The New York herald., 1863-09-25

The Metropolis iA she Indian SAM
mer.
New York city is full, The last lingering
metropolitan has returned from the rural dis
tr,cts, and has evidently brought a crowd Of
his country cousins with him. Broadway is
now in all its glory. The sidewalk, on what is
popularly termed ''the dollar side" is thronged
with gayly dressed ladies and scarcely less gayly
dressed gentlemen It used to be said, by way
of satire upon our national costume Of black
hat, black coat. black vest and black trowsers,
that we were republic of cergymcn. Fashion
has changed all that however, and now our
citizens walk the streets decked with all the
hues Of the rainbow This metamorphosis and
the brilliant uniforms of onr officers and SOL
diers greatly increase the liveliness Of our
promenades. Nor does the immense number
Of country people in town detract from the
gorgeous effect. On the contrary, all the grass
which Grantley Munchausen Berkeley imagined
he saw growing in our thoroughfares could not
add SO singular and rustic charm to the many
beauties of Broadway.
Yesterday the fall and winter seasons were
inaugurated by the fashionable openings. We
give, in another part Of our paper, column or
so Of profound dissertations upon colors, and
shades, and styles, and of glowing descriptions
Of bonnets, and dresses, and cloaks. In some
circles "opening day" is more scrupulously OBJ
served than the Fourth Of July, and a bonnet
prov0kes more discussion than battle. 1t is
in compliance with this taste that we adorn our
columns to-day with ribbons, and laces and
feathers, and fnery, and mingle Chattanooga
and c,ir color, Meade and mantillas, Gilmore
and gloves, Palmerston and plumes rebellion
and robes, politics and parasols, iron-clads and
illusion. French Intervention and French modes,
Seward and silks. Lincoln and tho ladies, in
strange but delightful confusion. The old
Latin maxim tells us that laws are silent amid
the clash Of arms; but the laws of fashion are
not abrogated by war. The battle trumpets
flourish; but the milliners, dressmaxers and
dry goods dealers flourish also. The specula-
tors in Wall street coin the bloodiest conflicts
into greenbacks, and the wives and daughters
of the spectators soon transform the green
diamonds. All of our merchants bear testi-
mony that the only trouble about business Is
that they have too much to do. Really we
cannot imagine state Of affairs more pleasant
for all concerned.
But all our places Of amusement are not less
crowded than the stores and the hotels For
rest, putting and painting like locomotive,
draws long train Of full houses every week.
Booth, at the Winter Garden, inherits all Of his
fathers popularity, with some of his fathers
genius. Bandmann, having made small for
tune out of the sarcastic madness Of Narcisse,
is now about to assume the melancholy mad
ness of Hamlet. Wallack announces, in that
elegant style peculiar to theatrical advertise
ments, that he will soon open his theatre, re-
painted, regilt and rcdccorated with all the
usual talented artists and many new aspirants."
How he will be able to 'rcgilt''. his house "with
all the usual talented artists is perhaps a
mystery; but the theatre will certainly be rcdc-
corated with brilliant audience as soon as the
veteran is ready to throw open its doors. Mrs.
John Wood is fitting up her new Olympic, and
will begin her season about the 9Th OF October
with light plays and laugbable travesties Of the
old Olympic school The lecture season will
commence at nearly the same time, and Arte-
mas Ward, the code mecum Of President Lincoln
and the Joe Miller OF the nineteenth century,
leads of, at Niblo's Saloon, next week, with
terrific struggle With the ghosts. Then comes
the Opera, managed by Marctzck, Grau and
.Anschutz, each Of whom will have good
troupe of his own and no connection with any
other impressario. What with the splendid
weather, the Park, the theatres, the lectures,
the concerts and the Opera, therefore, New
York will spend an Indian summer worth re-
membering.
II almost too soon, perhaps, to say anything
very definite about the Opera season, except
that il can scarcely fail to be successful. Ma
retzek will open the campaign at the Academy,
and his Golfers and subscription books are now
ready to be filed. Anschu.z will follow, at the
same place, and in the German language. and
is already rchearsing his choruscs and testing
his leading artists. Gran is somewhere In Eu-
rope, engaging oil the available singers, and he
will doubtless organize sudden guerilla raid
and try TO cut of Maretzek's supply trains by
giving better performance at another theatre,
If he can secure one. But in one opera alone,
Maretzek has tower OF strength equal to such
an emergency. The opera 10 which we refer is
the "Esmeralda' of William H. Fry, Of the
TriJme. This gentleman was recently drafted.
and upon hearing Of the fact We Immediately
offered to make him general band master OF our
entire army Our liberal offer, as we'll as that
Of the Sccretaryship of the Italian Legation, he
decidedly refused, on account of his devotion
to art. lie wanted to stay at home to complete
his opera He has completed it, and It is now
in Naretzek's hands The roie Of E.meralda, a
sylph-like gypsy dancing girl, is Of course just
suited to the graceful Mcdori The music is a
magnificent combination OF the best melodies of
Bcllini Rossn Donizett Mozart Beethoven,
Meyerbeer, Petrella and all other ancient aud
modern composers. Such q work as this can