BOSTON AND ITS ENVIRONS. 43 



exclaimed, ^' These boys seem to take in the love of 

 liberty with the very air they l)reathe.'^ 



There are other interesting historical incidents, 

 recorded in connection with the Common, but space 

 forbids their narration. I would rather describe it as 

 it first appeared to me, a beautiful surprise, a gracious 

 spot of greenness and of silvery waters and splendid 

 shade-trees, in the heart of the busy brick-bound city. 

 Here the children play and coast, as they did in the 

 days of General Gage ; here the lovers walk, on the 

 five beautiful broad pathways, the Tremont street, 

 Park street. Beacon street, Charles street and Boylston 

 street malls. Here the invalids and old folks rest on 

 the numerous benches; here the people congregate on 

 summer evenings to enjoy the free open-air concerts, 

 which are given from the band-stand. ^' Frog Pond,'' 

 a pretty lakelet, near Flagstaff Hill, and a fine deer- 

 park in the vicinity of the Boylston street mall, are 

 great attractions. The Common covers forty -eight 

 acres, with 1000 stately old shade-trees, and the iron 

 fence by wdiich it is inclosed measures 5932 feet. 



In addition to its natural beauties, the Common has 

 two fine pieces of statuary, the Soldiers' and Sailors' 

 Monument on Flagstaff Hill, and the Brener Fountain. 

 The former was erected in 1871 at a cost of §75,000. 

 It is a majestic granite shaft in the Roman-Doric style, 

 seventy feet high, surmounted by a bronze figure of the 

 Genius of America, eleven feet in height. At the base of 

 the shaft are grouped alto-relievo figures representing 

 the North, the South, the East, and the West. Four 

 other bronze figures, representing Peace, History, the 

 Army and the Xavy, stand on projecting pedestals 

 around the foundation. The monument, which was 



