New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-26
ny vTRGrsIA bLoJkeR THOMAS.


ia the forenoon Vi uay .90G. i score OF
wears ago, the handsome mahogany door OF
Substantial and elegantly constructed
ho0se standing upon one ut the principal
streets of the then prosperous city OF
New Orleans, swung slowly open. revealing
.Tst the sleek and c9mely face Of 4 negro
man servant, who, casting a single super
aaious aud Indifferent glance 20 the outer
world, then drew respectfully as.de, and
With polite bow gave egress 20 lady.
who, though past the summer Of lie. was
Of fair and noble presence
Mrs. Stanford Was tue mistress of tie
spacious mansion upon whose granite steps
she paused moment. and tie costly
though subdued richness Of her attire was
n keeping with her home. the luxury Of
which was justified by the large means her
husband had acquired during many years
of successful mercantile transactions.
The stepping stone upon the edge of the
sidewalk, and the poLderous pO5ie cocIere
which still remained closed, appeared TO
suggest that the lady tarred for the sump
tuous equippage which usually awaited her
pleasure, but after a somewhat meditative
survey of the street, which presented an
air of unusual hustle, she passed down and
proceeded at a SLOW pace On fOo., TO the
place OF her destination.
The day was not cold OF the contrary,
the temperature was unexpectedly ana
somewhat uncolufortably high for the sea.
son Of the year, willie sombre, murky
clouds yelled the sky, and disagreeable
c!ammiuess pervaded the atmosphere, all
Of which, however, failed TO check tie ex-
h!biticn of universal nilarity.
From the oddly mingled sights and
sounds it would haze ueen di1hcult TO decide
what was the particular interest which mark
sd the day, though that it was holiday was
too Enthusiastically written upon every face
for it to be doubted. Evidences of good
cheer were met Oh ali sides. The grocer's
and wine merchants aad contectioner's
wagons ratt!ed through the streets laden
with parcels and hampers, which their
drivers hastily RENTED a. alley gates;
stout men bent beneath huge baskets stored
with noble siroiEs, plump poultry and
lated turkeys peepiIg cut from their accom-
paniments OF crisp lettuces and blanched
celery stalks, balanced perhaps by some
dozens OF golden oranges, lying comforta-
bly, cheek to cheek with crimson streaked
Juicy apples; laDOring women trotted stur-
dly along, lifting at intervals the corner of
the well worn shawls with which they
screened their purchases, TO give a glance
of satisfaction and be assured of the safety
Of the festive viands, which caused the day
TO be remembered from season to season by
the little noisy, unkempt oroods tumbling
round their humble hearths, as the blissful
time when they had full and plenty of pud.
ding, with raisins and butter sauce, and
even the poor beggars, who wandered from
door to door, as they extended their enact.
ated hands and Inurmured their piteous
stories of unkind fortune, were made to |
share in the general abundance and to re. |
ioice in the muniticence Of their aims.
Upon numerous doorsteps children were |
clustered, laden with toys. greeting each |
other with shrill cries anu EXPLANATIONS of |
delight, while from time TO time they added |
to the pleasing hubbub by exhibiting their
various skill upon the whistles, flies and |
drums, of which they found themselves the
happy possessors. Not unfrequently mes.
senger, jangling hurriedly at doorbell,
handed in amysterious package, most elab
orately and carefully directed, to which,
with singular carelessness. the sender had
neglected to affix his ewn name; or else sent
up bunch OF flowers TO the young daugh-
ter of the house, who needed no other clue
to the don0r-as she rested her blushing
cheek upOn them, Or pressed her fresh lips
to the fragrant gift-thaa the rich spicy
breath of the hyacinth bells, or the cool
and dewy scent Of the emDalmed violets.
Passing slowly through the streets, Mrs.
Stanford, with the ebservant eye of one
who gives to those things so often cast aside
as triiles their proper value in the sum of
life, failed not to note these Manifestations
of the benign influence of this particular
day; and at last, when peals of glad clamor
burst forth from each belfry and church
steeple throughout the length and breadth
of the city, prOclaiming it was the Christmas
time. they seemed to her imagination to
find words, and uniting their varitoned
streams of sound into mighty whole, it
cried aloud TO the world: "Rejoice and be
- On th.a lay J1s5g GIN vas born
- tie remission RI sia.r Come up, ooIne |
: Com, core ur-o 10 LQase o. Coo, .aa
bow down in alteration"
As Mrs. Stanford thus slowly wended her
way to the church of which she was a CON-
municant, sbe had occasion 10 pass the
abodes of wealth, the homes of frugal indie
pendence, and the novels of the destitute;
oftentimes the two extremes standing side
by side, in the startling contrast not un-
common in large cities. While crossing the
mouth Of dark and noisome alley which
debouched upon the street, and which her
frequent missions of charity had learned her
was teeming with humanity suffering all
the evils of ignorance, poverty and vice, a