EDITORS OF THE HARVARD HERALD. - Gentlemen: Probably few of your readers know what a pleasant and instructive afternoon they can pass strolling through the galleries of the leading art stores of Boston. Dropping into Noyes & Blakeslee's can be found a choice collection of black and white sketches by the Salmagundi Sketch Club of New York. A few of the most striking sketches are: a beach scene, by F. S. Church, entitled "A Windy Day." The artist seems to have caught the spirit of the occasion - a solitary figure of a young girl on the beach, a few fishing hamlets in the perspective, and about all a breezy, chilly atmosphere - all show great ability with little material. There are heads without number, ideal, real, wise and otherwise. "A Saucy School Girl," by S. R. Burleigh; an "Ideal Head," by Fowler, and a weird, strangely effective, but well executed study called "Astarte," by F. W. Freer, and many others of equal merit. Passing across the common, one comes to Doll & Richards'. Here, on entering, one sees a beautiful exhibition of Chelsea faience. Going up stairs one finds a fair collection of paintings, a pleasant relief from the black and white exhibit just left. Among the most noticeable, are a saloon picture, by Chester Loomis, a well handled figure-piece by the French artist, Doyen, and lastly, a happy conceit, by Boston's young artist, Gaugengige. Last to be visited, the oldest of Boston's art stores, is that of Williams & Everett; here can be seen three pictures owned by a Boston gentleman, who is said to have paid $25.000 for them. The largest one is a characteristic sketch by Detaille, a group of soldiers, a scene in the late Franco-Prussian war. The first feature that one remarks in the picture is the beautiful play of light. Although the coloring does not affect one favorably, yet the fine draughting and grouping of the figures show the masterhand of the man, who, with De Neuville, leads this branch of the French school. The second is one of De Neuville's, a much smaller picture, equally attractive both in point of merit and ability. Bonheur is the artist of the third, an Alpine scene with only two exquisitely drawn figures of animals, this time deer. It is impossible to describe the delicate finish of the picture. All that can be said is, "Go and see for yourselves."