We often read of walled cities, but until we saw the ruins of the old wall in Quebec, we had never seen a walled city.
We are visiting Aunt Penelope who lives in a part of Boston which is called the "Back Bay." The waters of the bay used to roll right where her house stands, but by filling in with earth the Bostonians made the land and some of the finest buildings in the city stand on this "made land."
We can see the golden dome of the State House from our window and in walking over to see the building we went through the Public Garden. It seems like a magical spot, for yesterday the flower beds were filled with violets and crocuses, and today those are gone and tulips are in their places. When these begin to fade, other blooming plants will be set out.
In the old part of Boston are some very narrow crooked streets and people say these were once the path made by cows across the meadows. There are very few of these streets left and the newer part of Boston has some of the finest streets in the world. Commonwealth Avenue is famous for its width and costly homes, and Brookline, the finest part of the city, is said to have more wealth and beauty to the square foot than any other city in the United States. The roads around Boston are fine and besides the interesting buildings, lovely parks, and historic spots, one is constantly catching glimpses of the blue harbor.
Climbing up the 295 winding stone steps of Bunker Hill Monument was "some climb," but the view from the top was wonderful.
Old North or Christ Church is interesting because from its belfry the two lanterns were hung as a signal to Paul Revere to start on his famous ride, and from Old South Church the patriots who took part in the Boston Tea Party started. They disguised themselves as Indians so that the British would not recognize them. It took a lot of courage to pitch that cargo of tea into Boston Harbor, and if I could choose a Boston ancestor, I would choose one of those brave men.
One of the most historic spots in Boston is Faneuil Hall. It was given to the town by Peter Faneuil as a place in which to hold town meetings, and the most fiery speeches of those old Revolutionary patriots were made in this old building which is called the "Cradle of Liberty."
Harvard is the oldest university in America. It was founded sixteen years after the Pilgrims landed. In Memorial Hall we saw over a thousand students eating dinner. The collection of glass flowers at Harvard is famous. There is only one man in the world who knows how to make them, and unless he tells someone before he dies, his secret will be buried with him. He has made flowers exactly like those in all parts of the world.