Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-12-30
From our New York Correspondent.


Nrw YopK. December %, 1868. |
So far are clear skies, bright sunshine, and olf
as soft and halmy as that OF June, may 60 10 |
make the Holiday season enjoyable, so lar NJ leist
will those DAYS be perfect, for such lovely weather
as we now Lave fallen upon, does not happen III
December once in twenty years. II is rs II our
" Indian Summer had been in some strange why
transposci from October into the very lap oil WIN
Ter itself Were the streets and walks bat gotten
up in stye to match. Holiday sight-secrs could
have little left 10 wish i0r-that however - not
the case: mud slush, and ice underioot form but
a sorry accompaniment for the bright clear skies
overhead. ,,
Good old st. Nicholas, the Chdren's Saint
fwho know him better by his diminucndo oil !
" Santa Claus" has this year done his best and
pretticst for a larger more varied more beautl-
iul assortment Of Children's Toys, Books, Games
and others delight Of the young folks was never
econ in New York, or, for that mnttor, anywhere
else But spoke OF these things somewhat in
a former letter.
ter is our " New Years Calls Although the
custom Of calling ON friends 10 exchange greetings
and mutuJ good wishes on the first day OF the
wear has spread all over the land, aud is now rec
ornized from Maine To Florida aud from Boston
to san Francisco, it is thing of New York IN
vention. The fashion, aud u very graceful one 10 |
is, originated in our own city of Manhattan and
naturally n1urishes here in IT, utmost perfection
Here, in fact the day is given up 10 1t. All bqsl-
ness is suspended to ask genuine New Yorker
10 do his accustomed task on New Years day |
would be 10 provoke an expression, such as would
timely happeu were You to ask any American To |
do day : work ON the Fourth Of July. me Ia
dies all remain mt home, and dressed IN their most
fascinating attire, await in their elegant par |
Tors the visits OF their gentlemen friends. On !
this day our friends cuds supposed o. he Tor
gotten all old friends are welcome, and newly |
a en-
ing There Is frequently a very sharp, though /
generally good natured rivalry between the young
ladies Of given circle, as O. who shall have the
most calls ON this day, and the anxiety 70 show
the longest list OF callers, and thereby coin q /
pretty triumph over fair rival, sometimes leads
to the reception of eluivncn charoctors into so
ciety for this single day, which they could never,
at other times even approach. 10 has often hap /
penci that score of Young fellows, not pnrticu-
larly preseuhhlc, would club their funds, hire |
sleigh for the day, and spend the whole afternoon
and evening making calls. they would oil go
TO every house where GGU one of them CHANGED 10 [
be acquainted that one would take the liberty OF
all che rest ui the crowd, trusting l
that the desire of the Young ladies 20 add long
string of names % their long list Of callers would
cause the importincuce 90 he overlooked, and save
them from being ANONYMOUSLY kicked out doors
But, though like most other things OF human r-
yenti0u, subject 10 abuse, we still cling % our
know, that on TINT day, many little misunder
standings ARE explained, mi-apprehensious cor
rected, many acquaintanccs oemented into lasting
friendships, and that in every way the custom is
a good u kindly and Christian one.
Long may 20 wa,oi
At the various Art Galleries are some fine pic
lures, BY some Of our best Painters At this sea-
son these galleries are throngcd with eager sight
secrs, many of whom are also eager purchasers,
and the artists find that the Holiday season is to
them also the true harvest time of the year. All
Snedecors, in Broadway, besides the large pic
ture of Constant Mayles, noticed also o very
beautiful picture by William Hart, entitled The
Last Dream, most exquisite sunset scene--a
fine effect oi moonlight on the sea. which is grad
uully calming down after storm, hy De liaes
also some good things by Noble, Briechcr, George
l.. Brown, j NJ. Hart, and others. At Miner
Parker s., there is a very fine picture Of " Enc
mda, by Van lervis. Then nj the Academy Of
Design, are the best pictures OF the regular Aoa-
demicuns, as wellas Of those who have died lately,
MS Elliott, LeutZc, Mount, etc. In fact, all the
Galleries, Sohan's, Goupels, Derby's and the
others are crowded with good pictures. In uddi-
ton Oh Che paintings, the collections 0fcnguyinas
are this year exceptionally tne, and are particu-
lnrly rich IN the new Chrome photographer. The
best o these Chr1m1s reproduce q certain style of
oil painting m as perfect style, as TO mako the
ordinary, nartistic, unscienthc obs rvcr as well
satisfied with good Chrome copy, as he would
be with che real original painting itself
Ia the way OF Tmuscments, we really have "a
new enterprise which seems % promise We all
know what o most tremendous success the Negro
Minstrels have met with all over the country. and
how the Ethiopian business has come b. he known
ms the " American Opera" Very well an ea-
terprising young freshman has devised scheme
Tor making a fortune for himself, and 10 the same
time, he affords the public some new and
genuine delight. He has organized band Of
some twenty persons who are 10 give, not Negro
but Irish eccentrcities. They are to perform in
white faces Of course, but the general plnn of per-
iornance Is the same as that observed in the Min
strel Bands. That is 10 say, there will be two
90 End men, whose special business it will 10 e.
illuminate the side-splitting jokes there will be
the ." middle man OF " intcrucutor,N whose
duty it will be to give the eve for the music. and
70 take the general directiln0f the entertainment
The instruments will be, not the banjo and tambo-
rine, bat the Irish Harp and ngpipes together
with violins and such other accessories as may Ike
necessary to give the music the best effect
The entertainment j. 10 conclude each evening
with an original Irish Farce written expressly Tor
this company, and which is said u be very clever
ana funny | see no reason why this enterprise
should not succeed it has at least the infrequent
merit Of novelty and therefore has special claim
on public that has for years been bored % death
hy old things, and u whom anything having the
stamp OF newness and originality can scarcely
fail 20 be welcome
The other places Of amusement are all doing
well, as is always the case at this time Of wear.
As % news, apart from Christmas affairs there is
Qbsl lutelV nDup