from the sunset windows Of us
square old houses the daily glimpses Of far Mo
nadnock, blue and stil beautiful 1t is only
six miles from Lowell. and twenty from Boston;
Yet only two trains a day used 10 pun up from
the latter city to the little station at the foot Of
the hill and there was the constant quiet Of sim
pie life and the arstocratic charm Of old families
behind the blinds Of those fine old houses Dis
tant cousins Of mine lived behind the blinds OF
one Of these houses. two maidens Of fifty sum-
rners. or more. it may be. kind. prim. gentle
whose vocabulary knew not the word leg-men
walked on limbs for them. And sometimes they
gave rs dinner when We had tramped through
the glorious June landscape Up from Cam
bridge. and lavender scented beds 10 sleep in.
And sometimes We dined at the little hotel
richly for others whose parentage had initiated
them in New England secrets knew that hotel
also.
but all that is TO more. A writer IN The
Boston Transcript once exclaimed that there
amt 10 troIlsys out o. Scollay Square to ST.
boreyr He viii not be able much longer 10 say
so. There IS a line 10 BHlerica already! Low
eli read the signs on these great trolley cars
as big nearly. as a Pullman, that pull out OF
Scouay Square every half hour. and crash at
exf.ress speed. footing a terrible whistle. crowd
ing on an afrbrake 10 save accidents. running
On rails as heavy as d steam road. right through
quiet Bllarica. on 10 the City Of Looms. And
th.s is not the worst. The liUe runs 10 BIlerica
through Lexington and tiny. rural Bedford. At
Lexington Zoo. il forks and one line goes out
to Concord
1t would Zoe easy Tor the British to get back TO
Boston X NHL-l To- easy l-I Il Nat'-il-
GoTulaee u ride past Emerson's door and watch
MIN ir his garden But il would be impossible
Tor Hawthorne 20 write a House Of the Seven
Gables FOR the noise and gable; and il would
Ice impossible for Thoreau TO escape from the
world Putting = trolley line through Concord
and Lexington is just Is bad as remodeiling
the old South Meeting House into an Office
building or making baseball field Of the sacred
In,Iosure Cu Bunker Hin
THE TROLLEY INVASION.
And Bule-ica, Three trolley lines converge
now ia its square, TWO weeks ago I was there.
The old maiden ladies, older now and grayer,
live IN the back Of their house, with Monadnock-
They don't speak Of the trolley; it is a forbid
den subject as If some relative had committed
the deadly sin and must never more be men
toned Every half hour, by the common the
glarfng monsters Of cars come in and wait a
moment FOR other cars before tearing down the
once reaceful country roads. The passengers-2
cheap lot-shout and sing and cast peanut
shells on the grass Babies sQuall Girls SIT
e-rs-llad by their escorts arms. on the back
seat are callow youths smoking cigarettes and
making loud remarks to exhibit their smart
ness. The hotel Is no more. There is. III Its
place. a cheap waiting room. boasting fly
-,,sred soda fountain lad candy and cheap to-
haeeo. The Rev. Minot J. Savage, Of New
yr-l- sitting al the window Of his country
homo hv the common. can be half hourly re
minded q the BoWery. ! wonder how be likes
il? Bah"
Get vour breath. Joshua, get your breath.