, 1869-02-07
F3fah Avenue

vi kne ulteen or slLteeu NFGlues Oh NEW
city, Filth Is known rs the avenue By way Of
Distinction. Il 1s. By al odds. the most
handsome and exclusive street OF tte me-
tropolts-the only one that has thus far re-
sisted the eucrcachments Of trade and rail-
why's, and dtfed the peculiar regulations Of 4
months an innovation Is attempted upou the |
fashionable thorouRh{are, which has too
much strength, through Its wealth, to submit
TO any Tulgar altesstton II lH settled courses
Whenever houAe Il for sale or fele IN tho
avenue, its residents tcel q Profound interest
10 the character Of its inmates that are to be.
They dread lea. tbs mansion may be con-
verted 10 unworthy uses lest they may be
hourly shocked BY aplebean re1shbor who Is
what they themselves were twenty, or aTe
TIER Ei=,lanee i s1.epless in this regard,
still they have often been compelled to buy
out Common trsde=meu, and ambitious
enustessns, and enterpllslng baacklegs, who
had purchased an abiding place In the ticsn-
age. There have been those whom bauk ac-
counts md bunk checks could not persuade.
&ad.me Restels, the notorious abortiouist,
| and gamblers by the dozen, hnSc penetrated
luto the street. and canno: be gottea rid OF
| Tor llrgc;B or for logic. !
| 1t Is tho habit Of New Yrrkers to style
Filth avenue ths nrsl atreet In America SO
1r as wealth, and extent, and uniformity,
silus,ion' u L g. iar If nfsrasr '' 10 Aas maag
thorou1hiascs might name. B'gfpoins Al
! Washington square, it rxte1t d. above Harlem,
nnu, as 'ar as Flfty-nInth street, 1t Is almost
| an unbtoken line Of brown stone palaces.
The architecture ie net only impressive, 1t Is
oppressive. lis grrat defect Is In its m ,not-
ony, which soon grows tircsome. A varia.
| t}on, a copfrast-somethinE tuucl less ornate
or elaborate would be d relief It's lack Of
enclosures, OF ground, Of gardens, Is visual
vice.
Block after block, mic upon mile, Of the
came 1oit1 brown stone, high stoop, broad-
stared froat, wearies the eye. It Is like the
perpetual red brick, with white steps and
white coor and wlndow.laciccs for which
Philadelphia has become provcrblal.
One longs ln the avennc fer moro marble,
more brick mole Iron, moro wood, even some
change In the style aud aspects ofthe eombrc
seeming houses, whose OCCUPANTS, one Iancics
from the exterior, look, think, dress ana act
nike. One might 90 into any drawing. room
between the park and the old pafade ground,
and ho would be greeted with the same
forms, see the SAME gestures, hear the same
speeches
The slsyish spirit Of imitation, with poy.
crty OF invention, has spoiled tho broad
thoroughtare where VIC should have hsd the
Moorish and Gothic, Ionic and Dorlc order,
> dor strength with Eltzahethan picturesque
J ] ntss.
: Itisa g1ierous pity That where there Is SC
7 much money tlere Is 50 little TASTE.
J The sum OF Fiflh avenue wealth Is unQues.
j tionably Tar beyond that Of any street Id tha
+ nituro NJ d works Of art are more expensive
j the iuconcs Of the inmates are larger ant
:. more prodigally spent than they are else
:. where on the continent,
q The interior OF the houses is often gor
!, geous. No1h1nx within MONEYS purchase
y but much that perfect taste would have Bug
Le gessed, seem. omitted. Few are the man
u Sion; that do not reveal something like taH
E driuess In ,he excess Of display. The p7ofu
u sion II q tr1fe ba1baric. The subtle sugres
e lions Of complete e.eganco are not there.
Still, to those who hare suffered from ID
Y. absence Of material comfort, Or TO thos
o. | whose teMpesaEaents are yol0ptuous aud u
% dolcut, 40 most poetic ones arc: 9 teci.n
Il. akln to happiness must be bonn Of the sple'
It. did surroundings that belong to the homt
% Of the Fbsh aveuus Etch.
ed What soft velvet carpets arc theirs; Win
-. handsome p1csures, What Etch curtains
~ what charming frescoes; what n1aroles
- grace what b9onxes Of beauty; what prod
u II gaIits OF prettfness! The solt, warm, =
,e. mesh odof Of luxury concs from every anpi
ID dis the corridors. aud The delightful cnat
,1Mt hers, where sleep seems TO bc hidden
1 ~ reath thr spotiess pillows Of lace; steals o
81. ofihe bali epeo library, where hundEeds
zen time AID mind In their keeping creeps
'et. aud down the stauwsSs, IKE tho breath
'yh flowers blown bJ the gentle wiud.
-. Whatever the seusea could ask, Or entst
'aat require, or fancy crave, might 10 .au IN
lad vailed paradise Of those splendid HON
h.t D4hes 80 delicate as 10 tempt the most S
Il sH filled appetlies; wines rich enough to =
q x m anrsfiio to their tasting; music Of
asua u za1t, aud Mr3elasuhn md Beethoven
~ ,oos = cheer and sofaen, TO str1theu and couso
IA tones Of bRrds and sRses tlift the thoua
bsek TO ideal possIblllties-ali thes1ro to be to1
uen a there. Fair hsrvests msy be ghered ev
ea9e minute ufthc day or night: and hE rho ta
nss neae no. up the golden s!cktc fo the fra&san
s1d Is more to be pttled than he who sigh h
ersr1 flowers In fertile waite.
this Too sad {ot tears Is the bitter Ect
m everything pals that the highest and
{ and satisfies on'y Tor time. 1hey who Il,
,tthi4 the mids. OF tuch splendcr grow 30 fan
EAT With It that they vnlue 1t not. Thel
.,a.-. spared a certain number OF Wants, bnt o
. h1s arc felt that may not be supplied. The $
found Is not satisfied With Jnnkct1nKs the fact
, my Of the heart may not be Allied with shoN
On. - pleasure or the tInsel Of display.
pass. :.
,s,,a1S MMS Ch1ps from School Examinatlc