The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-24 00:00:00

"RUMOURS OF WAR"

The following telegraphic announcement arrived here in
the course of yesterday. We find no warrant for them in
the London journals :—Owing to the circulation of various
political rumours. English securities sustained a further
depreciation of fully , per cent. Consolo stimulated by
announced arrival of specie from America received after
opening the 942 buyers, but being checked by speculative
sales receded 1 per cent in the afternoon on repori sirculat-
'ing of the recall of the Russian Ambassador from London,
and the departure of M. Kesseleff from Paris. Prices re-
ceded to 932. buyers, and closed at a slight recovery. Con-
sols 921 to 77,-. Railways throughaut the day strictly
followed the variations in Funds and closed at a decline
averaging from 15s. to 1 per cent.

THE BEST PATTERNS and the NEWEST STYLES of
READY MADE GARMENTS are to be had
At Wm. EARP and CO.'S 59 and 61, LORD STREET
The. screw steam-packet Brilliant left Southampton on
Thursday, with passengers, ship mails, and cargo, for Ma-
deira, Bahia, Pernambuco, and Rio de Janeiro. This is the
first extra steani packet that has been sent to the Brazils
from Southampton. The Brilliant has hitherto been con-
fined to the Madeira passage. She is expected in England.
in March next.

Loss OF THE MARSHALL.—Warps and stays continue to
float up from the submerged steamer, at the mouth of the
Humber. The vessel was insured in Hamburg to the amount
130,000 marks banco. Captain Rohrs has left behind a
widow and five children.--Eastern Counties Herald.

CHRISTMAS.

When an old, dear friend comes amongst us, we all get
round him, and are anxious, every one to say a word, and
hear him speak in return. Who, then, says an original or
remarkable word ? Only the old, used-up expressions of
love and joy and hope, which we fervently hope may be
always in good use until the world comes to an end. Who,
then, expects that any 011,3 shall write anything new about
Christmas ? We can only, like all the rest of the world,
express our congratulations that Christmat has come just in
the old hearty way, and feel what we say, although he hai
come in cold, and rain, and mud, not crowned with flowers,
and breathing perfumes like his rival of midsummer, the
hallowed Wolpurgis Nach,t, the midsummer night of dreams
and poetry. Here. is for once in the twelve months, a
cordial union of classes. Here is a question on which all
agree. Our aristocratic friend, who thinks it quite beyond
hope to make anything whatever out of the people, and
our equally respected associate the democrat, who fully
believes that every man who lives on his property is a
" tilted ruffian," as the novelists call such individuals, may
be somewhat amazed to find that here is one point, at least,
upon which they are agreed. Rich and poor, democrat and
aristocrat—Dives and Lazarus--all agree, that when
Christmas comes, he must be received with genial welcome.
We nre.informed, that even at the great table sacred to the
diet of Royalty, an especial, dish honours the company in
greeting of the arrival of Christmas ; and well we know
that- in the house of the poorest labourer—the farthest
removed from the confines of earthly greatness which it is
possible to imagine—there shall not be wanting, upon
Christmas-day, some mark to denote that a time of joyous-
ness, sacred to dear and undying memories, is passing over
the land. Here is a throne, before which we will
all stoop without feeling humiliation—the throne
where Christmas is seoted amid ice as becomes
the god of a Northern nation and resemble these
who sit in the Walhalla of Northern dreams. We obey his
edicts without a murmur, and determine to be happy for we
say in spite of the example and warning of sexed, Emperor
of Ethiopia. No threatening appearances in the bearer es
politics shall distent for this one day the good humour which
prevails among us. Let all the gentlemen who fill the min-
isterial benches resign so far as we are concerned for this
day—we will have sufficient time in the dark 6anuary and
the moist February to distent our minds about the probable
run of England which exactly resembles Christmas in the
fact of it coming once a
.year. Not even shall the condition
of the poor Turks, keeping black and gloomy Christmas by,
the Danube, prevent us from giving a free scope to our pow-
ers of enjoyment, if the scepticism and reformatory tenden-
ces of the age have left us any. for the day which comes
next. Time was when the name of Christmas made the
hearts of all of us leap up, when itr shadow, falling on us
from a long distance, brought only thought of happy days,
gathering together of friends dearly loved and since, perhaps,
all lost, breakings- up at school. pantomimes and . pocket
money. Since that time we have all grown very wise. and
perhaps this love and honor for Christmas ? almost the last
remnant of our foolish childish days. We are practical now,
and do not care about dreams: But it may be that a sage,
looking from the sky to which he had been removed and
unaffected by the object which surround us, might gravely
take thought as to the character of our wisdom and even
believe that if we give more way to our hearts and
less to our practical wisdom we might do almost
as well. At all events, even the very worst of us
may afford to give way a little at the season,
under the consideration that it only makes it ap-
pearance once in the twelvemonth& Let not the
wise be afraid that we may become too gay
and thoughtless, even at this season. No one ever yet
'climbed a high hill without stopping on the way some half
dozen times to look back upon the path which he had
ascended, so far shining belowhim. In the same spirit no
One ever took his pat at a Christmas board and did not turn
his thoughts back upon the last . occasion when he sought to
honor that presonec. Who ever looked back and was not
for a moment' at least' thoughtful and sad ? Are the same
people around you who sat with you this time twelvemonths ?
Do the same four walls to which you give the name of
"home" hold your merry company ? Has no change occurred
in which the gayest may not think without a grave emotion ?
If so, then happy is the man who can sit down this Christ-
mas with such a reflection. But not , even he needs to give
up his time of relaxation altogether to ceaseless mirth.
For he can think upon those to whom the bright period,
illumined with even a brighter premise, which dawns upon
the morning of Christmas, can bring no thought of
happiness here, of hope for the future. He may think
upon those who live amid filth and misery of squalid lanes,
and have no hope of any era which shall bring them relief!
He-may think of those who from the cradle in 'which they
were rocked to the grave in which they were buried, fever
walked but in shadow, upon whose pale faces not a ray of
itH ht
iee gravely.s asunshinet
shallhod Hog thought
otl
hwtCahhCllai
which
nhr:i stme :bma ss
habhi. p.
uai nyt
te
hhts
oece 0
bnir
shallr
oins hopetg b light
be
ha has
eevermuch
o fallen.btehen.k.
Now is ho to be desparingly sad upon that account, although
e
l.
in
s
y .
max into the most dreary homes, and the fire onP his ow
Christ-
hearth shall burn all the brighter because of the many
faggots which his good will and good exertions may have
caused to blaze, where the genial heat of the bright winter fire
may have been long unknown, In plain words, he who would
wish to enjoy Christmas truly and fully can not do so by
making preparations which will merely tend to his own
happiness and sensual comfort. If he will enjoy the season
thoroughly, he must see that the link, by which it binds all
ranks and conditions of life does not escape his fingers. He
must form one in the circle which all this people, from the
Queen who, according to the nursery legend of our child-
hood, sits on the throne "eating bread 'aud honey " down
to the lowest baker, tailor, or porter, who helps to support
the government hf her Majesty.! We now join together to
form, at this one time of the year, there is then union for
all, there is one throne before which we can all bend, and
unless we all bow down to it, the power of the throne is but
as nothing. We must endeavour to help to happiness those
whom. :fortune has deprived of the means by which they
might help themselves. As we cannot be happy, we must
be sympethatic now for once, or we must sit alone. It was
then, reverence for this happy and holy time when men
cannot wrap themselves up in their mantle of personal en-
jpyment, but must go forth and help the world to be sharers
in their happiness, or else be lonely and nothing worth.
He who would in good truth enjoy this season has some-
thing of work to do. He must cicse his mind in the first
place, against idle thoughts of the irrevocable past ; and he
must resolve -his mind, in the sacred instance, that he will
do all which may came in the way of his means sand power
to put within the reach of thosy whom Heaven has not so
favoured as himself all the means by which one happy and
free day may be recorded, marked with a white chalk, in
the heavy record of a lonely twelvemonths.

ST. JOHN'S MARKEM.
•
This, our principal market, naturally takes precedence.
The decorations this year are not so profuse as we have seen
them ; but we believe on no previous occasion has their been
a finer display of the good thino-s, of this life.' In passing
through the avenues of the market one misses the abundance
of evergreens which were heretofore exhibited. Thls, how-
ever, is easily accounted for. Evergreens are not grown in
large quantities in the neighbourhood of Liverpool, and
where they are grown they are intended for ornamental
purposes. At this season they have lo be got at geeat ex-
pense from a dtstance, and however anxious parties may be
to make a display at this time, economy, the order of the
day seems to preclude it. But if the tinsel is wanting, the
.
substance remains. Prime beef, capital mutton, gigantic
geese, mamoth turkeys, and all conceivable kinds of poultry
and game are in abundance ; and what is still higher con-
sidered, almost eoery class seems to be in the possession of
money sufficient to purchase any necessary or luxury they
may require. A Lionthian, a Thomlinson and a few others
usurp everything of a Class of meat likely to reach the upper
classes ; 'but at the same time we must not forget those wha
provide for a far more cumerous, though.a less favored class,
and we ma 3 observe that a very superior class of meat is
exhibited althrough. The stock of poultry seems to be un-
limited, and we believe that no less a quantity than fifty
tons of this commodity reached Liverpool during the present
week from Ireland alone. The display of fruit is also very
fine, and in this department of the market, decorative art
seems to be carried to the fullest extent. Some idea of
Liverpool at dinner on Christmas-day may be gathered from
tke fact that, during the present week upwards of 1,200
head of cattle; and from 7,000 to 8,000 sheep have been
sacrificed to stpply our local wants.
ST. JAMES'S MARKET.
This market presented a gay and animated appearance.
The fruit stalls were laid out in a manner to tempt the most
indifferent. Tie meat stalls displayed quantities of flesh,
which testified :n the highest degree. to the skill of the
breeder. We d) not think that any market in Liverpool
excelled St. Janes's in the quality of the meat which was
displayed. There were several rare specimens of sheep, and
the show of .heibrs from this country and from Ireland,
were remarkable in the extreme. There were also shown
some extraordinuy specimens of the porcine genus, one
weighing. up to tle almost incredible extent of 20 score. It
must not be overboked, and especially at Christmas time,
that there was a v‘ry fine show of pBultry of all kinds.

BIRKENHEAD.
Happily '‘ hale old • Christmas " is no exclusive guest.
His gladness is for dl, and by all is he right heartily wel-
comed. His entrie, be it into the populous wealthy town,
or lowly village, is failed by ovation, and though the splen-
dours of the one ma: overshadow those of the other, yet is
their cordiality equai. We might naturally have expected
then that the preparaions of our "cousins" at the other side
of the water for the •eception of the old and illustrious
stranger, would have been little inferior to our own ; nor
are they. The displa) of goodly comforts is proportionably
as great, and the decorations with which their many attrac-
are, set off, are as artisic in design and beautiiful in effect
as those of Liverpool, Like as, too, the shopkeepees of
Birkenhead have resolv!d not to.open their shops on Mon-