The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-01-25
VOLUME vi.
Morning Star and Catholic Messenger.
New oeLEANs, SUNDAY. JANUARY u.s. 1874
From Our Own Correspondent
OUR IRISH LETTER.


From Our Own Correspondent
OUR IRISH LETTER.
DUBLIN, December 80, 1873.
Tho weather here this Christmas is wonder
tul. Nobody recollects anything like it. The
traditional and customary thing is to have
frost and snow, and abundant rain, and stiff
nor'easters. But for the last three weeks or
longer we have had neither frost nor snow,
nor rain, nor cold winds, but mild, genial,
spring-like atmosphere, most favorable to
vegetation. Most fortunate for the poor At
other Christmases fuel funds were the order
of the day in all our towns and cities; this
year fuel funds were remarkable by their nom
existence in Dublin and elsewhere. Just now,
however, the hard weather appears to be set
ting in, and should not be surprised if, with
our usual ill-luck, we were visited with frost
and snow when the farming operations of the
spring will require genial rain and sunshine.
The mildness of the weather rendered the
appearance of Dublin this Christmas-alwsys,
indeed, extremely attractive-more attractive
than usual. Crowds locked in from the ooun
try by the railways. The streets were abso-
lutely thronged. Every shop put on its holt
day attire, and decked itself out in holly and
ivy. The evening amusements were more nu-
merous than usual, and on st. Stephens day
we had midday performances in several places.
We have three pantomimes-of which that at
the Theatre Royal is truly splendid Here
may mention that preparations have been
making fot it since April last. The trade
societies and all other similar bodies held
soirees during the holidays. The Total Absti-
nence League had q splendid one in the Ro-
tundo on st. Stephens night, many influential
citizens attending it, and Mr.. A. N. Sullivan
giving readings-a line of business in which
that gentleman appears capable of achieving
no inconsiderable success. It is usual to treat
the inmates of our Recommendation and
adults alike-to the comforts of the season :;
and accordingly on Christmas day the various
orphanages, asylums, poor-houses, ETC., were
visited by charitable ladies and gentlemen,
who dispensed good things very literally. The
st. Vincent de Paul Society and kindred bodies
did good work amongst the poor scattered
through the towns, and, on the whole, it may
be safely said that the poor were not forgotten.
/ may add one item moro in reference to Christ
mas. The time -honored practice with grocers
and bakers of giving Christmas-boxes to their
customers is being gradually discontinued in
all eur towns - the aforesaid grocers and
bakers contributing instead certain amount
of money to a fund for the relief of the poor
This 10 a great gain TO the grocers and bakers
for the Christmas boxes, you may be sure, cost
them much more than their subscriptions to
the Door relief fund. 1 believe about 91OOO
was subscribed in this way this Christmas in
Dublin. I wish other persons could get rid of
giving Christmas boxes 1t is really very hard
On o pster- familias who has probably more
than enough to do to provide his family with
all that is reasonably desirable at Christ
mas to have to give besides Christmas
boxes to the post-man, and the butchers boy,
and tho grocer's boy, and the milknaD, and
the newsuan, not to talk of the numberlesa
other folk who drop you accidentally at
such o time with a request for something or
another in the way of money or eatables.
The homo literature of the season is this
year am happy to say, of better and more
Te5uminous character than usual. 1t is an un-
miRtakable sign of advancement that literary
productions should be going mp in the market
and two or three Dublin ventures have been
very successful. Amongst these / may men
ton the Illustrated Christmas Supplement OF
the Nation, which is printed on the finest
naner contains fifteen excellent portraits of
leading Home Rulers, q fnll-page drawing OF
the Home Rule Conference in session, and
other attractive sketches, besides couple OF
excellent essays, three or four tales and poems
4 and short biographies of Home Rulers afore-
4 said. 1 understand that more than 3oOOO
copies of this supplement were ordered before
ever it went to press. Then there is the Du6hN
illustrated annual, from the first number oil
which, published last year, 1 laid some ex'
tracts ut the time before my readers, and