£T. 72.) TO SIR EDWARD FRY. 739 
no liking, and was the chief family gathering-day as 
well as a day of religious service, or at least of politi- 
cal sermonizing. But Christmas is completely re- 
stored even in New England, though the other holi- 
day is not dropped. 
The north shore of Massachusetts Bay is very 
pretty, the shore backed with woods and rocks, and 
sheltered against the northeast bleak winds; and the 
situation where we are is one of the choicest. It is 
near the mouth of Salem Bay, Salem at the head, 
three or four miles above, and the hills beyond close 
the view at the west; the peninsula of Marblehead 
lies opposite on the south, dividing this water from 
that of Boston Bay ; southeast the sea-line is broken 
only by three or four low islands. When my good 
father-in-law bought the land here, then waste wood 
and sheep-pasture, forty years and more ago, it was 
two or three hours from Boston. Now a railway 
brings it within an hour, and now the whole coast 
down to Cape Ann is occupied with what you would 
eall villa residences, the grounds of all the most de- 
sirable ones reaching to the water, partly with rocky 
shores wooded with pine-trees and junipers, partly 
with sandy beaches, good for bathing-grounds. This 
place combines the two, and is well wooded at the 
back, and commands the most beautiful views. Most 
of the houses are used only for summer residences ; 
but this is oceupied the year round. I have never 
been here in the winter before. Winter we are here 
in the midst of already, unusually early, and the 
ground is white with snow, of which there is usually 
little before Christmas. But our winter differs from 
yours in its sunshine, the brilliancy and cheer of which 
is a good offset for the colder weather, or at least the 
lower thermometer. 
