The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-10

TWO CHARMING SKETCHES FROM TIE CRICKET OF
LITERATURE.
CHRISTMAS m LONDON.

CHRIsfMAs m LONDON.
The house.frons looked black enough, and thu
windows blacker, contrasting with the smooth
white sheet Of snow upon ths roois and Win sas
had been plowed in deep burrows BY the heavy
wheels of carts and wagons-furrows that crossed
and recrosssd each other hundreds of times where
the great streets branched of, and made intricate
Channels, hard to trace in the thick yellow mud
and icy water. The sky was gloomy. and the
shortest streets were choked up with dingy mist.
half thswed, half frozen, whose heavier particles
descended in shower OF sooty atoms, as Il AZ
caught fire, and were blazing away to their dear
hearts, content. There was nothing very cheer
full In the climate Of the town, and yet was mere
an air of cheerfulness abroad that the ciearest
summer air and brightest summer sun might nave
endeavored TO diffuse in vain.
For the people who were shoveling away on
the housetops were jovial and iali OF gee eau,
Ing out to one another from the parspets, ana
now and then exchanging facetious SNOWFALL
better-natured missile far than many wordy
iest-lsughing heartily il il went right, and not
the less heartily II II went wrong. The poulterers'
shops were still half open, and the fruiterers'
were radiant In their glory. There were great,
round, pot bellied baskets Of chestnuts, shaped
like the wsstcoats of jolly old gentlemen lolling
at the doors and tumbling out into the street in
their apoplectic opulence There were rudy,
ing in the fatness Of their growth like Spanish
friars, and winking from their shelves in wanton
slyness at the girls as they went by and glanced
demurely at the huDg'up mistleto. There were
pears and apples clustered high In blooming pyra-
mids; there were lunches of grapes made, in the
shopkeepers' benevolence, to dangle from conspic-
uous hooks, that peoples mouths might water
gratis as they passed; there were piles Of fl.
berts, mossy and brown, recalling, in their fra.
GRANGE, ancient walks among the woods and
pleasant shufiiDgs, ankle deep through withered
leaves; there were Norfolk biffins, SQUAD and
swarthy, setting off the yellow of the oranges and
lemons, and, in the great compactness Of their
juicy persons, earnestly entreating and beseech.
ing to be carried home In paper bags and eaten
forth among these choice fruits In bowl, though
members Of dull and stagnant- blooded race an.
peared to know that there was something going
on, and, to fish. went gsspiDg round and round
ment.
The grocers! the grocers nearly closed, with
perhaps two shutters down, or one !; but thr
those gaps such glimpses 1t was not alone that
the scales descending on the counter made merry
sound, or that the tgine and roller parted COM
pany so brisky. or that the cansters were ratified
up and down like juggling tricks, or even that the
blended scents of tea and coffee were so grateful
to the nose, or even that the rasins so plen.
tful and rare, the almonds so extremely white
the sticks of cinnamon so long and straight, the
other spices SO delicious, the candied fruits so
caked and spotted with molten sugar as to make
the coolest looker-on feel faint and subsequently
DnCus, nor was IL tnat the Hgs were moist and
pulpy, or that the French plums blushed in modest
tartness from their highly decorated boxes, or
that everything was good to eat and in Its Christ.
mas dress I; but the customers were all so hurried
and so eager In the hopeful promise of the day
that they tumbled up against each other at the
door. crashing their wicker baskets wildly, and
left their purchases upon the counter. and came
running back to fetch them, and committed hun.
dreds of like mistakes In the best humor possible;
while the grocer and his people were so frank and
fresh that the polished hearts with which they fas.
tened their aprons behind might have been their
own, worn outside for general inspection, and for
Christmas davis to peck at if they wish.
But soon the steeples called good people ell to
church and chapel, and away they came. focking
through the streets in their best clothes and with
their gsyest faces. And at the same time there
emerged from scores of by.streets, lanes and
nameless turnings innumerable people, carrying
heir dinners to the bakers shops. The sight of
hese poor jewellers appeared to interest the Spr.
1t very much, for he stood with Scrooge beside
lin in bakers doorway, and, taking off the COW
rs 90 their bearers passed, sprinkled incense
n their dinners from his torch. And il was a
Tery uncommon kind Of torch, for once or twice
Vhen there were angry words between some din.
lei. carriers who had jostled each other, he shed
few drops Of water on them from il, and their |
ood humor was restored directly. For they said |
was Q shame to quarrel upon Christmas day |
md so it was! God love it, so it was