The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-12-25 00:00:00

CORISTMAS FESLITITTES.

THE Christmas holidays were this Tear ushered in bra, sea-
sonable peried,of sharp frost, though lorief, and, notwithstand-
ing the bitring-sev eri ty of the cold, a general feeling of anticipated
pleasure has predominded in most ?circles. The vendors of
jewellery ,Irakets, and other such ;articles as are generally
adapted fer Christmas souvenir:, have been all 4!,a‘gcg " for
the last few days, and their display of tempting -wares has,
doubtless, -made inroads on many a4vell-hoarded,,parae. The
magatias erier ,twitive,, and other &tilers in

articles for ladies (air,
Whic'h•make- them beautiful ,or leave them neat,

have lent a their.. energies towards the accomplishment of
marvels in the smny of personal decoration, and their
several repositeriesThave been, for some time 'past, vadiant
with warel,inwhich the richest? fancy has been. aided by a
gorgeoctsness of colour which ma' ked the rainboW's lustre.
The taste for elegance has' not been confined to thescligher
classes of dealers-.in decorative sn't, but it has spresia in all
directions, and :seized on every class of shopkeepers. Book-
sellers woo theintellectual by a tempting show of ,Miecella-
neous literatore,.bonnd and adormid in every fascinating way.
The works of •celebrated authors have become -even more
seductive from the ,showy splendours in which they were
arrayed; through their aid, " many a holy text" has
been " strewed arcane' in.• circles which, in lees Attractive
:guises, they proleablynever would have reached- Teyideaiers
have vied with ,each ..otheri in; presenting to the rising
r. generation" each indications of the peat
,;:year's
.events as are to the ,gleaued from cleveriy.constructed
-.though apocryphal models ,of -Sebastopol and the eGgireca.
'4lobbies of every kind, .with the exception of those politica!,
-,are offered by those ..ministers to, youthful pleasure ; andowitl
'the hobbies "trim-built wherries;":end blushing dolls with
•ilszen ringlets; dragoons and guardsmen, pilots sad seamen,
Itturpets and dransa,.ftraLcsnallsartillery, form a mediey,cf at,
,traction difficult to resiet,:and suahas juvenile philosophers'
.can.rarely vanquish, who :are • fortnnalae in the possession ofn
,vulnerable papa, or an iindulgent aunt or grandmama.
Amtbsements of most sorts ..are .alumdantly promised, and
in,noiwtance more attractively than •fit the theatres. The
'Theatre Royal, the Park, ntl the Adelphi Theatres, as 111141/4
sold out the seductive influence :of pavtomime. The 80. al
Asni)hitbeatre displays its great pe( Ia", ill an with-ALA
treuwiterinegflqtrauiensstroiaft
'JsennCy°aeLiartanfi to
ofthaf:otitiesssets;ntfororiittanteliffeontsbe-
of vocalists Hess qualified though equaljy to delight a
patient and long-suffering public. ,Panoramas of the war.
and tides °Mt:aye' of various kinds mingle their attractions
with t!ae consideration of home joys and fireside festivities.
To aid in tthese latter, grocers sad confectioners, and the
general run of , provision dealers, have ,husiedttkemselves with
their customary.success in catering for the ;pn.be enjoyment.
The chief glory, however, in the funfishingdine,ihas, as usual,
devolved on the -butchers and poultry dealers, :and in both of
these departcaents ,punch well-directed energy :has been dis-
played. St. John's-market has as usual formed the most
conspicuous field for the gastronomic show. There:nrauntains
of beautiful beef, and hecatombs of wondrous abeep were
displayed on Friday and Saturday to the admiring gaze of
Numerous spectators. Initia inviting show Mr.Thonalinsan was
as sisual a distinguished •competitor, having a large assortment
,of ;fine beef, mutton, and pork., together with the rater,del.
,caries of lamb and veal of tempting aspect ; his stock, among
other rarities, embracing a beautifully-fed Brahmin ox, reared
and fed by himself on his farm At Childwall. Mr. Lowtbian
also displayed a selection of beautiful stock, including two
fine west Highland bullocks, bred wild fed at Galloway-house,
by the Eanl of Galloway ; one splendid .01C, bred and fed by the
Duke of Bnecleuch, at Dalkeith-palace, near Edinburgh, and,
two very fine oxen bred and fed by George Stewart, Esq.,
Kirkcudbright, These five beasts have, we understand, been
purchased by Mr, Morrish, of the Merchants' Dining-rooms,
in Lancaster-buildings, Tithebarn-street, and a baron from
one of them will grace the table of his establishment some
day next week ; other barons being to follow in due succession
The general display of meat was great, and of rare excellence.
Poultry and game were more abundant than even the ordinary
„requirements of Christmas have hitherto called forth ; and
fruits and vegetables were arranged in the most lavish, yet
tasteful, profusion. Each of the other markets presented a
scene of kindred beauty, and of similar abundance. The shops,
also, throughout the town, were, filled with large stocks of
first-rate meat of all kinds, and no lack of the season's rich and
rare abundance seemed visible in any quarter.
Birkenhead, likewise, presented to the eye of the gourmand
a similar profusion of the good things considered indispensable
as Christmas fare ; and there, as in Liverpool, the various dis-
plays were tastefully decorated with flowers and evergreens,
and brilliantly illuminated by devices in gas, many of which
were exceedingly beautiful.
Among the caterers for the Christmas festive season, we
must not omit to mention the various purveyors of cakes and
biscuits, many of whom have vast collections of choice biscuits
and fine cakes. Of these, the display by Mr, Hutchin, of the
St. George's-hall biscuit manufactory, in St. John's4ane; was.
and still continues at once varied and excellent,