The New York herald., 1875-12-26

remained open iii the afternoon by eleven O'CLOCK
comparative silence prevailed ia the usually busy
In Fulton Centre and other markets the scenea
CHRISTMAS AMONG THE GERMANS.
The Germans have transformed Christmas Day
into chldren's and family celebration. Its
brilliant attributes and presentation OF holiday glts
are the charming features There is hardly house
hold which Is not provided with a Christmas tree.
While Christmas Is generally celebrated In thu
secluson OF the family CIRCLE Christmas Day Is gen.
orally observed in public manner.
by an exchange OF visits and recep-
tions The German places Of amusement
profusely decorated AT most OF them musical
and vocal performances bad boon provided and the
made special arrangements for tho entertain
ment Of their members The New Yorker
a the Sermania Assembly Rooms last night The hall
was astefuy decorated, and q Christmas tree deco
rated with toys for the children and presents for tho
ladies Of tho principal features The affair
wound up by ball
The entertainments provided by the other German
societies similar In character and the German
residents or Now York enjoyed themselves in their
usual way.
-, r,,,r, -
IN THE STREETS CARS AND FER
RIES.
The sloppy condition tho streets and the rain fall
ing at intervals throughous the day. rendered pedes
trianism Incompatible with comfort and consequently
caused tho sidewalks 10 DO almost deserted at times
AS early nvo O'Clock in the morning however, the
vicinity OF tho Catholic churches alive with wor-
shippers, trudgng In the dark through the mud TO
attend tho early mass and which celebrated at that
hour. Daylight brought out the representative city
boy small force, but powerful for noise. aided by tin
horns loft by Santa Claus ln suspended stockings. As
the day into the forenoon there i'm
provement In the weather. but the services at tho
thronged within their welcoming doors Those who
out OF DOORS however, all had positive object in
There to be none Of the gaily dressed
and merry crowds OF chattering and idly stroling
pleasure seekers that usually throng
holiday occasions Whom it not actually raining
heavy mist hung over the city and exerted
which required all the elastic tendency OF tho
merry day 10 overcome Perhaps this
thai caused SO many drunken men 10 DO seen on the
East side. Starting out TO have Merry Christmas "
they too frequently INDUCED in potent batons to
drown the soporao effect OF the weather and having
gone too far many or them will find themselves thia
morning in the presence Of Justice Bixby the Tombs
Christmas apart from its religious character,
TALLY eating day well occasion Of making
and receiving gis love tokens, and Unusually is too
general visiting day. Yesterday, however, seemed 20
be exception TO this latter phase Of Christmas life.
Scarcely any ladies 10 be abroad after tho
hour OF returning from the churches and the street
were hardly well patronSed as ordinary week
days. The ferries were almost deserted. Each boat
from Brooklyn and Jersey City brought, rule, only
O struggling half score Of men, muified and gooshed,
who proved inspection, to be- for the most part,
newspaper employees their way to their daily work.
Central Park, the Mecca OF our holiday making
masses OF the working class, might have beon
taken by stranger who wandered through
its abandoned walks and drives for some
secluded private demesnc, thousand milea
away from the teeming metropolis The commons,
which usually present such gay appearance Sun
days and holidays, frightened with gay colored
tunes and huttering ribbons and merry chatter Of
thousands OF children and lady visitors, relegated
to silence and solitude The trees stretched their
limbs brown and bare the walks, which de-
serted, that hero and thoro some miserable
''dining with Duke Humphrey with folded arms and
head bowed down, stroed mournfully along oblivous
Of the drenching drops that fell upon him from the
dripping Doughs overhead
Among the tenement houses the day celebrated
with comparatively more enthusiasm than in the
''brown stone fronts tho avenue.n Every family
absolutely and hopeessly impoverished had II not
turkey other fowl at least piece Of roast beef for
its Christmas dinner, and in many there will bo
pnchng and saving all the rest OF the to make
up for the extravaganza OF that festive meal Many of
the apartments especially the side, taste
fully decorated with evergreens, which were carried
about the streets by peders and sold for song There
glut OF green stu6'' In the market, and tho
large dealers sold 1t pedlers for little than tho
cartage The Of decoration being thus within
easy reach many q room was gayly decorated whose
Inmates knew not where to-days breakfast is TO come