MASS. HORTICULTURAL FESTIVAL."! 



225 



his counting-room, the artisan his workshop, 

 the gardener his plants, — and all frattr- 

 nized in the universal acknowledgment of 

 the interest and value of this culture of the 

 soil. Next, we were surprised at the per- 

 fect order and harmony with which all this 

 materiel blended into a whole ; and, lastly, 

 with the complete and perfect system with 

 which all the details were managed, by 

 those whose duty it was to be the " govern- 

 ors of the feast." Yes, we said to our- 

 selves, it is quite certain that our New- 

 England friends very well know how to 

 make simple and easy that task, so difficult 

 in most places, of entertaining well and 

 gracefully. 



It was a beautiful sight, that feast of fruits 

 and flowers. Old Faneuil Hall, the some- 

 what grim and antique " cradle of libert}'," 

 smiled benignly with the fair wreaths of 

 flowers that decorated and festooned her 

 columns, and the rich abundance which 

 loaded her tables. Beautiful sentiments, 

 from those of the poets who most loved na- 

 ture and the garden, were tastefully em- 

 broidered in letters of verdure on her walls ; 

 and time-honored names of great botanists, 

 naturalists, and horticulturists, saluted us 

 from the transparencies along the galleries, 

 and reminded us of the services they had 

 rendered the good cause, in their lives and 

 labors- 

 It was five o'clock on the afternoon of the 

 22d of September, when the company be- 

 gan to assemble in the various reception- 

 rooms of the veaerable building, and at a 

 little before six o'clock were conducted by 

 the marshals, to the sound of admirable 

 music, to the great Hall. More than five 

 HUNDRED ladies and gentlemen, without the 

 slightest confusion, were seated at the ta- 

 bles in that large apartment ; and at the 

 end of this hall, on a raised dais, or plat- 

 form, were seated the President o'' the So- 

 VoL. HI. 15 



ciety, with his two fair daughters, the vice- 

 presidents, and a numerous circle of invited 

 guests. 



From this dais, the scene that presented 

 itself to us, under a full blaze of gas light, 

 was singularly gay and brilliant. Rather 

 more than half the company were ladies, in 

 full dress, (each provided with a bouquet, 

 on silting down to the table,) and the effect 

 of the whole might be compared to that of 

 a rich parterre of flowers. So many lovely 

 faces, so many eyes, bright with animation, 

 so much real pleasure and enjoyment, and 

 so complete an absence of the little perplexi- 

 ties and discomforts of great entertain- 

 ments, we never remember to have seen. 

 By what sort of magic the stewards and 

 caterers of the feast, contrived that every 

 one should be supplied without noise and 

 confusion, we did not undertake to inquire. 

 But it was done; and we did not care to 

 dispel the illusion by too curiously peering 

 into the machinery of the actual. 



In the gallery was stationed a fine band, 

 which filled up all the pauses with delicious 

 music; and, in the centre of the hall, were 

 some accomplished vocalists, who, with a 

 piano accompaniment, gave some odes, 

 composed for the occasion, with excellent 

 effect. 



After the supper, after the ices, and the 

 rare fruits — the luscious grapes, pears, 

 peaches, etc., were thoroughly enjoyed, the 

 intellectual repast of the evening com- 

 menced. 



It is a source of regret to us that we 

 cannot lay before our readers the whole 

 account of this part of the evening's enjoy- 

 ment — the sentiments, the wit, and the 

 speeches, as we heard them, and as we find 

 them pretty accurately reported in the Bos- 

 ton newspapers. As it would, however, 

 occupy half our monthly space, we are 

 compelled to abridge and condense, giving 



