large/4813/nonfiction025_librivox_64kb_mp3/snf025_forewardboston_edwards_sm_64kb_16
large/4813/nonfiction025_librivox_64kb_mp3/snf025_forewardboston_edwards_sm_64kb
English
4813
Let us stand upon the steps of the State House and look out over the Common. To our right, near the intersection of Boylston and Tremont Streets, lies the half forgotten, almost obliterated Central Burying Ground, the final resting place of Gilbert Stuart, the famous American painter. LET US STAND UPON THE STEPS OF THE STATE HOUSE AND LOOK OUT OVER THE COMMON TO OUR RIGHT NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF BOYSTON AND TREMONT STREETS LIES THE HALF FORGOTTEN ALMOST OBLITERATED CENTRAL BURYING GROUND THE FINAL RESTING PLACE OF GILBERT STUART THE FAMOUS AMERICAN PAINTER
 that "there shall be no land granted either for houseplott or garden out of y^e open land or common field," has been unbrokenly maintained ever since, and as far as acreage goes (it approximates fifty acres) could still fulfill its original use of pasturing cows, a practice which was continued until 1830. It was here that John Hancock's cattle grazed--he who lived in such magnificence on the hill, and in whose side yard the State House was built--and once, when preparations for an official banquet were halted by shortage of milk, tradition has it that he ordered his servants to hasten out on the Common and milk every cow there, regardless of ownership. Tradition also tells us that the little boy Ralph Waldo Emerson tended his mother's cow here; and finally both traditions and existing law declare that yonder one-story building opening upon Mount Vernon Street, and possessing an oddly wide door, must forever keep that door of sufficient width to let the cows pass through to the Common.  DECREE THAT THERE SHALL BE NO LAND GRANTED EITHER FOR HOUSE PLOT OR GARDEN OUT OF YE OPEN LAND OR COMMON FIELD HAS BEEN UNBROKENLY MAINTAINED EVER SINCE AND AS FAR AS ACREAGE GOES IT APPROXIMATES FIFTY ACRES COULD STILL FULFIL ITS ORIGINAL USE OF PASTURE AND COWS A PRACTICE WHICH WAS CONTINUED UNTIL EIGHTEEN THIRTY IT WAS HERE THAT JOHN HANCOCK'S CATTLE GRAZED HE WHO LIVED IN SUCH MAGNIFICENCE ON THE HILL AND IN WHOSE SIDE YARD THE STATE HOUSE WAS BUILT AND ONCE WHEN PREPARATIONS FOR AN OFFICIAL BANQUET WERE HALTED BY SHORTAGE OF MILK TRADITION HAS IT THAT HE ORDERED HIS SERVANTS TO HASTEN OUT TO THE COMMON AND MILK EVERY COW THERE REGARDLESS OF OWNERSHIP TRADITION ALSO TELLS US THAT THE LITTLE BOY RALPH WALDO EMERSON TENDED HIS MOTHER'S COW HERE AND FINALLY BOTH TRADITIONS AND EXISTING LAW DECLARE THAT YONDER ONE STORY BUILDING OPENING UPON MOUNT VER NON STREET AND POSSESSING AN ODDLY WIDE DOOR MUST FOREVER KEEP THAT DOOR OF SUFFICIENT WIDTH TO LET THE COWS PASS THROUGH TO THE COMMON
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