The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-10

Sabbatarians.
FASHIONABLE AMUsEMENTs FOR THIN WINTER
SEAsoN-This metropolis has, like all the other
great cities in the world, very large class Of
very nice persons who are often bored to death
to know how to get through with the day. In
Europe this class embraces great many men
Of fortune, but here its members are chiefly Of
the better sex. An American, however rich
he may be, rarely permits himself to be
annoyed by want Of occupation. He
CANDLES in stocks, or dabbles in politics, or re-
tains an interest in trade, or writes a book,
OF publishes newspaper, or does something
or other to fill up his time and make or lose
money. But ladies who are left to themselves
while pater .fan,ilias is in Wall street, and the
je,.nesse doree are writing away in great ledg-
ers, have an awful void to ill up between
breakfast and dinner, to say nothing about
the evenings, when the Opera has gone away
to the provinces, and the theatres only give
years ago, when the fashionable people of New
York were classed as the upper ten thousand"
they were split into small coteries and used to
occupy their time in abusing each other; but, as
the city has increased in wealth and popula-
ton, this upper ten thousand" has been so far
multiplied as to be called the upper hundred
thousand, with views enlarged and tastes Gull
tivated. in proportion to the increase of their
numbers. They patronize the fine arts, en-
courage native painters and sculptors, drive
splendid equipages, and altogether cut good
figure in the gay world. During eight or nine
months in the year they make New York as
lively as any European capital.
just now, however, is dull time in public
amusements-the weather is not suitable to
Park driving, and the ladies have to find new
excitement. They go q good deal to the
picture galleries, and they are perfectly
delighted with Palmers "White Captive" and
Barbees "Fisher Girl" The first we have
alluded to frequently as very fine work, and
Mr. Barbee's statues also deserve especial
praise. Our fashionable bellies scrutinize these
representations of the highest type of female
beauty with much interest, and mentally COM
pare the beautiful figures with their own
How far the reality approaches the marble
ideal, in these days Of crinoline, patent corsets
and other "aids of nature" is an awful mys-
terry, more than Eleusinian, to anybody but
the modiste and the lady's maid.
After the pictures and statuary the great
Broadway bazaars, with their bijouterie and dry
goods, and knick knacks of all kinds, afford a
lounge for an hour or two, and the re-
mainder of the morning may be filed
Nth oh 10 nau|s
6oms, or all three, with dish of DISCOURSE
at Maillard's or some Of the other fashionable
restaurants. These occupations, with few
visits, will bring Madame OF Mademoiselle close
to the dinner hour.
Thus it will be seen that we are getting along
well in art matters and that we are cultivating
a taste for the beautiful which will yet place
our artists, their patrons and critics, on level
with the refined classes of ancient Greece and
Rome, medieval Italy, or modern Europe We
have art in all varieties, and at all prices. Next
week there will be an excitement about the
cheap Opera at Niblo's Garden by some artists
who have been tried at high prices and classed
among the antiques Still they will have a
good chance for success, on the same principle
that the ladies rush to dry goods stores which
advertise shop-worn or damaged goods at low
prices People often pay more for old traps at
auction than new ones will bring at private sale,
and thisrule may work with passk singers. We
should not be at all surprised to see great
rush for the cheap Opera next week-such
four shilling furore as will necessitate the sale
of tickets at auction.