Some walks about Cambridge.

To the man who takes any pleasure at all in walking, Cambridge is sure to afford an increased pleasure, to the man who delights in stroll and country rambles, Cambridge is a "bonanza.." He who attempts to visit every place in or about Cambridge that is interesting for its beauty, its historical reminiscences, or its connection with intellectual advancement. has his hands full. Walks however that might require several hours, were they actually attempted, may be taken on paper in a very short time, certainly with less trouble, and perhaps with nearly as much interest, although for myself reading about a thing is very much inferior to the seeing it; the reading is as different from the seeing as night from day. However, let us attempt a few of these indoor walks, setting out for the first from Harvard square. As we leave the square to go up Brattle street we take a mere casual glance at the College. Only students could look thither with such indifference. The impression of the grandeur of the Harvard group of buildings died away in our freshman year. Still as we take our "casual glance," it might be well to remember that Wadsworth was once Washington's headquarters [hoc verumest], and that while he was there the shells from the British forts fell so dangerously near, that a removal of the General's quarters, further out to the old Longfellow house on Brattle street was made necessary; also that Massachusetts, as well as the old church opposite, was used in revolutionary times for quartering American troops. We pass up Brattle street to Appian Way, whose name is enough to invite our attention, but which has other and perhaps greater charms than any classical name could give it. Entering Appian Way from Brattle street we cannot overlook the fine building on the left, which speaks so well for the success and prosperity of the now famous Harvard Annex. The building is a regular old "stager" in its way, a frame structure, nearer the shape of a cube than of anything else, painted a dirty yellow with white trimmings, and generally beautiful, one of the remnants of past ages (appropriate, some have called it), like so many other of the old standard houses that one finds in Cambridge. However imposing such an exterior may be, the interior is wrapped in mystery for the student mind. The building is the headquarters of the "Annex." but who knows more? We pass the noble structure with eyes on every window and uncovered heads, and come next to Garden street and the Cambridge common. Here are the Soldiers' Monument, (the figure of which never had a hat on but once, and then when the pitying students helped him to it) and three large cannon which were captured from the French at Quebec and Ticonderoga, in the French and Indian wars. At the further end of the common, just in front of the Shepard Memorial (Cong.) church, is the old Washington elm, with the stone slab before it, on which we read, "Under this tree Washington first took command of the American army, July 3d, 1775." We continue our way up Garden street to Concord avenue. On our right are, or were, the old arsenals, of which some have been torn down during the past summer. I think that it was in the late war, when a raid on the North was threatened, that a body of students was set guard over the military stores there. The story goes on to say that Cambridge residents for some reason or other, sent in a petition to have the student guard removed and a good sized bull dog put in its place. Still keeping on Garden street, we very soon approach on the left the Harvard Astronomical Observatory, towards which we look with a curiosity which cannot be satisfied until the two or three days are announced on which the students, (but then only seniors), will be admitted. The observatory is out of our reach, but almost opposite are the Botanic Gardens. This we may enter, and we will probably find even the hot houses open. The lover of botany will have his hands full here. I can stop for no description. Let the reader visit the gardens himself, and he will be well repaid.

We have gone enough in this direction for to day. Let us take the street just south of the observatory grounds and cross over to Concord Avenue. We how wind our way through Concord avenue, Buckingham and Craigie streets, coming out on Brattle street, and turning to the left we continue our way down Brattle. But first, why all these perambulations? I answer, merely that we may pass through a very pleasant quarter of Cambridge, and at the same time, "take in" the Longfellow house, which we cannot fail to see on our left as we move down Brattle street. It is another of the famous old Cambridge houses, yellow and white like so many of the others, with a high fence and hedge in front. Opposite the house is the lot belonging to the Longfellow estate. The poet never would sell it, as he thought too much of the unobstructed view of his "River Charles." We come next, and lastly, to the Episcopal Theological School with its very pretty and artistic group of buildings. Possibly we recognize the place when we attended church last Sunday. With a short cut across the common, we are home again and here we disband, or it may be go in a body to Memorial Hall.

NEMO.