The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-26

the DAY At TIE pusLr INSTITUTIONS.
Observance Of the Holiday i1 Brooklyn,
Jersey, Westchestsr and ElsswheEss

Never perhaps IN the annals OF New York has the fes
svsi o. the Nativity besn observed celsbFsed with
nss downright emphasis than appeaipsd 10 ~ gsn-
sA shssrvasien yessrdAy. Little business trans
ets4 szosps u The toyshops which eoveseus Disciples
- KFs Krines kept open ia expectation or sales, and
he lower part or Broadway almost silsnt and
'elerklsM - II tho day had besn Sunday. Above
Biseokef strest and thence Madison sQusEs certain
nds oe tranc were active usual though Of "a ths
laese dry goods stores the shutters were down. and
thsrs wns no tramptna in and out with budgets ana
bundssu Copsscuonsry Dealers Intent upon turning
= hsnex penny mi exposed capdy palaces with most
Aempsng labels; dealers in fancy goods having pinned
ets a. psstsboard upon every srticls Of their entire
otosk, insistsd that every separate article vas
originally inteadod for holiday present. ana
persisted IN aborttve efforts TO make sales though
tomsr few; and thus matters wsnton until even
ng when Dealers despair gave Up the idea 81 tempt
ing the pubic on holiday and went homo TO their tur
~ and post psandial nap The weather was exceed
ingiy unsessonabie The day rose gray-hooded with
murkinsss ana fog; an hour or two OF rather unem.
phaao sunlight was enjoyed the forenoon and later,
Apa u clouds in low scuddins folds and crass and
xanssA was spread over the city, if'tns weather
had been taken with the dea that the mstropols was
dead end Ia s con and had impovised funeral weeds
81 sufcisns capacity for tho II did mot rain.
ahswsvssat least not with any distinct smphssn; asd
up 70 swo O'Clock In he afsesnooa the sidewalks
Broadway were tosaby passabIe This state o. things
aid not last long. however The order Of the
day was sgbaw,ny and thaw II did emphati
ealiy. Thsrs was shifting Of the wind
NOS : northery 70 southerly point; the
snow. none TOO crisp ID the morning, became more
ina moro slushy; and the damp. instead Of coming
down. might have been the case. won't up in murky
volsmss from street. and gutter sdewaik and house
Top = n tho whole moisture Of the metropolis wore 70
49,.
ths dsoomposing and tainted debris Of iast week ssg
isr: gut.sr were simply puddiss Of muddiness into
Wnicb one had only TO be despatched and put in
nssd q Clothes brush and shoe backing; and, gcner
any pedestrians wsrs nos IN the bsss Of humorS even
though the day wss holiday. sss s
II any things disasrseabls, damp days 10 winter
ars ~ % ~ the ssrssy Of affairs indoo WAS how
ever some ct atonement Tor the general discom
FORA aad damp opprsssivens>s Of the esscrse without
Wain there vss srAuIAisn among the liss felks and
Sigmy population Of the metropolis ia mood q nine
3sv9 vonder and amaze soeiel reunion Of the
fsssdshp or social fsslisa ezcspl during the brief
- Of The holidays; aid % socai freedom and fsetivIty
-. The afternoon dedicated The usual religious
Yofs, having !, ~ told Der Sssss D.ssSs hsIssi .
Fsvsiiy ana gossip poss prsndisl A. two o'clock
dnssr Il 40 expense q sSsut three quarters Of million
OF doas Dessert and follow in the course Of the
hour; tongues sometimes retcens and sage arc IN.
the city puts on IL mssk Of recence and talks and acts
itself for brief hour OF couvviay and social teoliLg
Amoag tho Germans especially ccstan oonvvfeAll -
ono u go featuFse ~ the dsy ~ 0ssans hAveA pro-
spero mother pps lager nor Rhstn q any holiday
laying equal stress tho feast ana the Tasting
or tho day sa0n0e quio of humanity done up Win
e the compac,nsss any oher qud and yet composed
of every variety Of race and cocr-thero was every
M q tho reason the forgefui q the feast 10
General BY the New England element o. the city, the
Observance OF the day was awkward enough Hav-
inr besn educated 70 hold sacred no holiday except
TEsuksaving no day except Thanksgvins can be made
sacrod 70 them BY the foreign element IN general the
dav Il ali is religious and csaA sign0ca1ce mazda
the most Of; while BY New Y0rkevs, 70 the manol
bora there want OF that thosoagh laying aside q
al burinoes which natural 70 their dozy an
csslry from Holland not only on hosdays, but on I'll
ha1s Of the year. Restaurants wore Kept opeu. and
eoe Who had net elsewhsre dino ate their turkey In
fendeas sencea feature Of the day winch deserves
knalysis and extsndsd nstioa IL ...A ~
and fsaslnE, incidsnts aud accidents and the par
t.cular air with which they I'll happened eA4s