New-York tribune., 1871-01-06
WASHINGTON SKETCHES.
ON THE AVENUE.

Years the porcrcs had It all TO themselves Much cheer
and little splendor prevailed, and the capital could NOS
have told Itself from ordinary city, If Its fmooms OF
and its crossings long and as the bridge of
sorat had not been there to remind It, There is usually
brilliaut parade OF the joweed regalias and ribbons
and stars and grtcrs Of the Diplomatic Body at the
White House. whcl Europe arshals, on the trst day OF
tie year do honor; but this the only national
thing in all the customary festivities was, much to tie
d gust of pold-lace dispensed with; public Offices
Afforded no rc'.ef; and Washington would have proved
itself i'm memory grand holiday disappointment for the
sieht-scer if it had not been for the Avenue.
Did you ever look at Pennsylvania ave, and think
what a miniature world IL IL in itselfa street out OF
the Vanity Fair of the Pilgrims Pr0gressi on one side
walks the ar rstocracy when it walks at all, hut seldom
the otherrather the other comes over TO it
with the blind beggar, the hurdy-gurdy man, and the
hawking itinerant. On side the grand palaces,
the nany-windowed caravansories, the clittering
ba2ars the otner the drinking palaces the gambling
roa,s the hucistegs' shops the stalls OF the old Iarsh
Market Up and down 90 the sumptu0us equipages, the
hgh-steppiug horses, the vcried servants, and lock
wheels with the mud-worn draws drawn by ungroomed
nHcs; with the great wagons, whose yokes OF bells
shower off angng music; VITA the express the grocer
the traveller and all the agents Of trade in full career
while ruler and legislator, and plcnipotentary, and
people jostle another at every step. We are com
folks enough when We stay at home hat history
wallis beside -, too, when walk the Avenue and
mi slty shadows moving forever before us. Wash
ineto has dashed down its length in his yellow chariot
painted with cupls and drawn by SIX white hor-=s'
Hamilton JcGcrson, Lafayette, Burr ana all the gois
~ Pcpubic have roidcn before their feet fa
ling ,heru fell; di houorinG British squadrons have
marched upon it IL has shaken to the tread Of our own
c.ons and great forms begin TO loom IN tie NATIONAL
memory that have just parsed from its daily crowds
1t would be unique street. moreover, II it only
FOR its picturesque possibilities through the haze of one
end the bubble OF the CAPITOL dome rising above its lawns
ami color pades at the Other the southern FACADE OF the
sh ,t Ike
froakshy dipping into the ground 10 run through the
cellar of the White House, and coming TO the surface
ogan 10 meet the frs and balsams and masnOas Of
Infayetts-square-th beautiful botanical gardens and
greenhouses running along beside IL for hall mile tho
dark towers and spires of the Smithsonian, the un
finished marble Shaft OF the Monument leading the eye
away to the river and the blue Virgnian hills. Here
too ihOrcughfaIe Of business and pleasure which the
new wooden pavement hls converted into ra,ccCurse
every tine afternoon 10 be covered with gorgeous
urnouts rolling alOng easily the couds and with
rOtcrs fast enough to delight the judges the Harlem
road and altogether too FAST delight the endangered
wapfarer Here The sporting let ont the speed OF
their thor0ugbreds 10 such extent that the city has
been curi he'd H. week h. 0 heavy lines; here tho
President nags take TIER airing; here run The black
Cameron borsrs here Gen. Buffers great gray steps
alOnc, HE splendid chc5tnuts champ aud fret while
their stately mistress fingers; here Senator sprauc rides
10y mettesom1 s;ced, and Mr. Fame Of the British
Legation Oh his hack; here the Pomeroy bays; here
my Lady InOruLon numbers Of private carriages whose
ercd driver. and crested panels attest the value OF
republican Institutions: and here some rough span from
the country whose harness ia, very likely, tied up with
bits rope suddenly flashes Ivy aud oustrps the whole
Of them.
OF them.
But not IN picturesgeness In the union Of business
street and docs all the pecu'afty OF the
Avenue exist. on what other street, not forgetting
Chez psde Br0aiwry. viii you meet 50 motley athrnng
"a heret On what other street viii lie President saier
with his cigar and nobody turn TO l0'I alcer hint On
what other street counts and barcns and those BEAR
ing such names as EscraZy Turenne and C0rtes, 30
common that srobh shness fails 10 exist In their neigh
borbood and nobody k0OtOo5 before thein Ana VIVA,
street daily promenade Of 20 much wisdom or more
loyeliuess Stroll upon IT, some one or these pleasant
holiday afternoons you will meet Mr. Sumner striding
along a giant among men, the "good gray head, Tue
white pure iaoe, winding frVm ell but ttle
souls aud by side his secretary huryng the son OF
DR. O. W Holmes; further on. the young Senator AmcE
with his erect solderiy bearing and handsome race
escorts Lis wife, dazzling, dlrkeyed woman earnatlon
on her cheek and shine IN her har here tar sch"fs
hsstens by; Matt Carpenter, with the ar OF Napo
leon on the spread eagle here passes Cen sherman as
,nucl pToesie az any mniebal; here, keeneje ed and
sn,nO qoes the bury Speaker and here raf OF uncon
.,derod doubtless high hSnIes in their dls
trlet but zeros here. YOnder pudgy dame uucses
aIon2 followed by q tiny, banketed poodle she wears
dngy red meno, trimmed with white cluny ana toine
Imaiy vnmeny BODY TO be the divine Cataeazy, about
vhose azure eyes and yellow hair and
tq the little ioregn minister who always carries his
cane i'm bl= pocket. Now you see the dancing ettaChes
Win The preest rs the season, winning their hearts
breaking them they have not Ut fnrtune, 10 tcn
II WITH paupcr nobility. Presently another any C'Ss,S S
your Iatha rosy rnd plump ~ Veins 1op
Garcia niece Dictator Rosas and the rather regal
representative here ot tepInie. iOu VIII h no bdoe I NC
but her husbands substitute the Ehendl BatazhL VIII
stare you out while you stare NJ MS s
ssbs viii summon before the minds eye Athens and tho
II Acropols socrates and sappho; and You can have q
II how n yu want IL, from the hne old negro Uncle Pau
Il Who In The good times OF her glory used 70 carry MIS-
Madison golden train he saws and In the Sad later
times her poverty used to carry her many basket Oh
\ Ana fhey are not common attractions, either that
4 temut all these promcnaders the Avenue. Nowhere
the along public way present more enticing
stance bookstore with more aiuremcnts than the one
where Mr. Pbilp honors authors with discount which
tns dcponent has received from Boston or NewYork
bookseller Phip, the friend and Intimate or Dickens,
with many peasant thing Ia tell this Cbrsmastide OF
oin OF te finest collection OF colors the whole
country Or thore Is Galts-a marble structure whose
a.e with diamonds lke drops OF dew eternsized, with
greet turquoses In hoop over hoop OF red gold
with lunitesmal watches oncased ~ manifyins erys-
ta aud where, OF moro interest than al the rest are
things not TO be bought with money,dan-
| ask into which II wrought the cipher 0i the
| hspless MACMILLAN and CarlOtta, left thcTe
by the Princess SamSalm ana ont Of whose folds shake
memories Of that romance OF spendor and wrong aud
ruin In tho very land Of romano, Dcyng the nineteenth
century and there, too wonderful golden toys from
tbe tolbs OF the Incas hideoLs little gods whose ug
ness Ia enchanted into som, thing exquisite enough 10
worship hy the skill Of mOdins I'D chasing bsubles
that the Aztec women have hauGi n, aud rinkcts at
the Mouezumas treasured before tlolr race aud their
people passed utterly lI0m e"tt1
So, With tho history, the hdlngs the raeccoIIoc the
men ami women the shops sill dare 10 m.intan that
there ~ nothing in life like tie Avenue, hd TINT NoNo
OF New Years cnlle, wh,h begun al taIntGl Vid aud
rolled ts spray aud It's body westward may rl into The
Potomac aud make gn end OF It's nat inCc, aui &c t.
] not iniAs II W long ~ u eaYes Us tbs Avenue.