, 1869-11-21
NEW YORK.
dwelling,
The Marble Altar Of st. Stephens
Church.
New Books.
[Fkax ocA srEc1AL CORRESPONDENT

(Fk0X oCA HEc1AL cotNExroNpINT.1
Skw YORK, Nor, IL.
Why Il there such an especial charm In the cefe-
nopy Of uuveninR: Ii IL, perhaps, beca7se world.
wide contrasts meet 10 this nrtes act, that con.
denfes ueon the mind, IN single mcmeut, those
opposite cfcitcuents, at onco seductive and ID.
s7tt1ne, Mystery and Revelation cas1yle hta
I1ned "eEer7 meauekt day the connux Of two
eternitieF," and u there not aomethinr OF tits
'acetoaee meeting OF extremes, this eu-
n1ace Of Past and Futore, and elec.
tT:e11 encounter Of Secret and Disclosure.
tsas gives to the very term "unvefllng IN irse-
4ts'icle A1tracron7 Its g.oiesqae counterfeit
evsn,-Fhostly OF hdeous unMasktng. and ltarbhr-
oas dtstncdAntmens,-csunot quite exclude those
hFEiinR Clements thA. lesd the imagination,
Ike Antra on tie nn1row bridge IN ''La So1nau-
bu'a.' lc1oss one thrilling ratssqe. ia,nt
trru'ur Of surprise and awe =" accompanies the
discovering close upon the footsteps Of the blind
folded spring, the trembling and .euiusous pres
erce Of that little epow.bftde Of the tnnshioe,-
D." the 1tst sweet child OF the sweetest tcasou."
Anu, from the rDye1ling OF the enoEdrupS what
An endless range OF assoc12teous leads, step BY
step. afnuE 4 EcEes OF unveiinEs-thf Jfa EtnG
aside 80 soity the cradles curtain, the curtain OF
"Slecrina Bcau1v 3 couch, hoa Of The marble
pillow Of the uesd; the tittirx OF The curtain on
the n.st night OF the play; uusei'iogs Of tho ees-
sous Of The brides mud Of the saints; Of the false
prophet, and Of the true heart: Of the lace OF sor
row 70 1rd ii Joy; Of the eyea Of friend.n!p 10 md
them loves Of the lars Of a1t and tnt po<tyiea Of
science OF the monument, the sltar, the sarsa
men1, aud, lastly, "the bosom Of the faithful
tomb step by ster, 10 thai consunmate hour OF
majesty and eauctlty. Remuneration md eternal
tie, ~htu
-The veil Of the temple Hsa rent In twAin,~
Such fragmertafy reflections We could not es-
cape tn Lasting through thus week OF unyetlinRs-
NGueslnT ceremonies and presentations, tnkny
OF which quite matter of-fact bat hardly TO be
Approached without some p,eluda Of sentiment
ts1s, nra*. there has been the puyelIlng OF the
Vanderbilt Broure, that nuch.lA0ded and co1tIy
ornauent Of the Hcdeon River Freight Depot,
which, having been miunte1y described 70 Jou
several weeks ago, from m ioapecuou within It's
enclosing scsroldlnz. need not now be further
mentioned than TO ray that, with the exception OF
fts TOO prominent clouds {~hlch one OF Its olclal
exhibitors VAS wont to liken unto "ktApjacks,r
much 10 the cdncAtion Of ffcDchmAn, who WA
lsktng critical notes, md gratefully Set down
urou his tablets. " "zAp.taques." With An interro-
cnt.on point for future sClcnttnca res-aIch>, the
work appcass to Advantage from the distance, Tor
which the artEt designed Il, and TINT tts prupor-
tiors and the character and material Of its repre-
Eeatxt.nnF, arc By no ucans inharmuntous With
the a.s,ve, endusa1ce-prontEng, aad labor.
fraught building It AdofnA. Neither does 1t suX.
Eest the idea Of undae e1pcnse,-" highest art OF
conceslipg srt' having been exercised quite sue
cezslully IL tue Incorporating Of hzlfa-mtlhol-"
The ceremony OF unvelltng was vet7 impressive.
sId the scene ~ viewed from hotel windos
adjoining those occupied BY the Vanderbilt family,
hosh animated and picturesque. At the moment
~-rss nf rnna1e announced the arrival Of
the CommodoleE = carriage, The canrAs still dropped
hess1ly across the btonxe-but the pedmeut had
been most eneetually ptunAcled By twenty-four
IT nAE 1r AZ rrRt
cronp Of o1cen ent:1c!ing the base Of the Amen.
c1u nag. The satlors,-seFe1al OF whom were
venerable mcu,-au IN thelr d4Ik.hlue and silver.
anchored unttornA showing we'll galnst the c.oud-
swept ety, had Already been photographed. md
belot then, from the upper afchwsys OF the freight
depot the cAuerz1 were now directed upon The
grand stand, with it6 orchestra and its dtssiu.
sulthed per7onages: up1n The crowded platform,
eI;endir9 the whole length OF S. Jonna 63u.re;
and upon the Vanderbilt Windows. A wall OF po-
ncemen formed IN unbrpfen barrier around the
enclosure prepared Tor invited guests, and to and
tn, and ACROSS The csuse EaYe OF canva4 that had
been early SPREAD from the platform to that pof-
uon Of The depot appropriated to tefreshnenta
was ceasesess, allow, and Bomewhat dlnlcult
promenade, bTtZniened BY the rich matinee COS.
tunes Of ladles, and BY many beautiful Al well ~
coTutallJ-reeognized feceA Beyond, far As the
eJe could Zee, tho sIeetA were balItcaded, aud
The crowd surzed.
1t vas 1t the conclusion OF tho Bsahopta prayer
that the satofs drew up the canvRs' Cords and the
1rass1ye h1ouze, With lts Imposing statue, was 1n.
velled- Three coeers were gireu for Vanderbilt,
and three tnr Degroos: the band played "The
stH Spansled Banner " and 81 Ny Country, 'tts Of
Thee" Mayor Hau made : speech, referring in
fcEpunentarJ terms to the we1l.knosn pluck
ard enterprise Of the hero Of the day, and to hts
pariotisn and rnoatentatous charities. WslliAu
Ross Wallace followed, with duly-app.autrd
poem: Intermediate nuac was played, and ben
e.1lctlon pronounced.
Meanwhile, II the Stock Exchange there hsd
been mock nnvelling, and ccrenoniuus rresen-
tauon Of cabbage, and an aqueous speech had,
Il Ia said, accompanied tablsax rfnunt, cias.lcai.
II Introducing the wn1et1ng-pot and other hn.
tor3cal a1fu61oues includtug a numerical HERO
glyphlc, hunolouaty appreciated bg The Ini,tA.ed,
IN connection with the conRolldation Of Central
stock.
What contrast 10 the laudasor5 Vanderbilt
hrorzr u 1h8t sacred WORK OF art-the
white marble sitar-Nhose dedication, after
20 many nontnz Of preparation, has
been announced for the 9th At st. S,epheus
Church Two brilliant Afternoon receptions h4d
becn gwen on Madison avenue, and the brightly
burdened carriages were rapidly driving home.
Esrd, When, turning aside from the Gay thorough.
fare, We entered the aleut church Already The
shadows Of twilight h4d wrapped the sisles and
the beautiful windows, light fell upon the grand
altar pictures masterpieces Of Bru:uid1), and
upon the white pinnacieB or the new altar, Bs,ll
yelled BY the old. rs the earthly pilgrimage
OF ran wells hts angelic mission
Carved and exquisitely polished, ot :hc purest
Vermont marble, this s,tsr, thirty feet in width,
and twensJ.seven In height, repeats In miniature
the form Of cathedral. whoee richly y.columned
bastnents enshrtne angels bearing the crbleus
Of the Passion, an whose centre-plece. beneath
tho nltar tnulr, Is me tutoubment Of the savior,
win. On the 1eft--ihe Gospel side-the TWO Marys
bearing spices, and on the Epistle aide,
d!scap!es seeking ihAtr risen Lord.
Above tho tabernacle are three Gothic
towers-tae central or tabernacle tower including
the snnctrNy. with bronze doors and a crucln1 Of
tronze. md the lesAer toEe1s preventing tablets
Of tie Resurrection and the Ascension. Elaborate
pLDaclef, nntnls OF tres, sacred tnscs1pttons and
atoruirR angels complete the central attain; a1d
The ssle a'tars. With panels Inscribed With text
srd nonagIom, and symbolic carvings, arc re,
served for The lunpsopoltioned images Of ST,
Joteph and the Virgin.
81. Stephens Church. long beloved even b.
E:zansera, and nIwaJs crowded a, Sabbath yea
pers for the sake OF the beautiful voices IN IT.
choir (qulttette and chorush and fpy the organ se
ihn1ltpgy played, with his sinRulariy expressive
plano-touch, by Berger, and morc recently bJ
Morgan, has now 1nA abiding altar; and nc
Beautifully has 1t been des,gned, and
with 9aca excellence executed, that II
describe It worsnly I should commanc
thai new ar Of colosinR BY the rays Of llahs anc
ces+f1Ely applied OF late by French s1lst to pho
tog1Aphy: End hav ting nuug upon tie numberitaa
fue details OF tie fculaturc, each Successive ray
OF tho pr14tn, would withdraw. at last, tie colon
and leave the altar to Jour imagination In its II
pure whIebess, TO pefpetuate IN rome hA1iowet
Hook Of sslent oesoslon, the Trl.sancta and ii,
Gloria