The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-31
The Religious Aspects Of the Most Magnlfl.
cent Street in the World.
IT'S TEMPLES, PRIESTS. ANB wORSHIpPERS.
The Road to Heaven FlOwery
Path Of Ease.
The Music, the Fashions, the Faiths
end STeeds of Modern Aris-
tocrastic Piety.

one or'tne many raeans open to srevsasd man
for me. pleasant murder OF the few lazy that
now tcrd then come TO all OF US and obstnately
fuse 20 a. in with any useful or amusing employ
rent, tn to live ever again In waking dream the
strangely various SUNDAYS ne has net with In his
wgSderings through Christendom. Sabbaths OF all
knds-French Scotch, German, English, Italian,
6sVfss-in the city and IN the viliage-wet, snowy,
Tae, WINDY dull-come throngtne forward at the
gentle invite ton OF Memory and noat arily past.
ske a pleasing mirage before his mental vision.
And what curious procession shey form as they
sweep slowly along through the chambers of the
Drain FIRST perhaps, rises the peaceful Sabbath OF
an English village, seated in landscape wrapt
In the hush OF unbroken rest; again the dreamer
himself vending his way along the crooked
street TO the little ancient church. where dozens Of
-anelo-Saxon generations have met to worship the
God OF their iathers and once more he hears the
stupid, good-natured parson droning out in sleepy
accents the subordinaton Of society and the divine
lustce or tithes. Then in the twinkling OF an eye
he dnds himself In The cheerful heart OF the gay
city, heal ing mass at the Church OF the Madeleine.
awed ana wonderstricken, in spite OF himself, at
ihe ponp Of the most magnificent ritual known TO
snen The heavenly music; the solemn voices ana
the rich raiment of the officiating priests; the tinE
ting OF the bell and the fragrant fumes OF precious
incense--al come back to hum wildly freshly
and impress him with the same lively emotions
Of reyerent admiration they did In the
old days OF his early youth. Passing out OF the
church he sees his shadow stroling along the Rue
Royale, and through the Place de la Concorde into
the cafes chanants Of the Champs Elysees. All the
sharply defined contrasts OF that Partisan Sunday
agaln strike forcibly home TO him. Next perhaps
he taxes part In the makeshft but aristocratic
services OF an English or American summer church
Al one OF the great European spas or again he is
bored with the grim and heartless austerltles OF
Scotch sabbath; while at last, he fits rapidly, but
not hurredy, through the Lords day life OF Rome Of
London, OF Switzerland, OF Belgium and OF Russia.
Then what an immense and bewildering variety OF
American Sundays he has spent In no other
country, even If he have been curious man in
such matters, has he great o diversity
of forms OF Christian worship; nowhere else
mas he listened 10 such endessly multiplied
variations OF the Gospel message OF good VIII and OF
peace. But 1t would be tedious to run through
Them IN detail. In this article Ii IL proposed only TO
describe OF them and that the most interesting
OF ali alike to the thoughtful and the thoughtless-to
aim who looks with careless glance OF superficial
attention at the mere objects that paint themselves
npon his optica, retina wei as 10 him who LOOKS
beneath and behind the pleasing picture, and tries
10 fatbom its meaning and Its laws We are going
10 describe
A SUNDAY UPON FIFTH AVENUE.
The avenue as IL appears In the busy week Is no
phase OF its worldly life has been por-
rayed with minute and almost painful pre-
cision But although lew places take
deeper Sabbath coloring, or display so
gtrikingly the difference between tho day OF
worship and the days OF work, no journalistic lin
ner OF the times live In seems to have yet made
this Lords day aspect OF the glorious home OF Ame
rican wealth careful study. And yet what could be
more curiously instructive? VANITY Far, with quiet
Dignity voluntarily doing homage TO Him who had
no place in which to lay Bis head; Fashion, be-
Bounced and befuibelowed strutting forth 10 pros
trate herself before the affairs OF the final Judge of
all the earth; old Dives and the gded youth,n and
Intriguing mothers OF unproyided daughters, and
ardheaded hard-hearted oppressors of the poor,
and brilliantly lucky favorites OF fortune, trooping
out In decorous bands TO acknowledge for an hour
Or TWO the higher ana nobler mysteries OF lie
these are indeed pictures that deserve minute
deneation ana thoughtful rejection. Then, too
thank Heaven, the staple element OF the crowd
there is also no scanty sprnkrng Of the men whose
various genius and patient Industry have made the
American people the most powerful, the most pros
porous and The most glorious OF modern nations
Captains, selEpromoted Of tollng hundreds-per
haps thousands or their fellow citzens-they issue
forth at the head OF their families to reyerently
learn how best TO employ the wealth that has
crowned their exertlons aud 70 listen 10 the sacred
promises OF the future reward that will wait upon
Conscientious use OF the present. Where, indeed,
can there be found elsewhere contrasts more strk-
ing or SO worthy OF attentive study
EyEE TIE PHYSICAL ASPECTS
Of the avenue seem to assume a peculiar and
unique tone the day OF rest Its mansions
Of brown stone appear hushed by some special
ana sacred influence, and It's occasional palaces
of marble dash with subdued and softened
brightness, a. least 1t TO the gaze OF
.he spectator who allows himself to be carried
away by the impaiDab,e spirit or the scene the
echo OF feet on the pavement ID less harsh ana
NOISY; the children, WHO come forth at the heels OF
nursemalds and governesses take their daily ar-
pcrceptsle decrease In the number of carriages and
total az olIce OF Tue storekeepers wagons thai rat
Tie along ali through tue daylight or the workaday
week.
First among the signs b which you can tell that
u Is Sunday the avenue Is The apparent unusual
reluctance or its fortunate INHABITANTS TO rise from
their beds. The moment OF waking Is iull hour
later than In the busy week: aud even when the
aside tie blinds ami restore the furniture from he
chaos INTO which the careless luxury offs possessors
had thrown il overnight they sci about tneir work
wih an ar that tells as plainly possible that they
have more reached the day when all but abso-
lutely necessary labor - unlawful. After whie
the street, however, guIckeAs into lie. stronng
along Jon meet every now and then \ deyotee OF
sn annette Tor The flrst meal Of ,ae aay and and
here aud there at window you catch
glimpse oil some happy creature luSlIiating IN tile
3eirnts ID An after breakfasr ciear You can even
FORM q snrewd guess OF what is now PASSING ~ the
inside ~ tue houses perhaps as near The truth Is Il
Asmoaeus carried you mp IN the al ana removed tue
ro0ftcps. Not GDseldom the curtslns 0l chamber
window are lightly held aside by aelicate nngers,
Yes lnacee you need mol be q magician to know
Inai Amarylla and Chloe are binding UP the tresses
OF lheir bar ana eqjpping themselves with all the
bewndef,ng destinations or the period for irritation
and fof conquest. Other human ambitions and cares
may jor y day be still and patiently inactive but on
SUNDAYS as On all the rest OF the besides, "'tis
love AMI almost only love, "ihat makes the word
go rouDd6
IT last
CHIMES THE CHURCH BELLS
GGund through the quiet air and elegant and Luxurious
carriages softly ro up before the doors and iyered
coaehmen anc sleek horses walt patiently the coming
OF their enploysIH Aud then the portals open anu
down the clean s.oop quietly trip the pous worship
pers, dec0rously perfect In attire iautlessly re-
spectacle IN acmeanor. Az last The carriage doors
close with q gentle bang the coachman lightly
nka Iha hmm III nch and