New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-12-26

| Time has wreathed once more his mistletoe
,net for the holiday year. Across the gulf Of centuries
resounds the sweet echo Of the seraphs STRAIN, Teoo
| on earth good viii to man !" and everyWnero 'no
Christian heart again uplifts itself TO hah the Ds
Peasant Of Judea and to share the blessings Oh 's
sacred season wherein our sayors birth Is ceebraed
when, 49,,
| TIE nights sre wbolesomei then NO planets strike
| No fairy takes nor witch hath power TO charm,
| So kallowed and gracious Is the tine"
The cync philosopher may smile dsdain at the egenu
OF the shepherds, startled ut their watch benea'h ING
star-sprinked Skies by vision OF hemed eheruoim
and sworded seraphim" heralding In LOUD ana solemh
choir" the advent OF heavens newborn Heir out VINO
shall gansay the faith that viewess visants from cees
tia spheres hover at Christmas time around TINS SIN
stained EARTH filling all pious hearts with holy JOY and
throwing wild glamour OF happiness even overthe wan
derers without the ChstaD fold whether the hauo"eu
influence the hour Is heayensent or rises IKE sacred
fame the altar OF humanity certain IL Is tnat Chse
MAJ Day wider and joyous Observance than any
other festival OF religious patriotic, or social Origin
Other fte days In the Mother Churcbe OF England ana
| Rome NAV vie with this The jubilant "FOurth" " may
be with NJ morel Justify celebrated Thanksgiving may
| sometimes find hearter observance among those OF
Puritan lineage, and tNewYears Day may bubble over
\ with more demonstrltive social rites.
But Christmas untes in its train tho yotaries OF rival
creeds and the subjects Of warning governments, ana
draws within the circle Of It's influence OF all cmes
and races. Even where the iceberg gistens and the
palm casts ts shade the pagan convert bows the knee
al the shrine OF the Nativity In Europe, Christmas Day
absorbs the people whirlpool Of social and religious
fesyity and America its observance gains new color
and new richness with every succeeding year The
growth OF Catholic and Episcopal and Lutheran
Churches with whom the celebration has profound re-
ious meaning; the steady reaction among the strcter
Protestants the Increasing emigration OF Germans and
others with whom Christmas "a gala day preemnent,
4 la, GhFl. fVnDa Ia
held as social and family festival resulting from eul-
ture even where religion Is dsregarded, all potenty
combine to ntrench Christmas in the popular affection,
aud 10 make &C. what Il well deserves TO be- at once the
| holiday and the holy day of humanity.
CHRISTMAS EVE IN SEw-YoRK.
Whoever yenured through the city streets Hast satur
day eve on mission OF business charity, or pleasure,
was fain to say, with the Melancholy Dane, 1.-THE air
bites shrewdy It Is very cold" And his comrdes could
not fan to answer In Horatsn phrase, ut is nippng
and an eager air." All the afternoon the tide OF pnr-
chasers ebbed and flowed along the sidewalks OF Bread
way. December's gale, "bah smell and keen," whsted
through stony street. blowing the fine dust In penetrat
ing Clouds rattlng signs and rustng awnings and tug
ging ercey the shaws and greatcoats of the people
troopng homeward along the darkening sidewalk From
the shopwindow beamed cheerful glow, and even the
thnlyclad paused now and then, with sparkling eyes,
at some tempting holiday device Every woman seems
The enaomers OF rstcass stores sre people OF LEISURE
who traffic in tire daytime. Hence broadway j. not
thronged on Christmas Eve, and only mere ana tnere
bazaar But II buyers few the shops are many, and
worth passing glance Dealers in provisions candies,
and fruits sre especially lavish With holiday entice.
IDents. There plump deer, ranked With wild turkeys,
hangs above Christmas tree with pigeon or grouse
perched on each branch And there is window full OF
and and festOOns Of evergreen suspended
Ss2 0S s G S@aa for
and jars OF Jelly and parsley tufts. Behind yonder
grapes IN rich 6anebes, purple and white while under
! meath piles OF huge rough oranges and smooth
lemons paper jackets, and In the middle tiny chant
| iceer perches goblet OF scarlet marmaade.
In all the florists shops the Christmas towering Pon-
bonInakers windows candies are piled In manytinted
heaps There are sugar eaernos powered IN eSeryrsen
mixed with the sweetmeats. There are grotesque Ger
9ss Sn sanse ran. and .s sf
tie gasjct Chrstmas-treo sparkling with colored bon
with comic soemnity. In Polish barber shop the mir
Of ss a1 studded With tny days and roses and MSTFy
Christmas IA inscribed on little purpleedged pennon
on, guess they do' responds cheerful and enthusi
astio native. They celebrate II tptop. Where came
from they sit mp all night and have music aud decOa-
lions and service in the church every three hours from
o'clock I'LL II tomorrow Even the children stay up
until when each ChristInastree Is lighted and each
I family sings carol round it,"
| THE MARKETS.
The Milesan who, on dsembarkne in the vicinity OF
Washington Market remarked, "This Is better than a
potato country" would have had ample grounds which
| "a
spcc themaerial prosperity OF the nation, had he
sanntered through the markets Saturday The holiday
meats Juicy and we'll favored the launches Of venson,
fresh the Adirondack, carefully transported
nom the Indians hunting-grounds, the plump poultry
from the barnyar, and the ehoicer quail or chicken
from the prairie the pyramids of oysters and shesh.
and the profusion OF foreign and domestic fruits-all
these wond have convinced him that "the lines had
fallen unto him in pleasant places" foreigner might
have the habbness Of the markethouses but
abundance Of creature comforts underneath the dngy
roofs would have pleased his eplcurian instincts.
| Bnrmecide diet at Christmas time Is unpopular IN
America. The supreme thought with every householder
Saturday repensh the srder for the Christmas
dinner and the markets in consequence thronged
from dawn TO nght-fall will generous, open-handcd
patrons The the earliest customers, sending
their when the was low and the rates high
TO buy without regard TO price so hong as the plumpeSt
| bird and the dantiest sidedshes were secured rhe
middle classes went TO market at medium hours, when
the stalls stripped Of the choicest vands but when
substantial comforts were leit Tlthal The evening
| markets were "A confusion Of rough manners aud high
voices with mderone Of good humor running through
II all 80 the thr0ng changed IN character with me
hours, becoming noisier and more democratic toward
evening" and even late ~ II O'Clock the supplies for
the morrow had not all been obtained, and policemen
were Juggling women were Seeding, hucksters we're
o., a o be sr@ed with lean sEev
aud celery, with colored candles and Christmas ever
a. compared With the quotations of last year, turkeys
aud chickens bringing from 20 10 2 cents per pound,
! per dozen, and yenisOn II 25 cents per pound.
Nor were all the incidents confined 10 the market
|
duty. of an American citizen Ia turkey Christ
mas Day caugt sight Of fine hanging IN front Of
grocery store Avenue Is, and rO0lly unhoOking IL
walked on with his prize. clerk who knew not the
large charity Of the season saw the transaction and
chase. When fOurtl-st. the stranger allowed the
clerk oyertake him, whom, swinging the bird by the
dealt his pursuer powerful blow In the fare,
with tho Factions remark, Take your tnrkoy. Before
the ork could regain his feet man and turkey had dis
I upprared down the street
Another incident of instructive moral occurred
ON Ienthst in tho afternoon Anotioer found woman
aud Two children standing guard hnN containing
about 81 worth 81 meat which she erred hid dropped
rou butchers cart and which she had removed ~ the
Sidewalk until an officer should appear. The meal
taken 20 the Nercerst StatOnlIouse, with directions
thai to the finder " not claimed before might