Cambridge Sketches - free ebook by Estelle M. H. Merrill

Cambridge Sketches

Estelle M. H. Merrill...

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List Of Illustrations

Shepard Memorial Church . . Frontispiece. Cragie House. (from The Boston picture Book), 29 Elmwood (from The Boston picture Book) . .35 The First Church . . . . . . . . . . . 44 The Old Parsonage of First Church .. 49 Rev. Dr. Holmes' House .. . . . . 53 The Harvard Gate (from Souvenir of the Hub), 86 Harvard College Views: John the Orangeman, College Buildings, etc. (from The Boston picture Book) . . ..... 90 Gore Hall (Harvard Library) ... .. 94 Appleton Chapel ........... 97 Memorial Hall (fr

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Preface

This is not a guide book in the ordinary sense of that term. But it does take the reader into the life of Cambridge and makes known to him something of the past and the present of the town. Any One should feel more at home here after reading these pages, and he can readily find where his life might be joined to the common life and be enriched by it while he imparts to it of his own force. The extension of the town has been steady and rapid. The hamlet which held so large a place in the colonial

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Some Thynges Of Ye Olden Tyme

The ancient records of the First Church in Cambridge are very interesting but are not a complete account of all that was done here in the early days. The church was founded in 1636 and the oldest record is very near that date. There are some items of interest which not only tell us what was done, but give us a glimpse of some of the methods of that period. In 1638 Roger Harlakenden died. The record spells the name Harlakingdon— — they were not very particular about their spelling in those days.

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The Oldest Road In Cambridge

When a visitor to the classic shades stands in front of the Hemenway Gymnasium and looks down Kirkland street, bordered with its elms, quiet, retired, homelike, he little realizes that he is looking upon the oldest street in Cambridge and upon One of warlike associations. The spacious houses with their well shaded lawns, and the extreme beauty of Divinity avenue, do not suggest this, but it is even so. The quietest street in Cambridge has longest felt the movement of busy and even of hurrying fe

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Tory Row

At the beginning of the Revolution the larger proportion of the inhabitants of Cambridge were true to their own country in its struggle for liberty; but there were a few, office holders or those belonging to the aristocratic class, who maintained their allegiance to the King of England. It was to this class that the owners of almost every estate on the present Brattle street belonged; and because of this fact it was popularly designated as Tory Row. It was also known as Church Row, and another n

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Historic Churches And Homes Of Cambridge Maples In Autumn

In a sketch necessarily so brief as this must be, much can be merely touched on, much must be omitted that would be of interest to all who visit our beautiful, historic town. All that the writer can hope to do is to make these brief comments of sufficient interest to serve as guides to the tourist, or as finger-posts to storehouses of knowledge from which the curious may extract the hoards to be had there for the asking. Cambridge has been called the “First capital of our infant republic, the cr

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Some Cambridge Schools In The Olden Time

The old town records tell us that our ancestors had a school where grammar, that is, Latin, and English were taught, as well as writing and ciphering. Mr. Elijah Corlet was its master between Forty and Fifty years, and “Is praised in that he hath very well approved himself for his abilities, dexterity and painfulness in teaching.” That word “Painfulness” is a good One. Our present Corlett school in the Belmont district is so named in honor of this prophetic Elijah, the forerunner of the many who

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Recollections Of My Childhood

Having been requested to write a few lines for this book, I “Lend a hand” and cheerfully jot down a few memories which may refresh those of others among my earliest friends. In all my childish recollections, from 1836 on toward the forties, nothing seems to linger more persistently than the frequent journeys down Main street to Ma'am Rand's store. This was kept by a sunny-faced, pleasant-voiced woman, who always addressed me as “Dear life, dear soul,” from whose hand in exchange for my copper ce

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A Guide To Harvard College

The aim of the following sketch is to present to the stranger, visiting Harvard for the First time, an intelligible and may we hope a faithful guide to its chief points of interest. The location of the University in Cambridge makes it easily accessible by all the electric routes from Boston which pass through Harvard Square. We have chosen to enter the beautiful grounds of the college campus at the West gate, the gift of Mr. Samuel Johnston of Chicago. This is an ornamental structure of brick wi

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Some Cambridge Landmarks: The Peabody Museum. The Agassiz Museum. Harvard Observatory. The Botanic Garden. Clark's Observatory The Peabody Museum

In One of the quietest corners of quiet old Cambridge, on shady Divinity avenue, stand the Two wings of what some day will be the great Harvard University museum. The Peabody Museum, and, farther up the street the Agassiz Museum, popularly so called, have now been standing for many years. At the rear of each, additions are occasionally built on, until now any passerby can see that the ultimate design is to unite the Two museums in One great building. The Peabody Museum may be called the laborato

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Sweet Auburn And Mount Auburn

Under these Two names-Sweet Auburn and Mount Auburn— have the beautiful grounds, now endeared to countless hearts, been known and loved for more than a century. In 1635, Simon Stone, an English gentleman, came to New England with his family and settled on the banks of the Charles River; and his broad lands, after having passed from father to son in unbroken line of descent, for over Two hundred years, form now portions of the Cambridge Cemetery and of Mount Auburn. In the former a small tablet,

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Idlesse

Out upon the swelling wave Sweeping onward toward the shore, Lies and swings a tiny boat But with neither sail nor oar. If I were in that little boat I would not lie and rock and float Up and down, from side to side, Rolling with the rolling tide.Far away the glimmering light Underneath the horizon line With its faint mysterious shine, And its wavering, dark and bright, Luring from the quiet shore Would draw me, draw me ever thither, Till I learned the mystery Of the white-winged ships and whith

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The River Charles

To-day we have our First spring walk. It is a short One, hardly more than down to the river, but it is pleasant to note the deepening green of the grass, and still more pleasant to watch for a moment the gentle river itself, rippling here and there, but seeming unconscious of the broadening bay and the ocean not far distant. A single white-shirted, bare-armed rower glides past us in his slender boat, while the red-tipped oars drop vivid beads of color into the water. As we look down from the str

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Morning In Venice

The Adriatic's chilly breath has ceased The dawn's resistless coming to delay, And turns, in honor of the conquering day, To golden clouds of incense in the east. But still about the City of the Sea Clings, like a maiden's veil, a tender mist; She looks again the radiant bride he kissed In her First flush of youthful majesty. The rosy marble of her palace seems A western sunrise, and the sun's own glow In the warm colors of the sails below, While high upon her soaring tower gleams The shining an

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Six O'Clock In Harvard Square

The whistles have all blown for Six o'clock, and now the city time-pieces begin to strike, commencing with a deep boom and running up to a high treble till the air is filled with the clashing of iron tongues. The dark comes down early these fall days. All lingering traces of Red and Gold have died out of the evening sky, and the great, bare elm branches cast strange shadows, almost weird in their distinctness, on the brilliantly lighted pavements. Bustle and confusion are everywhere; the incomin

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The Fairy Coursers

Floating afar upon the lake's calm bosom, Whirled in blissful myriads, dart the dragon-flies; Mingled in their mazes with bird and bee and blossom They sink with the rainclouds or on the breezes rise. Little blue phantom around my dory flitting Or poised in peaceful silence on the loom of my oar, Heaven has marked out for thee a labor that is fitting Though eyes dim and human may miss thy secret lore! Fairies that have fled from the grasp of earthly forces, Shielded from the view of us mortals d

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A Chapter Of Radcliffe College

About Seventeen years ago there were vague reports abroad to the effect that Harvard College was about to admit women to its classes with men. These reports were, of course, based upon unwarranted rumor. For a long time there had been talk on the subject in the papers and in many private circles previous to the centennial year, but no plan had been formed, either on the part of Harvard College, or of anybody else, by which such an end might be attained. There were Two very positive “Parties” eng

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Life At Radcliffe

Life at Radcliffe does not lend itself easily to description. There are few picturesque details which can be seized upon,— no “Float day” as at Wellesley, no ivy and tree planting, none of the gay dormitory life which is so distinctive a feature at most women's colleges. A large number of the students live at home, and those who come from a distance find boarding-places in private families where only a limited number of girls can be received. It seems probable, however, that a few years will see

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Student Life At Radcliffe

When we pause, for a moment, as now, to consider life at Radcliffe, we cannot but ask ourselves how it differs from life at other colleges whose purpose is the same, to give young women opportunity to fit themselves for larger and richer spheres of usefulness than they otherwise could fill adequately. To me, Radcliffe life seems to have had as its essential quality, freedom. This freedom is given in both work and play. The wealth of material presented in the Radcliffe catalogue is spread before

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The Home Of Radcliffe College

Within the shadow of the historic Shepard church and the Washington Elm on Garden street, stands Fay House, the home of Radcliffe College. Although the original dwelling has several times been enlarged, its rounding, antique front has been preserved and it forms One of the noticeable features of the present stately and dignified building. The entrance, approached by a broad driveway, is on the south side, and a glance back from the portico shows us the tennis courts and the smaller buildings of

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The Public Library

A splendid structure! Let therein be set Some tribute to its dead librarian: A marble honor, from which she shall look, Who— Fate and Duty having strangely met- Fell from Time's shelf, a shattered human book, To find her immortality begun. (Taken from her Journal.) We smoothly sailed o'er a steel-blue sea One silent summer night, And saw on the far horizon's bound A silver line of light. Behind the clouds the moon had hid But there was shining still; Said One, “Behold a lesson taught For him to

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Town And Gown

Readers of “Tom Brown at Oxford” or of “Verdant green” will find this title a familiar One. To them it will recall encounters between students and townsmen ending, not infrequently, with broken heads. A party of students, after some merrymaking perhaps, commits an unprovoked assault on some passing townsman; he at once raises a cry of “Town! Town!”and a rescuing party joins in the fray only to meet a larger body of students summoned by the cry of “Gown!”The fight grows hotter until the approach

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Choice

“The string o'er-stretched breaks, and the music flies; The string o'er-slack is dumb, and music dies; Tune us the sitar neither low nor high.” Edwin Arnold. Nor low nor high! My heart learned once that prayer, That humble prayer, that asks the steady glow Of moderation only; seeks to know The strength of slow successes; fears to share Ambitions sweet, tempting to heights more fair. A simple life, attuned nor high nor low, May gain a heaven, escape from bitter woe, Nor need to greatly suffer, gr

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Cambridge As A No-License City

That a city of more than Eighty thousand inhabitants should for Ten ears in succession vote against the licensing of saloons implies the existence of conditions sufficiently novel and interesting to repay study. No caprice, either of enthusiasm or of indignation, can account for such action. It is to be explained only by a deliberate purpose, grounded in sound reason at the beginning, and sustained and justified by results. Cambridge voted in favor of license for Five years after the local-optio

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The Charities Of Cambridge

The term “Charities,” or philanthropies if the Greek form is chosen as a trifle more sonorous, has been so loosely used and so often abused by the present and passing generations-like that other noble and long-suffering word, temperance-that it needs to be strictly defined by the writer who would use it specifically without appearing offensively patronizing to certain classes of the community and effusively sentimental to others. The derivation of the phrase Charities of Cambridge ought to show

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The Thing Most Needed In Cambridge

We need the Metropolitan Park System completed. Then Cambridge will have One of the most superb driveways in America, bordering the Charles, with the handsome fronts of stately residences facing the water. We need a fine fountain on the common. We need— alas! that it should be so!-an Art Museum that will be a joy to the eyes. As has been suggested, it should stretch its beautiful colonnades and graceful arches of stone and brick-harmonizing with old “Massachusetts” in line and color-along the gr

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The Sisterhood Of Women

“The Nineteenth century is woman's century.”Victor Hugo. The century plant, through many a silent hour, Within itself holds the potential power, The possibility of its rare, perfect flower.So as this “woman's century” its closing nears, From slow and silent growth of by-gone years The sisterhood of women, perfect flower, appears.“My sister!” cries the rich unto the poor to-day; And sinless Mary unto Magdalena may “My sister still thou art,” in yearning accents say.After the flower comes fruitage

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The Cantabrigia Club

The Cantabrigia Club entered the domain of clubs in March, 1892, its natal hour being auspiciously struck at the home of Mrs. Estelle M. H. Merrill, in the presence of a group of interested women who for the previous winter had been members of classes in current events under the leadership of their hostess. Its origin was altruistic and its reason for being was a quickened impulse of charity and love for suffering. In discussing the evils of the sweating-system which was then being considered in

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