Correspondence

December 16, 1SS1 . Mr. S. and I concluded to see some of the decorutions and liear the music for which 80 many preparations liad been made for Christmas. In the morning we went to Trinity Episcopal Church (Phillips Brookes1). We had to wait about tweuty minutes toget inslde, and had to stand through the entire service, it was so crowded. The church is elegant. The singing was pertcctly grand, and Mr. Brookes gave a fine dlcourse. He talks rapidly, but enunciates vry distinctly, so it is not hard to understand him; but we were well paid for standing. The service closed ut 12:15. After dinner we went to the Catliolic Cathedral. I never saw so elegant a church. The windows are personages from Scripture, and ure the gift of great men in tlmt cotnmuniou. It was curious to see the people, big and little, come in and drop down ou thcir knees before the altar. The illuminated scène of the Maiiger of Bethlehem and the personages was very fine. It was built in a MOMi ¦bont 16 fcet square. We next went over to the Church of the Iinmaculate Conception. The rcpiesentation of the manger licre was different but fully as nice, and the people would come in and kneel before It and look at it. There we saw into the confeasion boxes, etc. About 6 we went to Music Hall to liear tbe Handel and Haydn Society render the oratorio of The Messiuh. It was tlie 633d concert of tUat society, and thcir TM performance of that oratorio. The great organ was used, with M orchestra of 40 pieces and a chorus of 400 voices. l'here was an audience of 3,000 people. Every nook and corner where one could sit or stand was occupind, and people sat on the ttoors. I cannot describe the music. The chorus of 400 voices, the grand organ, some pipes big cnough for a man to crawl throagh aud hen it was played sounded like thundcr; and when the Ilallelujah Chorus wm sung, it geeined as though I would ily. Cary sang as if insplred. Mrs. Osgood bas a beautiful voice, and made an elegant display on her last solo; and the tenor and balt werj fine. Listeinann plyed splendidly, and the Pastoral Symphony was the sweetest and most plaintive I ever heard. Thnt audience of 3,000 was so still " you coulri h:ive liKnl a pin drop."