Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-12-25
CHRISTMAS AND OTHER THINGS IN BOs-
TON


all hands, is Christmas, the coming shadows of
which, or sunbeams rather, are already
upon US. Church, hall, parlor, sittingroom,
are under active process of decoration. The
vicinity of the leading markets has been re-
freshingly green for the whole week. Such
forests of hemlock, spruce and pine; such
quantities of evergreen and other verdant
products Of the woods, were never before seen.
| Our friends in the rural parts must have pretty
nearly ransacked all creation, and after that
cut it up or pulled it down. This growing
custom of decorating buildings, both public
and private, upon Christmas and the Christmas
days, is among the most pleasing of the time.
1t is the outward symbol of beautiful thought,
and means something more than hemlock and
evergreen. 1t leads to thought, and in a train
that is assuredly noble and uplifting. Among
the churches that have been deliberately orna-
mented, is Kings Chapel that famous and
ancient pile, which everybody likes to look at,
and everybody thinks so very plain and home
ly The designs are excellent, and they are
executed with taste and success. Arches,
wreaths, festoons and host of other neat con-
trivances greet the eye pleasantly. Trinity
Saint Paul, and other Episcopolian churches,
are also decorated.
Christmas is to be observed somewhat more
than usual, alike at the altar of the church,
the salons of the mansion, the ballroom, and
other places perhaps not so good. AT the
Cathedral in Franklin street, high mass is to
be celebrated with all the pomp of Catholic
ceremony. This will begin at the impossible
Ito newspaper people, hour of A. NJ, and
continue some two hours. Early as the hour
is the spacious church will be quite too small
for those who will resort hence Other
churches will have services, but at a later
hour Our banks are not to be opened at ALL
the down town, and most of the up town stores
will be closed, pleasure will reign quite gem
orally, and the places of amusement will be
thronged
The second trial of McNulty, for the muir
der of policeman Hodsdon resulted this morn
ing in a verdict of murder in the second de-
gree. A sentence followed immediately-that
of Imprisonment for life The verdict was an
ticipated The case was clear enough-that
is, murder in the first degree-but the jury,
philanthropic gentlemen, loved mercy more
than justice, and so came in for No. 2 Nc
Nulty, who is a felon from skin to marrow,
took the sentence with a smile, indicative of a
belief that twas but trfe, such are the facil-
tiles nowadays for pulling upon the weak
nesses of pardOning committees. He told a
friend going out of court that he should be
"down i'll North street, free man, in less than
five years" 1 haven't any doubt of the fact.
Nevertheless, he shot policeman dead while
in the discharge of his duty, and is known to
have led a life of crime from boyhood.
Touching trials, your "horse-shoe" case ex-
cited no little general interest in our city. 1
can assure you that the verdict is a just one 1
have not seen the first man who differs from this
popular verdict. After such a fierce battle, so
well fought, and with SO just a cause, you
ought to have triumphed. Mr. DANA carried
the case like a hero. There are few men at
the Suffolk Bar so strong as he He has
pluck, intellect talent, and tact Even Mr..
Choate had much rather Mr.. Dana would not
be con the other side" when he has cause to
try
You know John II. Warland, and an object
of pity he is. He was carried to the Lunatc
Hospital in South Boston, this week. having
,-eti Vut VI his nead Tor some time. That one
so gifted, writer of so much power and facil-
ity, and a man, withal, of so much geniality
and good parts generally, should be cursed
with infirmities that bring him to this sad pass,
is melancholy indeed. But such is life.
The clerkship of the Senate has taken new
turn; or, rather, kept on in its old one. The
programme, as l understand, now is, to re-elect
Mr.. Clifford, on the ground that he sis a clever
fellow, and has had the office one year" So
that those who have had an eye on the verv
profitable post, can look elsewhere, though it
Is by no means sure that few men, hilarious
over their bottles at Young's CornhiD Coffee
House, can always settle these matters quite
so smoothly as all that. 1t is also said to be a
fixed fact that Mr.. Phelps is to be President
of the Senate. This is based, according to as
good authority as the other, upon count of
noses, thirty-one already having been stamped
?. l suppose other parts of the State will
be graciously allowed a membership to the
Legislature, but that is about all that appears
to be in store for them The truth is, | sus-
pect, the attempt is making to reduce State
matters down to the narrow guage of Boston
politics and politicians. If this should prove
true, the Country members" may as well 90
into negotiation. However, "when the time
comes" expect there will be very pretty
snarl among these numerous strings that have
been pulling so industriously for a month or
two We shall see-those Of us who look.
The Opera fourishes. Atleast S13, 600 have
been spent upon it this week so far, with two
performances to come. This ought to do for
Boston. Mr. Ullman thinks it will, and pro-
poses to stay as long as it will pay in this way.
Other engagements may go to the winds. A
bird, or whole cargo of them, is worth more
in the hand than in the bush. Ullman lives
and does to make money, and his swelling Pc
RODS about art and artists, all shrink down to
that. The "three hungry Frenchmen" in
New York, were not a tenth as voracious as
he. AS a new wrinkle" in amusements.
hereabouts, let me state that the Boston THEA
ter is to be opened Sunday evening, for an Ora
torio! Shade of the Pilgrims what nexta-
But there viii be no Terpsichorean feats and
such wicked trifes,-no praises to God Gin
character" from the wings and foot Lights
1t wasn't long ago that the Handel and Haydn