large/4813/nonfiction025_librivox_64kb_mp3/snf025_forewardboston_edwards_sm_64kb_66
large/4813/nonfiction025_librivox_64kb_mp3/snf025_forewardboston_edwards_sm_64kb
English
4813
To the stranger in Boston, delighting in that magnificent walk along the Charles River Embankment, with the arching spans of the Cambridge and Harvard bridges on one side, and the homes of wealth and mellow refinement on the other  a walk which for invigorating beauty compares with any in the cities of men  it seems incredible that when this promenade was laid out a few years ago, the householders along the water's edge absolutely refused to turn their front windows away from Beacon Street. TO THE STRANGER IN BOSTON DELIGHTING IN THAT MAGNIFICENT WALK ALONG THE CHARLES RIVER EMBANKMENT WITH THE ARCHING SPANS OF THE CAMBRIDGE AND HARVARD BRIDGES ON ONE SIDE AND THE HOMES OF WEALTH AND MELLOW REFINEMENT ON THE OTHER A WALK FOR WHICH INVIGORATING BEAUTY COMPARES WITH ANY IN THE CITIES OF MEN IT SEEMS INCREDIBLE THAT WHEN THIS PROMENADE WAS LAID OUT A FEW YEARS AGO THE HOUSEHOLDERS ALONG THE WATER'S EDGE ABSOLUTELY REFUSED TO TURN THEIR FRONT WINDOWS AWAY FROM BEACON STREET
e rest of the city. And perhaps this is as typical a thing as we could have done. Beacon Hill was the center of original Boston, when the Back Bay was merely a marsh, and long after the marsh was filled in and streets were laid out and handsome residences lined them, Beacon Hill looked down scornfully at the new section and murmured that it was built upon the discarded hoopskirts and umbrellas of the true Bostonians. Even when almost every one was crowded off the Hill and the Back Bay became the more aristocratic section of the two, there were still enough of the original inhabitants left to scorn these upstart social pretensions. And now Beacon Hill is again coming back into her own: the fine old houses are being carefully, almost worshipfully restored, probably never again to lose their rightful place in the general life of the city. But if Beacon Hill was conservative in regard to the Back Bay, that district, in its turn, showed an equal unprogressiveness in regard to the Esplanade.  LOOKED OUT AT THE REST OF THE CITY AND PERHAPS THIS IS AS TYPICAL A THING AS WE COULD HAVE DONE BEACON HILL WAS THE CENTER OF ORIGINAL BOSTON WHEN THE BACK BAY WAS MERELY A MARSH AND LONG AFTER THE MARSH WAS FILLED IN AND STREETS WERE LAID OUT AND HANDSOME RESIDENCES LINED THEM BEACON HILL LOOKED DOWN SCORNFULLY AT THE NEW SECTION AND MURMURED THAT IT WAS BUILT UPON THE DISCARDED HOOPSKIRTS AND UMBRELLAS OF THE TRUE BOSTONIANS EVEN WHEN ALMOST EVERY ONE WAS CROWDED OFF THE HILL AND THE BACK BAY BECAME THE MORE ARISTOCRATIC SECTION OF THE TWO THERE WAS STILL ENOUGH OF THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS LEFT TO SCORN THESE UPSTART SOCIAL PRETENSIONS AND NOW BEACON HILL IS AGAIN COMING BACK INTO HER OWN THE FINE OLD HOUSES ARE BEING CAREFULLY ALMOST WORSHIPFULLY RESTORED PROBABLY NEVER AGAIN TO LOSE THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE GENERAL LIFE OF THE CITY BUT IF BEACON HILL WAS CONSERVATIVE IN REGARD TO THE BACK BAY THAT DISTRICT IN ITS TURN SHOWED AN EQUAL UNPROGRESSIVENESS IN REGARD TO THE ESPLANADE
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