The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-07
Correspondence Of the Olobe.l
WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Happy New Year.

The Happy Now Year
In Washington, rs elsewhere, New
Years day occurs every twelve months, and
with marked regularity on the first of Jan.
uary. 1t Is, the world over, a day of pc
culiar Institutions, and perhaps no where
more marked Ia its character than here,
where the monogramic insignlas of wealth,
culture, politics and diplomacy ore stamped
upon everything.
The day itself is peculiar. 1t comes fol.
lowing close upon the heels Of that other
day of glddncss. rs ii warmed to life by
the still smoking embers Of Christ Mass"
or, as II the seeds Of His commcmoraiion
had in one sbott week rpened into grand
outburst of social fellowship, happy greet
ing, aud heartfelt beuedlctlons tor the cir
Gle of months 10 comc-a day OF social ref
uge, beautifully appropriate as friendship
jubilee wherein old scores ARE buried in the
past, or to Use an aphorism, we rub out
and begun over" Standing in the waning
shadows Of "A and looking out upon the
sweet and bitter uncertainties OF the COM
ing year, how much easier 1t is to hide past
differences meath charty's mantle, and
what charming time to brush the dust and
cobwebs Of this hard, cold life of ours
from qualntanceships that ARE fading
In obscurity, AMI friendship dying
of inanlticn. In Washington life is short,
duties are apt to be pressing, but all Other
things are favorable to au extensive ac-
quaintanrr and many Of the most pleasant
are of that class whose precincts we never
find time to invade except upon This day.
The call is but moments length, warm
grasp of hands, word or two fitly spoken,
the adou, and the clock thus wound goes
ticking on another circuit around tue sun.
Short and meaningless AS these calls some
times are, at others they are sublime in
stants of heart and soul cOmmunioDs long
to be remembered, and too often in h,
eXigencies of time never 10 be rep,a'r.i
Who of lis can wander back ,hrou4 "a tn,
old year, amid the hrtlip Nr Of lIN aud
the graves Of ruined hopes aud moi feel til:
the beautiful soemnity of the AAypy
happy New Year
Those who made New Years calls IL
Washington this year noticed two marked
deviations from the general rule. One wa.
the weather which, being too good to bt
bad and too bad to be good was decided
y poor topic Of conversation. (This &C
| casioned much embarrassment TO stranded
conversationsis.) The morning was cleal
aud cold aud walking eXcellent-,a5 naked
frozen ground could be. Since the memory
OF man, this man, at least, New Years ha,
invariably been rainy, snowy, muddy Oh
ICY. By three O'clock, as if to sustain It's
reputation, few flakes were seen 10 fall
and by nine in the evening rain and see
had made the streets full difficult for the
return Of belated callers.
Another feature Of tho day was the un
accustomed absence oi spirit refreshment
1t the tables of public men as we'll az prl-
vatc residents. From the earliest civiliza.
ion Of which history treats wine hath ever
been the melting spirit, the auxiliary of dip.
lomacy at the court of kings aud republics
and yet, here at Washington, during tho
New Years FESTIVITIES, at the reception oil
our Prime Minister, Fish, VIGOROUSLY the
favored resort Of all diplomatic ducks ant
members Of foreign legations. Chocolate
| and coffee was served instead OF the accus
toned "tangle foot" Verify the world
moveth and some times a; least in III,
right direction.
Speaking OF diplomats, such an array d,
was presented at the mansion of the Sec.
rotary OF the navy. Whether the meicu
ralizng effect of salt water or something
else, these men of all nations, clad in mosl
gorgeous ,nsery and brandishing swords
that never saw blood but that of the grape
seem TO have fraternal utilization with the
navy. Al three o'clock we found the 70.
tund secretary shaken half To pieces, the
other half talked out and as he expressed
it, "entirely played out on the sofa, while
the crowd was coming aud going. Such is
the penalty Of being II public official,
Obliged to receive, instead of being per
mitled to make calls.
Speaker blaine gave no reception, which
in his case is supposed to have strong po-
itical significance. OF course the greater
number of calls made were unofficial aud
In private life many old customs predomi-
nate and in many instances wine is used
freely. The best evidence of temperance
reform is in the fact that fewer intoxicated
persons We're 10 Ice seen upon the streets
than usual.
The receptions of Mrs. Justice Clifford
aud Davis cf tile supreme court were
thronged throughout the day and until late
in the evening, and We might add the same
of many others, notably Secretary Delano
and Postmaster Jewell. Mrs. Senator
Morrill, of Vermont received great many
friends She was assisted by her sister,
Miss Swan and Mrs. Iendee of Vermont,
and the few moments spent there were
strongly suggestive OF Green Mountain hos
FATALITIES
But time flies and we shall have to leave
much of New Year incidents to glide into
the unwrltcn past, while We take up the
staff and travel on. l.. w.K.
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vcrinonters ia the Massachusetts
Legislature.