bed must be very pleasant. It has thus built in the branches of an immense elm at Cambridge, called Wash ington's elm.·

The weather is for the most part beautiful and sunny, and the color of the sky wonderfully clear and bright. Its beauty and the transparency of the atmosphere charms me. The weather was enchanting yesterday; it was like a spring day. I frequently go alone to a tract of land where the road soon ceases, but where the view is extensive over the grassy fields; the ridge of the lofty horizon is clothed with pine woods, and every where, both near and afar off, are seen small clusters of white houses and churches. The grass is now withered and yellow, but when the wind sweeps over it, it bears with it-I know not what extraordinarily agreeable odor, which produces a wonderful effect upon me-memories, pleasant and affecting, beloved countenances, glances, voices come to me in it; a thousand feelings, thoughts, presentiments; life becomes too full; the heart overflows, and my eyes swim with tears: how is it? I feel myself less strong than formerly, and I often have a sensation of fever. I need rest. Many also say the same, but not many wish it for We shall see we shall see whether I am able to go to Milton Hill (to the R.'s), and keep Christmas. I wish it, intend it, but

me.

December 25th. Ah! no, my child. The journey has not taken place. I had already begun to pack my portmanteau, but I could not manage it, and my courage failed. I wrote to say it was impossible (by a young gentleman who was going to the festivity), and thus I passed Christmas-eve quite alone with Maria Lowell. I sewed, and she read aloud to me her husband's new work which had been published the day before. Thus we conversed quietly and inwardly from the open heart and soul-even as we may converse in heaven. All the rest of the fam. ily were gone to an entertainment at Boston.

The Christmas-eve of the year before I had spent in Denmark with the beautiful and excellent Queen Caroline Amalia. The year before that with you at Aersta, with Christmas branches, and cheer, and dance for our country children, a merry company! then to the Christmas matins the next morning. And now this evening in another hemisphere, alone with a beloved young wife-beautiful, dissimilar pictures of life!

In the morning I shall leave this family and Cambridge. I have visited many homes in this neighborhood; all are alike in the internal construction, neatness, arrangement, and comfort; in some there is a little more, in others a little less beauty; in that lies the principal difference. Longfellow's is among the most beautiful and the most artistic homes I have seen here. One beautiful decoration which I have seen in the homes here, as well as in the other small houses of New England which I have visited, is a large bouquet, a regularly gigantic bouquet of the beautiful grasses of the country, and which, if we are to judge by these specimens, are of gigantic growth. These are placed as decorations in vases in the parlor, and used also in other ways. One often sees little humming-birds, not, of course, alive, fluttering among the grasses. I have .seen also groups of the beautiful birds of the country, and shells, used for the decoration of rooms, and these seem to me excellent and in the best taste. We, even in Sweden, might have such, if we would set more store on that which is our own-through the gift and favor of God.

I can not tell you how kind the Lowells were and are to me. I have sketches of them in my album and in my heart, and you shall see them in both.

I must now say farewell, and kiss you and mamma in spirit. I always fancy myself writing to both at once May I only soon receive good letters from my dear ones That would be the best Christmas-box that I could re ceive.

I had almost forgotten-and that I ought not to do→ to tell you of a visit I have had this evening from the Quaker and poet Whittier, one of the purest and most gifted of the poetical minds of the Northern States, glowing for freedom, truth, and justice, combating for them in his songs, and against their enemies in the social life of the New World-one of those Puritans who will not bend to or endure injustice in any form. He has a good xterior, in figure is slender and tall, a beautiful head with refined features, black eyes full of fire, dark complexion, a fine smile, and lively, but very nervous manner. Both soul and spirit have overstrained the nervous chords and wasted the body. He belongs to those natures who would advance with firmness and joy to martyrdom in a good cause, and yet who are never comfortable in society, and who look as if they would run out of the door every moment. He lives with his mother and sister in a country-house, to which I have promised to go. I feel that I should enjoy myself with Whittier, and could make him feel at ease with me. I know from my own experience what this nervous bashfulness, caused by the over-exertion of the brain, requires, and how persons who suffer therefrom ought to be met and treated.

I have had a little botanic conversation with the distinguished professor of botany here, Asa Gray, who came and presented me with a bouquet of fragrant violets. He gave me also out of his herbarium some specimens of the American Linnea borealis, which resembles our Swedish, but is considerably less, and has somewhat different leaves. I thought that I should botanize a great deal in this country, but God knows how it is! The good Downing sent me to-day a large basket, a gigantic basketful of the most magnificent apples, alike splendid as excellent, and I had the pleasure of being able to treat my young friends with them. The Downings and the Ss are incomparably kind to me.

、

Among the curiosities of my stay in Cambridge, I set down an invitation I had one evening to go and take a walk in Paradise with Adam and Eve. The gentleman from whom it came, first in writing, and then by word of mouth (I fancy he exhibits some sort of a wax-work show), gave me a hint that several gentlemen of the Academic State would avail themselves of this opportunity of making my acquaintance-in Paradise-in company with Adam and Eve. You may very well imagine what was my answer. Beautiful company!

In conclusion, I ought, indeed, to say a word or two about Cambridge, an excellent little city of small white houses, with small courts and gardens, and beautiful, lofty trees, regular and ornamental, but monotonous. I should, in the end, be tempted to sing here, "The same and same always would make our lives sour!" Variety beautifies

the whole of nature.

Here, also, was I shown several very handsome houses, belonging, the one to a bricklayer, the other to a carpenter, a third to a cabinet-maker, and so on: thus universally do common handcraft trades lead to honor and to property in this country.

The university is attended by about five hundred students yearly. It is wholly a Unitarian establishment, and belongs to the Unitarian Church. All branches of natural history are much studied here. Now, however, people say that the example of the chemical professor, Webster, proves that they do not produce much sanctity. The history of this murder continues to be the topic of general conversation, and proofs of Webster's guilt accumulate more and more. He, however, continues to deny it. An event of this kind is without parallel in this community, and seems to every one almost incredible.

LETTER VIII.

Boston, January 1st, 1850.

A GOOD New Year to all the beloved ones at home! Thanks, my dearest little Agatha, for your letter! It was a heart-felt joy and refreshment to me; for although there was here and there a joyless shadow in it, yet a cheerful spirit breathed through the letter, which told me that you were sound, both soul and body. And how amusing it was to see you go out to dine with the relations right and left! And all the little news of home; of the new servant, for instance, who stands so assiduously, so riveted, to the back of your chair, and then darts in the way before you, out of sheer respect and zeal to open the doors; ah, how amusing is all this to read about, and how amusing it seems at several thousand miles' distance! And that mamma should be looking so well, and Charlotte so much better, and Hagbert be so pleased amid his activity in the country, is very inspiriting.

I now again write to you in the house of Benzon, sitting in a handsome little parlor furnished with green velvet, and with beautiful pictures and engravings on the walls; and I can not tell you how glad I am to be here at rest for a time, a month at least, because I require repose both for soul and body, and I can not possibly have more quiet, freedom, and comfort than I have here. have not been so well for some time; for all that moving about, and that life of visiting, with its incessant demands both on soul and body, were too much for me; and all the time I was losing sleep and freshness of mind. But, thank God! both one and the other promises to return with giant strides after a few days' rest, and the benefit of a sort of Chinese decoction, given me by my little lady physician, and—“ Hakon Jarl is still alive!" But people live quite differently here to what they do in Europe. Climate