The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-01
THE EVE OF TIE NEW YEAR.

Scenes fn tho Streets, Markets and
Stores-Half Million People Pur-
chasing Presents-The Promise of the
Fcast-IIonoring the Old Year.
The eve OF the New Year darkened ON the world
with peculiar sadness in the aspect OF nature, In
keeping with the melancholy thoughts which
usually come when we are forcibly reminded OF the
rapid flight OF Old Father Time on his endless
course The streets OF the city, covered BY q deep
mantle Of snow that has In the last few days been
rutted and worn by the usage Of trafic and travel
were last night filled with slush, mire and water.
The condition of the weather strikingly similar
to that of the Same date last year. only that Shere
was then no snow. may DO remembered that
what little OF that element had then fallen was a.
ready entirely melted, and che pedestrians who
moved down Broadway In great throng to listen
to the chimes OF old Trinity as
THE TURN OF TIKI TIDE
was rung her melodi0us bells splashed
through an ocean Of mud and were cnveloped In
falling mist that seemed to dampen both their
garments and their hearts. Last night the atmos-
phere was also full OF q humid vapor, and the
melting snow dripped from caves. awnings and
sign boards in every street on everybody's head
wnO he'd ventured to perambulate away from the
homo hreside II they happened TO possess such
retreat. And everybody was in the street, or the
stores or the markets, excepting, perhaps, q few
invalids and crlpples.
THE AVENUES
up town were crowded by the moving, mixing and
surgng multitude, and 1t was composed Of all is
Of people. II the stranger coming to New York
wishes to see something Of the character OF the In
habtants let him keep mis- eyes open on the eve Of
one Of her great holidays. No other city in the
world 80 unbosoms herself on these occasions. The
throngs present pictures from every caste OF life
from the high to the low or the low to the high.
Let US stop on corner. and, watching
remark what most strangely In it's constitution
impresses itself upon our brain. That must be,
sowsd Ss great osses Il
Is But, then, the s secondary point worthy Of
mournful memories that always attack frail hui
manity when brought to almost q compulsory re-
looks as happy as wedding guest Te ''V ex.
cepting, perhaps, the crouching and dirty organ
Saads and their p prayers for bread unaes
the shadow of the churchyard palings. But the
common levity q expression. gait ana tax make
trast. Thousands Of people are buying
LITTLE KNIcK-KNACKs
the New Year % bright to them as possible and while
they are 9oing this they cannot help but joke and
On G re
with amethyst or ruby or diamond adorning it.
He is q fine, bright fellow, and bushes when he
pays the clerk who smiles to himself
The little nOwer girl on the corner has no cause to
complain Of dearth OF pennies. The pure white
blossoms that she has ready Tor sale, done up in
little punches with green leaves, please the fancy
of many a passer who at any other time, even in
prosac mind have given their kin single thought.
Are we as pure as these, and will $50.
THE PETALS OF THE OPENING YEAR
remain white and fresh unto the end without
whitening or sOiling
One traditional custom of New Years Eve was
ersed the streets blowing their horns, which COM
prsed Instruments or all sorts Of tones and all de-
grees of discordancy.
But no liveer scenes could have been observed
yesterday AFTER the hour Of five In the afternoon
until late In the evening than those which took
array Of
IL never seen in the whole course OF the year except
upon New Years Eve. Great glowing red
shoulders OF the OK and pale pink Carcasses Of
hogs, in oil their plump attractiveness, decorated
the hooks IN the busy stalls, and were inspected
by half million Of anxious matrons and pater
Jantlins But the fowls formed the hugest piles,
and "the naked TRUTH" Invested as they were
OF all their feathers, cOnjured up dreams of
the coming feast, which were by no means dis
agreeable. The old, rickety Washington Market
looked festive. Evergreens adorned the ancient
beams and rafters, and the golden lights con-
tributed
A CLEAN OF GLADNEss
to every eve, cheerful did they make the scene.
Manhattan Market was crowded more than 1t has
ever been before since its opening, and the dealers
prOsPered. The other markets presented similar
pictures, and there is doubt that to-day will wit
ness as huge consumption OF the good things OF
the earth as any former anniversary Of the opening
OF the year. and OF course the good cheer and Gnnd
feeling will therefore not be lessened.