The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-05-29
PU UBLISU AND EDITED BY
HENRY W. NSHtENEE-

Of Hawthorne works - one U! their latcst at
fractions.
r. Nelson & Sous publish strange, semi
poeticll -c1ni-scicntiic book about - The Bird,
by jules Niciclct. It j. a well-exccuted trans
lrtion from the French. Full Of sympathy with
nature. Of beautiful descriptions, 81 curious IN
formation, It j. one Of the most enjoyable of the
new books. Look, for instance, at this dcscriI'-
tiOn Of the frigIte bird
eve see after the storm. a small blue spo; in the
heavens happy and serene region which has re-
TainegI In pence FAR above the hurricane II that
blue spac t nu elevation Of ten thousand feet tJIts
royalty bird with enormous wings Is Il a gull /.
No IL wings are black An eagle, No; the bird
is too small
sTt l. the little ocean s1sls first auI chief Of the
winged race the lord of the tempest, the scOrner Of
all pritle-the mau-0f-War frigIte bird He - a
bird that Is virtually nothing more than n PAIR oi
wings. While his body - scarcely larger tI4n tii.t
Of the domestic coek, his progOus piuious are hf-
teen feet iu span In HIM the great problem -
solved anil Oyerp1.-el. such bird, sustained BY
such supports uees but allow himself % bc borne
along The storm bursts he mounts o. lDtter
heights and nds tranquility above the tempest The
poetic metaphor, untrue Of any other biri, y no ex-
acgeration when applied % him. lie continues his
flight indefinitely through the night certain Of re-
posing himself, meanwhile upon what? Upon his
huge mOtione-s wing, which takes upon itself all the
welriness Of the voyage OF ON the wind, his slave,
which eagerly hasteus % cradle him.
- But when he chooses 20 car his way seriously,
all distance vanishes- lie breakfasts 1T the Senegal
he dimes in America.
Thus runs ON the strange prose-pOctry of the
book, which il for the most Iart written - as If
the bird alone existcd-as If man had
been The bird Is not made the text of a ser
mon.
But Of books, that inexhaustible subject, 1
must not speak further to-day.
Christmas was celebrated with even more than
usual interest In the city. IL seems, indeed, to
be gradually becoming more valued holiday with
us than ever before. This is in part a result Of
a growing interest. IN this community, in church
festivals Of every kind, and in part because New
Workers are learning the Importance of relaxation
The Christmas services at many Of the churches
were very imposing. At ~. Stephens, where
the best sacred music in New York Is to be heard,
Mr. VIM. Bcrgs conducted choir Of SIXTY voices
and an orchestra OF thirty Instruments, under the
direction Of Theodore Thomas, combined with the
fine organ Of that church 10 produce a magnificent
effect Tho mas ~ Eiahorvt.. piece Of cpmTp-
-ition by Diet-ch Of Paris, lad never before been
performed in this country. On the following day
the festival Of St Stephen. high mass was cele-
br.ltcd IN the same church. y startling incident,
and one which came near being n casualty, oc-
CURED during the service. The ornaments Oi
evergrecns, which were placed around the altar,
suddenly took fire from one Of the numerous
candles that burned among them. The flames
bIlzcd up brightly before the acOlytcs and cclc-
brants. they and the vast audience remained
silent for n moment as II scarce believing their
eyes. Then a. tire fire dartcd toward a curtain,
fftv feet high, thlt hung before repairs that
we're being made behind the altar, the sense Of
imminent danger broke upon tie congregation
All rose to their feet; and children shTick-
ell. and the people IN the crowded galleries turned
10 flee the priests broke from the positions in
which they had been celebrating the mass, and
huddled around the fame. But louder and louder
pe.lled the organ, and the singers stroyc to CON
vince the people Of safety by their unialtering
strain Of sweet sound. The panic, however, was
becoming general, when Father MeGlyn. seeing
no other way 10 prevent n calamity, jumped upon
the steps OF the altar and tore down with his
naked hands tire flaming wrcaths and garlands.
Within a few inches only Of the great curtain
the flame was stayed. But for his presence OF
mind a great calamity like that of the burning of
the Cathedral In Santiago, a few years ago, would
have startled the public Of New York ON Christ
mas day.
One rcculiarity Is noted during these holidays
the disuse Of TN frIDHPsfs by the children The
melody Of this instrument has been almost un-
heard Of late IN the streets Of New York; this Is
thought tD be in consequence Of tine great age and
maturity Of children in the city. The infants Of
New York find tin trumpcts a much too juvenile
amusement. and the sale Of childrcns toys has
sadly fallen off of late wears. Most of the chill
dren are born quite old nowadays
Yesterday was the fifth stormy New Years day
in srcccssiDn Five times have New Years call
ers had 10 contend. not with ordinary winter
weather, but with storms Of peculiar atrocity.
LAST year il was a tempest Of mingled rain and
snow, and streets filed with InTassable rivers of
slush.'' Yesterday bitter and furious storm
of hail RACED through all but the last two hours
Of the day. assailing the faces of man and beast,
-nawing at the window Iancs, pilinS itself up
into great drifts in the streets, and borne upon
,icrcc blasts Of wind that almost carried the Pc
de-trian of from his feet. Carriages were to be
had at from $50 70 $40 for the day; but car
riaces and callers were comparatively few Two
enthusiastic gentlemen started out upon veloci-
,,,,Ics 10 make their round OF calls. But they
were unhorzcd By the tempest, abandoned their
wooden -tecIs. and took 10 4 carriage before pro-
ece,Iing far.
S,,c,c--ive New Years storms, however, do
not break down the popularity Of the day. The
welcome given by the fair hostesses OF yesterday
was doubly cordial, as given to friends who had
br.,ycd tempest for their sakes. Visits, If less
numerous. were longer and more pleasant than
usuaI. I saw n crowd in but one placc-Alr.
VIM. F.. Dodse's beautiful house upon Madison
avenue. But Mr.. Dodge had given n reception
n fsw evenings before TO Schuyler Coliax. the
Vice President elect and many of her New
Years calls were also - party calls
Nr-. Professor YOumaus, late Mrs Judge Lee
n Honolulu. returned fortnight since from
London. and received her many friends at the
-, or Mr.. B,tta. in West 37th street Mrs.