Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-01-26


attacking leg ofham in ihat-looklng o, this
punch howl and tasting of that-hcre viewing
a range Of decanters, IN there the monstrous
coffee pot,-eyery, where finding the LADIES'
most gorgeously apparelled ,--rustllng III silks,
mud blazing with Jewels, their fathers ana
husbands off,-themselves the Queens OF the
day,-with tide OF visitors rolling IN and out,
! and as one wave dashed on, another refiuent
rushing out. Not a Lady could have been
persuaded even with the gems OF Golconda,
Ia show herself in the street. Death 1t would
have been to her caste, II a sister went to
see her sister. she went at early morn, or late
at night, mutfied up in boas and furs,-with
on impenetrable veil over her face, with a
ftful step too. lest some one whom she might
know, might see her, and thus her fashionable
name be blasted forever. Not lady there
fore was in the streets! The men had sway
onnpotent from the Battery to I1arlaem, from
the suburbs Of Brooklyn Heights to Green
wich village. o! Fashion, thou art all mex.
orablo tyrant, but an aminble one neverthc-
less, for we lore to do thy bidding. Tyrant
though thou be over every lock on our heads,
and over even the soles Of our shoes, shaping
every thing, and ruling every thing accord
ing to Thy sovereign will. Yet how we glory
in being thy slaves!
/ In these rambles of mine could not but
remark what an aspect OF business every thing
in New York assumes. Why the men go to
see their ladyloves here just as they go to the
Bank Of America TO pay their notes,-on
fixed day, at stated hours,-the visit. however,
being due but once year, though the note
at Bank may be due every three months
Every woman in the city has a draf on her
acquaintance due the first of January; and If
this is not honored then, the Bill is protested,
and the credit of the drawee is no more. Wall
street is deserted on this important day. The
Brokers shut up shops. The Banks close
their doors. Pearl street is as melancholy as
a tomb. A ghost Of man, witeless, home
less, houseless, love-ess, miserable and for
lorn, it is true, may be seen in these now
sepulchra precincts on such day; but the
side walk, made hot with the tramp of foot
steps all other days-the crowded, busy, tenn
pestuous thoroughtare is now deserted on this
and the ghost if such ghost there be,
sgueaks and gibbers all alone. The null
titude have fled up town. They arei IN Broad
way-in Greenwich street-here and there,
and every where but where the shops are, and
where merchandise is bought and sold. Go
in Broadway, and you see men in streams as
resistes, as the Mattanawcook. Talk Of
busy bustling men in the great thoroughfare
of the London Cheapsde! Why, these are
only men there; but these, here in Broadway
on n New YEARS day. are the two legged
locomotives Of the steam-going United States
of America. Broadway is their railroad
track. They whizz and buzz by each other,
with puff, puff puff, and wo to the luckless
wight that falls in their way! locomotive,
perchance, may meet an acquaintance now
4 -Is,l
awhile ,and he who is versed in the language
Of steamers may hear it say, "2 o'clock" "(puf)
''sxty calls made-one hundred more to dc"
"(puf) good bye," and off Locomotive and
all enters house. "Hoppy New Years"
dren and forty eight more" (putf) and off,
Never, never, were there such people as
we yankee people for doing business, no mat. |
ter what it be.
If he has goods to sell, he bustles about
like n sky-rocket till all are sold. If he has
a note to pay in Wall street, and three o'clock
is coming on, don't touch him, don't look at
him, don't for the world say show do you do?
for with his head forwards, and his legs
flying like spinning jennies, he is streaming
onwards, and if any man interrupted him, ten
chances to one but that he would knock him
down or run him over. Pleasure here too is
converted into perfect affair of business
Thus this excellent custom of doing years
job in one, the New Years day. A discount
then saves creditor whole year. The I
man in the morning sits down, and looks o.
yer his ledger of visits. 81 owe," he says to
himself "five hundred visits to-day" No
mans legs can do this job for him in city
like this. He hires horse; he takes copy
from his ledger: he whips up and down all
the day; and when he finds he cannot do all
in propria persona, he throws in his card, and
off he goes again. Blessed bit Of pasteboard,
what delicious, tme-savlng invention, now
and then, thou art Even the ladies too, un-
derstand the art of doing business perfectly
well. Look into the house, and there is Of
ten sly young rogue in the corner, keeping
the chronicles of the day,-a ledger for the
family, so as to know whom TO invite for the
year to come. 1t may be that they make out
IN the morning a list of Debtors to start with.
Thus six hundred persons debtors to-day.
At night, credits tour hundred and fifty.-I
One hundred and fifty men, alas! are ruined
in that house forever! Their credit is gone.
No one discounts for them. Their paper is
for their notes are not paid. But
then the shining rogues that keep the books.
at times go further. Oh horror Of horrors! |
they mark us down, as handsome, or not-as
making pretty bow, or an ugly one-as be-
ing dressed la mode, or being dressed as
we please! A man critic has eyes enough,
but woman has forty to his one, seeing eve
ry thing, noting every thing from the finger
nails to the lay of the nap on the hat. Oh,
horror Of horrors again! Who can run such
a guantlet as that?
Life in New York, therefore, is drollery
my dear friends of the East. Cities are built
up here ION paper, aside and sold in lots,
whole acres at n time. Romulus and Re-
mus, and VIM. Penn, are secuted at for the
fuss in city- -foundipU that thev made