The New York herald., 1869-03-26
FASHION OPENING DAY.
A Stroll Through Broadway-The Dcvotee
OF Fashion ON she Great Promenade.


Stroll Through Broadway-The Devotees
OF Fashion she Great Promenade.
why should love careIsssy lose its
just weak mortals use t.
Ts time enough when its flowers decay
70 seink Of 'hs thorn: r. Sa o. .,r sorow,
May wther before tomorrow.
thus paraphrasing the beautiful song OF Tom
Moore ali the ladies' and all the world Of beauty
OF New York must have soil0quized yesterday as
they
came from bnck and brown ssose shells,
And sparked among the beles
To bcker down-br0adwRy.
And the day was 80 'beautful," SO charming
SO "ioveiy;" It was the sunny month OF May trans
formed into March-that usually bleak boisterous
month Of dust and RAIN and equinoctlal storms
me sun shone bright from early morn, no cloudlet,
not even any las big mans hand, - obscured his
soft rays; the day OF spring had actually at last
and the bud Of fashion had burst its wintry prison
walls and opened TO the bamy touch OF spring.
With almost mathematical precision and astro
nomical foresight this day had been selected as
.openng' day by all whose business and profit 1t Is
TO provide fashionable attire and articles OF female
speaking could they have sslected for with no other
attractions 1t in itself was enought lure every hu
OF the spring atmosphere. Those whose occupations
necessarily kept them indoors felt II never before,
air their good Torture Who o not neither do they
spin, but who could roam about in the sunshine
ana drink IN the full drafts the soft breezes Of
Sailed forth by thousands is unnecessary to detai
possible to 60 out and particularly, who Of the fair
placed on exhibition and all the thousand and one
other things that go to make up the dress OF lady,
5 sRsa sSsAs q Rs ag
ssas asns sS s @@ @@ Ss1a % sEff g SSs MsSsS9 On
street sws west Of ,rn's It Cm Clinton place Fosnn
surgin8 hitherway and thitherway OF the best half
OF nuimanity-nere stopping at show windows, there
aee ana apesnT RI
with sincere. or, as 1t may have been In some cases.
with feigned delight. And everywhere was chatting
they had seen, praisng and extoling what they had
bought, directing each other to this shat store
where the best and cheapest might be got.
At the "Grecian Bendn OF Broadway, the slight
curve takes to the northwest on Tenth street. the
sight either way was one to be remembered forever.
Way down towards Canal street TO the south, and
far beyond Union square the north, the observer,
u ms standing point was somewhat elevated from
the level OF the street. could either sidewalk par
ticularly on the west was filled with apparently
sought for release from the snowy thraldom Of late
winter. And IN the roadway, from curb to curb not
the usual number Of numbering stages. trucks and
such as are generally seen only in the Park a
bright early summers afternoon. This turnout OF
fashion and wealth on wheels was so great on this
thorOughfare yesterday that at many points the z
patrolmen Of the Broadway squad or the po-
lice had to interfere to prevent COM
plete blockade OF the street, and they had
TO be constantly on the alert to escort
ladies across-a thing that had heretofore been
known to occur in the more crowded business parts
OF Broadway down town for several hours In sue
cession. At the junction OF Broadway and Fifth
avenue or Madison square the sight which met ones
eye reminded one strongly OF the view presented by
the Boulevard des itaiiens In Paris the Ring strasse
In Vienna or Inter den Linden In Berlin, on great
national fete day.
But with all this happiness and spendor, with all
this grand display OF beauty, wealth and fashion,
there was commingled thread OF sorrow which
could not be overlooked. Poor, malmed soldiers OF
the late war, one legged and one armed sat on the
curb OF nearly every street corner giinding out
familiar tunes from their wheezy hand organs, pac
Ing an empty cigar box on the instrument inviting
the surplus pennies small stamps, OF their hap
pier countrymen and countrywomen they passed
IN search for JOY amusement and opportunities for
shopping. But lew had any feeling or commlsera-
t0n with these poor 'Tecs OF the barbarlsmr
OF war. and their cigar boxes remained
mostly empty - TWO exceptions only could
street and Broadway two quite young fellows,
once evidently Jolly tars in Uncle SANS s'web
footed" navy, both OF whom had lost an arm and "A
leg each, were more pcntlfully rewarded. And on
the corner oI Washington place and Broadway a
crippled soldier had by his side his wife, who bore
In her arms brace OF most beautiful twins. Two
out OF every three OF the ladies that passed tins
group stopped and would not go farther t they had
lap and mered q mothers joyful thanks by hand
some present 'for the darling little ones you KNOW"
Bless those women, for they had . mothers true
love IN their hearts, and though IL opening day
they remembered the ''tle ones' OF the poor. May
the day have brought genuine and lasting gadness
and cause for devout gratitude to many more