, 1865-12-24
DUB NEW YORK LETTER,
News aud Gossip Of the Great
City.

Tie E3n1Idny+-N1akfng Pre%ent*-NIc-
trnro1itnn k:xtrnvaEnnce-ohar arlty-
The Great City OH Skates-A New
school Syatcna-AHn1rs OF ting OIL
cIaIs-1:arc1zek's Cartl-Thing. The-
ntrleaf-Curiosi1ies Of tile Old losvcry
Critics IN lsaH~-'E1ac 15clo-Dsnxnn-
Ilcminfsccncc OF d Noted Family
Ltterarr-tsA. Vv.7,-A New Poetcss-
a Lettrr from Mrs. 1Iincotn.
From Our Own Correspondent
NEW Tonk. Dec. 20,
It's well-knoWn fact that tho Christmas
holidays always occur In winter. I have
watched during the present year to sec It
the extinction Of the "Confederacy" might
not canse 8 variation from the ordi-
nary custom, but cannot find that any
change IL likely to take place. Christmas is
coming amid the ice and SHOWS Of winter.
Among the holiday '"presents " skates and
coasting sleds take no mean rank, and sets ol
costly furs nre fur from unusual. The win
dows Of Broadway orc decked out in the
most attractive style, and filed with articles
Of every charactcr-all Of them being as e1-
pensiye rs 1t Is possible to make them. !
think It safe to saT that five millions OF dollars
will be expended for gifts during the Christ
mas holidays In this city alone. Such dis
play Us We now witness was never known be-
fore. It is bnt another index of the extrava-
giant babits Of our people and their increase
from year 10 year. Everything useless and
useful, the former class being the most abund-
mt, finds ready purchaser. Watches, jew
elry, rich fabrics, sets Of furniture, and q
thousand aud one articles Of more ornament
than service, are finding sale daily. We wero
never so wealthy as now, and consequently
never so generous. as long ns We have money
friends.
"w1TH CHARITY TO ALL"
With all this metropolitan splendor, and
our '.gising Of precious g1tts' to those We
love. {ofien when We should not} our chari-
ties nre no broader than before. The City
Missionary Issues frequent appeals fof money
to MD him in his work of humanity. Some,
to their honor be It said, give generously In
legion. The great minority Of our wealthy
men and women refuse to listen to any appeal
for charities, or when they give they do II
with gr1aging hand. Thousands OF men
have passed daily for years up and down
Broadway, between the business and resident
centres OF cur city, o I'd have never seen thf
| regions where poverty has Its dwelling.
| As stood On q street corner not fur from
| the St. Nicholas, q man, whose face and nnmf
are familiar to Wall street, stopped at ny
side to purchase an evening paper. The news
boy WIS unable to make the exact change
and the f1uancier vailed till the ragged urchi1
borrowed q penny Of comrnac and trans
fcrrcd 1t to hand whose signature Is goof
ior hall million. A crippled soldier at thi
moment asked tho rich man for charity, bu
none wns given, not even the penny which
had just been received.
Ten minnics later entered Tl1any's AMI
found the man purchasing Q set Of jewelr.
valued ut two thousand dollars, and heart
him give the address to which 1t should bt
sent on "tho night before Christmas" I
present. he said, ior dear young friend whom
be visited to surprise. The recipient Of tn
:gift will bellere him o generous man, bu
l:wlat should be my opinion Of his klndnes
after seeing him IN contact with the newsbo,
md the beggar. have looked at tho List o
contributors to several public charities, Iu
cannot ind the name Of this hnaneier npol
any Of them, and do not think shall be llkel.
to meet it, His generosity Is Of the fash
| forohIe character. r. 1,erins and ends a