New-York tribune., 1866-05-04
THE FIRST OF MAY.
Spring Overflow md Undcrtow of tho Metrop.
oiis-Mumors md Horrors Of House.Huni.
ing-Mirth and miserics of Moving-Tribu.
Iaiions of Tenants-AppenI 20 the Pen.
bods

bodies.
The dreadful hypothesis presented, In the nursery,
10 our puzzled chidhood oil the land paper. and all
the ink and all tho bread and cheese
what should have drnkhas daily paraphrased itself In
ingenious perverOns to all desperate hOusehuners
since the fret OF February last past.
As thusH a. the landlords cheat and al the tenants
pay. and all the guild should to build where shall we
vretcbes stayi Or plthetoa0f all the leave
u.s. and all the butchers spare every cent must for rent
what's left us but despairi
orNew York the odern instance Of the perennial legend
Of the old woman who lived and who had many
children she didn't know what do She wooed them NJ the
shining Hudson with the aurements Of the Palisades and
wooded kno and lovely Of along the rvef
banks She drove them forth with ioWns Of taxes into the
jersey which they have made to blossom tie
She banshed them TO Connecticut who're her stern
memory hardened their hearts and made them nnkers She
entced them to Island the immediate jewel other soul
and gave fairy palaces live aud crystal whereon
TO sail and on grt oi lone Long Island sho
planted such popgous colony looks upon the old home
contempt born Of tidy ,ana exclusive
ciety.
And still her offspring from the broad toe Of the old
shoe OF the Battery sparkling buckle ct High Bridge
st the haorazed dame stretches ou her hands to the
far Territores beseecng open bospable doors to
this troublesome progeny lest be driven TO push them into
the Harlem or rock them pillows Of saweed in Maalli'
Bay.
Once year suppressed resis.ness Of the huge family
declares itself fierce determination TO invade one an'
others houses The genuine Knckerbocke s nomadie as
the Tartars bu, be abo under the disadvantage Of more
mpedimenta Gothold s cabned cTbbed confined In No.
H. bat feels No. 7e door be might be happy
Wilhelm. 10 70. longs for the liberty Of ii, and Fried
roh long proprietor OF g. where many children have been
born to him. while the great bouse took tho sacred form OF
home recognizes that mpeous mandate OF society which
commands him 90 from the broad shelter oft ample
WALL, into the limits Of pinched. highly gentee modeny
improved brown stone light house uptown.
Every Spring the history repeated. When the fret soh
days approach and the delicate zap begins 10 throb In The
veins OF tho waking little thrills and promptngs In
the blood impulses change and wander dcous hints to
run away from hard walls and articles Of the town TO the
large freedom Of the fields and woods tender whispers from
Mother Of genial hospitality to her poor pale child
ren bred in city fashion.
But nobody understands them. The bousekeepen fancy
that II 10 divine and prophetic intuition OF Moving Day and
house In the block which makes their walls 90 dngy
and fs their souls with deep unrest So the Offices OF tie
agents are thronged landlords out their paoards
tho outer walls troops OF ladies swarm over the hscass
family mansions and the CRY is still they come"
O. what goody outside hath tho sehood Of most OF these
houses to lett They old they dirty they are battered
they are Al conditioned they haunted by swarming ten
ants at will not all the skill OF Lyon and not all the
patience Of rseda eecl the range wornout the iuf
mace ia useless above the second story the
plumbing defective the roof leaks the rooms have long out
lived their memory Of paint For your $1,000 rent you
have highly gentecl brown front YOr prsiea Mail
Brown stone palata trihe monotonous ana
unerea perhaps when they stretch in unbroken miles,
without architecture but still palaa And YET
the akss Of the seeker yearns for sunny
south ROOM and for the chidrens nursey longs
for pleasant chamber for pepas study fains for arrange
where bread might be properly baked and pines for
such perfection Croton appliances shall insure cleanliness
for house and household. And for them sho would gladly
change the frownng 'front.' with its gttcng windows to tho
most pebcan brick and glass which measures only feet not
yards
the reproach Of the great city that she offers no hosp
taIty 70 her best cizenshe people OF moderate means
Unless one the good fortune to be millionaire or
paupcr the island has place for him. He must pay
for his oothod housand hide from sight behind single
dollars Mighty New Amsterdam has no knowledge OF hand
reds and unless quiet Of salaries and frugal CLERKS win
narrow means and teacber and editors and bookkeepe
and poets and authors and other nonenes can DO content
TO bear spurns that patient merit OF the unworthy taxes
and to their pennies when the tempting red straw
berries first come button their pockets when they hear Of
new house In nice neighborhood which the good wife
thinks would be for the children than the shell
in which they groan they shoad wisely ny to the jersey
Fst or the remoter shores Harlem where not prospect
pesses and only rents are small
Aforetime the Spring moving . comedy This year
there has been not little Of saddcr element in the fitting
have broken up many families Weary women have walked
from day till dark in the hope OF finding shcer Tor
which the scant should suffice and came back sorrow
full at night devise impossible plans OF rerenchmen ana
dream i'm possible dreams The very poor crowded
into ouer rearness than before aud In grade from
uer want through poverty narrownes And comfort the
of the high has been sadly felt 1t useless
o advise these toes leave the city because they VIII not
ro with no interior against discomfort and lone
pos the country looks deso indeed to them and they
cling vehemeny to church. TO their kin to the spots
though they bewhch association has made pleas
ant and TO the friends whom they have long KNOWN In the
CITY Ley pu stay and remains 10 give them decent homes
There seems no nobe field for philanthropy than this Ten
containing than 500 tenants are reported
to exist swarming hives Of degradation OF 'uan! Of pcs
thence "Tom.a- -alones" In horrible immorany OF e'
istence fourishes in Baxerst and Pnkst and Ein Cof
rupon moral and physical rpening for the prisons ana Tor
the yards air. While these creatures i've a.
they do there Is hope OF better things.
But everybody knows these somber tales While the
merry bells ring In Old England and tho lads and asses
dance and tradition hangs festive garland on the brow OF
MayDay let not lead skeleton to the board Al least
not this skeleton For the they are kept In this
modern city dedicated to Flora goddess OF verna
b,auty made sacred to pentena service and recog
uised a. ioregleams Of the Under World.
MAY time and the cheerful dawn are linked to-
gether only In the poetic fancy. 1t Is the very
erfules dawn Of the three hundred and sxfynve
While yet the shadows Oil the dismAntled rooms rise the
unhappy Noads gather their and PeDaes and their
household sooaa Gbosy sn9 pale they VI n'ser and Ien