The New York herald., 1872-12-25

IL UffLEMENT
OF gasght upon armies or hunying ,uen, women
and children, and 1t was
REALLY A RARITY
70 meet any one who had not at least one iunde,
package or parcel. The great emporiums Of toys,
fancy goods, jewelry, connections, edibles, knsk-
knacks and Yankee notions were literally besiegeS
by vast swaytng, jostling crowds, eager to pur-
chase and then to be at home. Express wagons
rumbled through every street bearing parcels OF
presents and goodies" for the merry
making OF to-day. The markets, how
ever. were the places that presented
the most characteristic pictures Of preparation for
| the feasting and 1t was from these that the most
| Christmas-like purchases were borne through
| every street. Bundles and parcels were In the
| hands OF every one, In stages, In carriages,
In street cars and afoot; but they were
mere packages. To see Q man with q
package anords after all, very indefinite idea OF
the nature OF the shopping he has been doing; but
when you see him carrying homo turkey or .
Christmas tree, or an evergreen wreath, you feel
as though you know all about it. For these reasons
then the markets looked extremely
PICTURESQUE AND FEsrrvAL-LIKE
fusion enough to giadden the heart Of the Lord OF
Misrule; but It was jolly confuson-a confusion
that makes humanity more human. and shows up
shadows over the heads or the sureing
the lusty market women. And what a
largon OF voices and sounds greeted the
deep-mouthed men cried aloud tho cheapness OF
their stock and bade the purchaser take his choice
Culverhouse whose famous pictures OF street
scenes by lamplght are 80 very effective, might
THOUSAND .sruDrEs"
IN washington Market alone The faring torches
on wagons and stands, the burly vendors, the
elbowing crowd that presented every variety and
the piles OF mutt the ringes Of poultry the stock
adss Of beef and and mutton the ranks o. frozen open
field Of steeple-chasers running dead
beat" these were al dead
Of slaughtered deer and even the black, glossy
hides and dark-red flesh OF slain bears; tile deep
sand other articles for the festal season, made
picture that, II thing. was too varied to be ap.
that wa bo al
illumination became vast silhouette OF the most
@extravagant extra and grotesque ontlinei and again
ing on the prolles OF . dozen scenes.
But these were only the street aspects Of Christ
| Tor enjoyment and 1t was only
| THE HOMES
that that enjoyment was to be realized From
every house the lights shone brighter through pane
windOw-shutter and curtain, and within there were
anxious and glad rippings OF bundles and inspec
rea.ed In hundreds OF thousands OfhOusehOlds gar
nished with sweetmeats toys trlnkets, ribbons and
OF childhood's voices. Kris Krinke was the reg.
nant monarch In the hearts OF juveniledom, and
Santa Claus reindeer would patter over the
roof roL,. What . patient waiting waiting would the
could they BUT once see the beWnssered old mann
| with the toys on his back come down the chimney;
and yet he comes nc, In such weird way that not.
| with awe If they thought he was coming. And SO
they went OF to bed, to be
HAUNTED by DREAMS
Of the Christmas tree they had seen OF redberried
holly branches the walls, OF jinging toys and
dssolving candies, and OF today's peep into their
Among. housewives 1t is very questionable
whether last night was not an unusually busy one
dishes and the thousand duties that devove upon
them as hostesses for the Christmas feast. But 1t
was all pleasant duty nevertheless, notwthstand-
ing the fact that the gamOr and mystic awe which
they felt for Christmas in their childhood had de-
! There is something very singular about tho uni
versatility with which the Christmas tide festival Is
observed among Am Americans II as.no,,a
| traditions and observances OF the Eve and OF the
| Day never have had much influence here to attract
doubtless these myths. now forgotten, though
much revered and wondered at. which gave so
tae eysnt Nos one maS woma1 @
In thousand celebrates It with any
signiacance, and the oid-tme observers Of Christ.
mas Eve were prompted as much by superstition
The burning OF the yule log and the rites which
attended 1t, the preservation OF the ember from
year to year. the cutting OF the mistletoe and
It's distribution as an amulet, the sacrifice OF
almost all traceable to the mythology OF the Druds
and the dark ages and yet form the whole ground
work for the romance and mystic character Of the
| Christian anniversary. But romance and SUPER
sttions and mystic rites look too much like put
| up Jobs" for
THE MArTER-oF-pAcr AMERICAN
character, and while we are content to read about
them 1t would be nonsense to cxpend 80 much
time, trouble and money for anything but tangible
stay at home with our families. Yule og-roling is
substituted by legislative and backwoods work OF
s We put na up ses
or any other bogus deity is to be propitiated,
and we drop the mystic mistletoe and hang out
done It Is immaterai whether we do it beneath the
pendant evergreen or n0t-s0 we do 1t. And this
Is just where the universally Of the American
Christmas and Christmas Eve comes In.
Is to have ''go0d time" without any regard to
superstitons vagaries or traditions, and we have
that good time; aud that fully accounts for the
hustle and whirl and benevOlence and cheeriness
that was everywhere at home and in the streets,
and aY shops last night Everybody ieit that It was
happy hp = ali III around and 1ttiney insusaratsd On
which comes In with the dawn OF this morning.
.... A FITTING TRIBUTE
to the sacred character OF the occasion was or
| c0llrse the midnight masses which were held in st.
Adams, st. Alph0nsus and other churches last
night There were comparatively few OF the sacred
| which they were held attracted quite gOOdy at
| tendance, consisting chiefly OF devout w0rshppers
the o. sne pehg MADE %P o
novelty OF the exercises At SO peculiar an hour OF
| the night.
rrru,oruao rurrD Ar THE uxcTuTUTunrc