In his simple country home a theatre had always been thought of and spoken of as an entrance to hell, but being of an inquiring mind he determined, as so many country lads have done before and since, upon giving one of his first evenings in the city to finding out for himself what hell was like. The kindred desire to see a large fire was also soon gratified, and the ardor of his curiosity on this subject was at once cooled, for, as he stood watching the blaze, the hose was turned for a moment in the wrong direction, and he was drenched. The subject of the next letter is the "great fire of 1835," which took place on December 16th, and destroyed 600 warehouses and $20,000,000 of property. "NEW YORK, _December 25, 1835_. "_Dear Father_,--Last week, on Wednesday night, a fire broke out in a store in Merchant Street which proved to be the largest that was ever known in this country. It burned about 674 buildings, most of which were wholesale stores, and laid waste all of thirty acres of the richest part of this city. "I was up all night to the fire, and last Sunday was on duty with David as a guard to prevent people from going to the ruins to steal property that was saved from the fire and laying in heaps in the streets. "The awful state that the city was in can be better imagined than described. "Mr. Brewer has arrived, and will take to Stockbridge some parcels, one of which is for Mrs. Ashburner. "In haste, from your affectionate son, "CYRUS. "P.S.--I wish mother would make for me a black frock-coat (she knows the kind that I want) and a plain black stock. "Perhaps you had better send me the $6 that you were to let me have. "C. W. FIELD." On July 25, 1836, he writes to his father: "I shall leave New York on Thursday evening the 11th of August, in the steamboat _Westchester_, which goes no further up the river than Hudson, and be at that place on Friday morning, the 12th, where I shall want to have some one to meet me and Mr. Goodrich with a good horse and wagon to take us immediately to Stockbridge.... I want to have some one be at Hudson rain or shine, and I would like to have you write to me and let me know who is coming, and where I shall find him if he is not at the wharf.... Mr. G. and myself will pay the expense of coming to Hudson." And in another letter: "The fare in the steamboat to Hudson is only 50 cents." A month later, in a letter to his mother, dated New York, August 29th, he says: "I arrived here on Thursday morning with Goodrich, in good health and fine spirits. I have sent to you by Mr. Platner, of Lee,