Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-02-02
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From the Quaker CITY.


january 800,
since last wrote, Artum has vaned, and Winter
is more than half gone, according to the Almanac,
put with rev OF the proper accessories Of the
There 10 only sprinkling of snow occasionally,
loo at Intervals, and general combination and
succession OF mild and MOTT. Indeed, IL you we're
to take as many cards as should be necessary. in.
scribe on each the characterisios Of the dav, nro
perly found in November, March, md ApriI. and
after careful shutting, deal of from da, TO dsv TO
the clerk ofthe weather, for his regulation the re-
suit, fancy, would be quite like that We now OK.
perience. had concluded, too hastily, as it seems
that tho seasons came In a more orderly manner
and believed with more prorriety, here, than had
been accustomed TO soc. Autumn an autumn
such as the poets sing, rich, mellow and ni1. The
well known and oft quoted rhymes Of Hood would
not apply to the drearcst day in November. The
days few pleasantly and swiftly--the leaves paled
and wthered, and fell away in gentle rain, even
the clouds seeming to for the Office that sns
forced upon them. But wintor speaking of It ac-
cording to it's ideal perfection, ar DE- QuiscEr
docs of murder,-wlntor is o perfect failure, and
should be Kissed from the stage
Yet VIC have much reason TO be thankful. in this
great city, that the ia 80 mild The depres.
sion which is resting upon the whole country is not
probably as heavily felt here as in New York. but
there are very many who out Of employment,
and, but for the hand of charity, which scatters
bountifuly, without food. We may indeed thank
kind Providence that severe cold has no, vet added
to all the suffering connected with want. When a
stranger here, noticed the almost entire absence of
street bcggars The class, so common even in our
smaller cities. did not appear. Now they meet one
frequently, asking for charity because they can get
no work. Tho soup houses arc giving away large
quantities Of food, and the city authorities distribute
bread in the several wards, in rotation The gas
companies issue tickets which cnitle the bearers to
receive each bushel Of coke, which are purchased
by private individuals for distribution among the
needy, and so far as systematic beneyoence can do.
the poor are cared for. But there arc doubtless
many persons, strangers, in strange city, who are
not reached even by these means.
A truo Yankee, born and bred in New ENGLAND
and accustomed to seek the quid pro euo is ant 70 be
somewhat astonished at the manner ofspend;no III.
Christmas holidays, oven no farther south than this,
Thanksgiving day, good old Puritan fe,tivsL, came.
and business barely waited day, and moved On.
but Christmas seemed to DO terminus, ct which
the train of busy weeks and months, which had
been hurrying madly through the year. with all it's
freight of hopes, prospects, plans and schemes, was
to arrive, to depart again with fresh engine and
new supply Of fuel, the opening of New Year.
Hence there was a com pete interregnum. Clerks
and Students had leave Of absence, schools we're
suspended, every body was loose. The note Of pre-
paration had been sounding long before. This, that
OF other thing, was 10 be finished "before Christ
mas !" plans were laid, to be put in execution,
" after New Year" New books, 4 new assortment
Of fancy goods. new arrangement of stock on hand
new novelties and new autio uities, were prepared
for the holidays while for a wide extent of coun.
ana Gkcys Gsa gs sa h e ssFss.. q.
they were slain for the occasion.
The day itself, afforded but sorry recompence
for the trouble which had anticipated it, for a
dirtier day is seldom On the pre- cediug morn.
ing. the city, when fairly awake, found itself
encased in thin coating of very firm and smooth
ice, and the pavements constructed with an eve to
the free delivery Of water into the cutters, were
found to shed passengers quite as easily. This had
caused all philanthropic householders to remember
the maxim of Poor Richard, that "the Christian i.
known by the ashes he spreads the icy pavement"
and, when Christmas came, and a warm mist dis.
solved the ice, the conseque extra eeva
tinn of stirts. and rar'iouia a-ouaspeeton in re.
gard to newly polished boots. lima CINE ten thou
sand people at time in Chestnut Street, t,,s,ug
heed to their ways, on such n day
New Years ended the interregnum, and work
began again, but with little of the spirit and
energy which characterized the opening year ago.
80" ivai iuI themselves and their ncighbors and
none but the quad nUncs find plenty of employment.
Yours &c