New-York daily tribune., 1866-01-13
From Our Speeial CorIespondent.

Ever since Charles Dickens resuscitated
Christmas Glow naturally thinks of him. now. in
connection with IL and-in tie words Of his great
| rival and generous adnirer. Thackeray-"was the
means of lighting up hundreds of kind fires at Christ
mas time; caused wonderful outpourng Of Christmas
good feeling; Of Christmas purch.breving; awful
slaughter Of Christmas turkeys, and roasting and
bas,ing of Christmas beef" its social observance has
think been the increase in England until il amounts
TO what we call a national nstitution-and rather an
overpowering one Before the appearance Of the
Christmas Carol the ANIMAL festival had fallen into
mparatve decay we go TO the opposite extreme
certainly agreeable alternative II errng in excess
been Christmas incarnare 10 give you faithful idea
of it, i must parody Rabelass chapter ." Of what the
Gastrolaters sacrificed TO their ventripotent god -
which am not going TO do nasmuch as II would in
gareantuan bill Of fare for all England. Suffice TO
say that Christmas fare, Christmas books, and Christ
mas entertainments have had Y all tbeir own way TO
the almost absolne exclusion Of other topics and con
sderatIons; 10 whcn. however we shall return with
the satisfaction generally accompanying tie getting rid
of the exceptional and the getting back 10 the accus
toned duties OF everyday hfe-those perennial fire.
proof pleasures called enpovments." he 1t mine at
present to afford lasy digest Of the recent carnival
of cOrporoal enjoyment.
The weather was almost as a matter OF course. quite
unlike the traditional season We see 30 much OF in
storybooks and in illustrated newspapers, Chrstmas
having come and gone without the frost aad snow
feast of all the year. and London being rather dirtier
and sloppier than usual. have already alluded to the
gastrononic features of the time. There was really
sUeh glut Of food from all quarters In the metropolis
as 70 cause very much needed decline in prices-ex
cept in the articles Of beef and mutton. which held
their own or rather the niquit0us premium 10 which
they have been forced by the butchers in spite OF the
many suggestions Of the newspapers. Apropo5 OF
which A MarchGnd Boucher OF Paris, who regularly I'D
yertses in The TINES his willingness TO transmit any
reasonable quantity Of beef mutton to London at two
pence pound under the prices OF his British rivals
did immense business for Christmas Day ana his
meat was pronounced excellent. His customers exhb-
i'ed their purchases to the e1." family butcher.
thereby occasoning quite panic IN the breast OF that
respectable exortiOnist who IN combination win ms
craft and the salesman has now perfect organization
against the pockets Of tho public Not fresh beast
that dies Of rnderpest not paragraph on the subject
that appears in the papers but puts money In the
rogues' purses. Long ago the telegraph wires had
been used TO "regulate" the markets, but that was
only beginning; now persons are empioyed 10 write
paragraphs in the papers, and tue moment any indi'
ncontinenty bought up. and prices stand as before
How long the public intends 10 stand IL DON'T
know: but there seems but one remedy-absunence
from butchers meat until prices come down By n
similar general strike Of only week. some years ago,
great sugar conspiracy demoli-hed, which drove
John sader TO suicide One doesn't wish the butchers
al the extremity. although II ANYTHING could In
spre them with the idea Of turning their knives against
their own rascay throas IL would certainly be the con
scousness that they must henceforh sell at moderate
prices and give an honest equivalent for tneT Gus
of food were not dear; indeed cheaper than usal at
Christmas time in London. Poultry was as reasonable
as plentiful. bacon cheap fish cheaper AS Tor vegc,a
bes all talk OF their being in or out OF season B anti
quated What with the Channel Islands. France. the
Sciny Islands and Aleiers, We have green peas and
asparagus al the year round; and should do wei
elOu Oh IL IL not for the butchers who are making
their fortunes by the rinderpes which bids iar to ruin
the poor farmers. They dare not buy stock their mar
kets abolished they cannot move their cattle even
from one field TO another. without permit; and the IN
suring themselves against loss by the catepagne IN
wolves pecuniary risk that many are unwilling ana
some unable, TO encounter All .bis TOO, remember
with farms rented at perfectly artificial which IL 10 say
prcpOsterousy high prices rinderpest continue
/ look tor real agricultural distress" in England.
The Queen kept Christmas quietly at Osborne with
the Junior pnces ana rn g0s TO snd su
sequently treating all the boys and girls OF the village
school with books toys, plumpuddiDg and Christmas
her majesty and the royal family in person. Wales
did the like, on a larger scale at Sandringbam. Fifty
stone OF beef was given to the cottagers on the prnce
estate bis royal tgPpsss supsriI,ending on the ter
her arms, looking on from window. After each
cotager had received his or her gift lie or she passed
along tie terrace making grateful Obesiance and then
Wales went TO church, and afterward 70 dinner WIN
the inevitable escort In fact both tho Queen and her
son celebrated the occasion like the larger majority OF
the landed arisocracy Of the country, barring the
attendance and the newspaper notoriety
From Christmas fare 10 Christmas pant0mimes is
iadfai transition. Pantomnes as an institution, ap
PEAR to be on the decline. The time when, year
aiter car they steadily improved until the stage at
,bIstLas aiWays Afforded some Of the best hits of
the day But Madame Vesris invented the transforma
ton scene which thencefoth became the piece de resist
oncc az every theater and pantonime is much gilt
gingerbread. with the smallest amount OF fun wit In.
nor OF satire TO set II off Only two Of the great Lon
don ihealers@Drury Lane and Coveut Garden-haye
any regular Christmas piecos both Of them written, by
the way. by Mr.. l.. J.. Blanchard. The pontomime at
the latter thea,er. Aladdin. or the Wonderful Lamp"
sand to be the more gorgeous tho two and people
tax great deal Of street scene In China represent
nc all the shops OPEN and folks engaged in buying and
selling after the true celestial manner which is con
sdered triumph OF scenic and pictorial art But all
the pantomiines are dull You viii find them praised