New-York tribune., 1874-12-25
CHRISTMAS EVE CONTRASTS.

ELEVENTH. HOUR sIOPPING-wIsrFuL CHANCES AND
EMPTY PoCKETs-THE LIGHTS OS MURRAY HILL
Christmas Eve in certain thOroughfares is
by far the brightest and most animated ~ the year
Broadway above Astor-pace, the Bowery, and iniro'
Sixth, aud kigh-aves., especially are brilliant WIN
lights and lively with throngs OF people Bat some OK
those who make up the crowds do little purehsing'
They gaze long ana wstfuy az radiant storewindo"S
and then turn away with weary look OF unsatisued
desire. Tho number OF those whose holiday longings
arc pinched by poverty unhappily Is great
this year. and 1t was o pitiful sSht to sec
them last evening Old custom and tho wish
at least TO look upon the pretty things they
could not get for their knsolk children brought them
from their coinfOrcss homes IN tns chill pi|ht-win"'
But this eager Wintry air only stirred 10 more active
movement those who had tho means and the Will 10 Duy
holiday articles and brought rudder glow to their
checks But many OF these, too passed many minutes
before attractive displays behind the glass shopironts
in tho hllf-puzzed pleasure OF uncertainty what 10
choose or even which OF several ent'ng places
After they had entered the stores there was 20 mneh 20
see , and 80 bewIldeuug an array OF things
all OF which taey wanted, bTt were uncertain
which they wanted most. that their happy task was
long in completion. 1t was only the humber cssses
oancrallv speakiny who had deferred their Christmas
nnrchases 10 the very evening before CHRISTMAS Day
those whose tosomc days had prevented carrier resort
to the holiday mart But these entrrei INTO .nc cnoeo
and purchase Of their modest Christnas p"'s WIN IN
!
| more wealthy buyers. Besides men ana women VI 'n'
working classes who be seen last evening car
rylng bundles Of little toys aud knieK-knacSs or ma
terials for their simple Christmas FEAST, ana those
who lOngcd to buy but could not, there were great
throuss on the sidewalks and IN the stores whose Only
object WAS diversion With the curious ana P'easaDt
sr,et-scenes of Christmas Eve The streets would have
he,n fuller and more attractive IL the air had been
mier and tho crossings more certain: BAT the vino
and the walking made the crowds smaller ta III many
preceding years. and induced even larger huhoers
than usual to seek the warmth and fXhiIratOn Oh thc
kingsaloons, which ia many cIses hal assumed q
Christmas look tail trees o! green IN irJn o! tem
and an abundance OF decoration within. Td1 tounda
lions for many hoIy headaches were literally laid In
these resorts. and tho sounds of music OF singng and
cnkinc glasses heard from them uhtii I1e pouI'
Along Fih-avc. and in or tho streets occupied
bv residences there frequent houses which were
glowing with ght from almost every window whhe
musc from orchestra piano, and m"r II ;ure3 hitung
by dimy outlined against the curta - ad oher signs
o: fcstivity showed the brisk erjN"'ht OF tho ap'
priac pleasures OF Clristmas q. l" III ny spchdId
paror and in many humble room III, tree OF iue'
tide was set up and whether all All me with 'he sot
livht OF wax candles, and GlittrrIng with costly
ornaments and heavily hung with eicGdat gtts' or
half liz with little tipcrs, and impcIfcrtly dccked out
with The trf ng bits Of decoration ana tue humple
presents OF the poor, tho reJoich2 'ro"nu " wy
nrecedcd and ushcrcd 10 the tender GadnrSs OF to-ay
The scene at Fulton ana WashinStOn HNac's ias'
evening was very lively large nuaIcr Of housckeep
ers who had delayed making their purchases for the
Christmas dinner In tue hope that the recent thaw
would bring the price ot ponItry thtohgcd ooih
marksts last evening, AMI actively engaged Ia
making their pure The sudden urn NJ the frost
however, taken e6yantage of oy IN poultry G.a.
era and prices suddenly raised from w.at thry
mad been on Wrue say, pUtwitS dndnx Tue iact that
the kets were apparently well socxrd with every
thing thai would tempt the appetite of even a epcure
Tne marketmen added as mutn as possible 10 tie ~
tractiye appearance Of the rosy beef AMI dccaeiy'
dressed poultry, aSInS to their stands ana on tue
articles gari and wreaths Of evcrg cen the som0tr
snades OF which hruught the beauties of the pro-
v,sious An independent air seemed 10 prvade
throughout the markets aud those purchasers VINO sd
nor ere TO give prices asked were ions rhed
with there others near at hinf reav " yeu 70
the demands made upon their putseS ana tue mtrkefs
hcrpv " ZOO fun waste much time on hagy'ers'
Around the outskirts Of the markets "tre ar unusual
nunbrr Of petdcrs OF oranges, lemons. & all expect
ing to do large trade In consequence Oi tlir goods
being In extra demand for the festive Gee sion. ine
sndden cold was rather source or pleasure 10 taen
than otherwise. they were enabled thereby 70 ASK
ami receive prccs III would have been he casa
had the night hcca warm and mleSy, tuer Tears VI
their stock pershns, II unsold, having Deen entirely
Il apnd