^T. 72.] TO SIR EDWARD FRY. 789 



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 

 call 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 occupied 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. 



