St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-12-29
Our New York Letter.

YULE-LOG AND MISTLETOE-CHRISTMA
THOUGHTS AND sCENES-LARGE ART
SALE BROOKLYN AID FIRE-PROOF
SCENERY-A FALSE ALARM-HARLEM
LANE AND ITS LLUsTRIOUs JOCKEYS.
To the Editor Of the CdiedOnidn
NEW YORK, Dec. %, 1876.
And now at last the GROWING festival
of this year of Jubilee is upon us. Be
fore this letter sees the light in yOuI
columns, Christmas will he already
passed by-Christmas that commemo-
rates the grandest event i'll history.
Christmas of carols and praising, Christ
mas of peace and good will, the day OF
st. Nicholas and KRIS kringle, of Yule
log and miStletoe, of waSSail and shin
ing holly the day of whose celebration
the world will never tire the day of
good cheer on the table and good cheer
in the heart of colnucopias and tinscl.
and shining childrcn's faces, and trees
hlossoming with fire the day above all
others sacred to sweet Charity.
The season of preparation for the
great holiday is short one, in New
York at least. shopping commences
about ten days beforehand, rather Ian
guidly at first, but growing i'll volume
and earneStneSs till the last day or two,
when the belatcd buyers in one mad
general rush fairly sack the glittering
STOKES. Then the position of salesman
]
hardly an enviahle one. From opening
to closing, IN eager, solid and largely
feminine mass push and struggle through
the establishment. fighting and >cram
bling for places at the counters which
it often takes half an hour to reach.
only to hc crushed nearly to death when
the desired point is attained. No Won
der Il wild look eventually comes into
the eyes of the he>icgcd men and women
behind the counters, and that their
answers to the invading army get rath
er curt toward evening.
But then its Christmas time. and no
one takes any otfcnsc, such il the mol
Living effect on the temper, of doing
something to make others happy. 1t
is the one time of the wear when not
even the most foppiSh ari>t"crat is
ashamed to he seen carrying Il bundle.
the one time when the Surly. ohliViouS
company of strangers that man the mp
ward- bound horse ear at evening glance
at each other over armtul> of suspicious
looking parcels. III d smiles broad smiles
of conscious brotherhood. actually
believe from ocular experience. that on
Christmas eve the most confirmed old
grumbler on Manhattan Island would
stand up in one OF these uIISocial CON
NeNanccS from the Battery to Central
Park with the handle of somebody : toy
cart pokcd into his ribs. the CLAWS of Il
Christmas turkey resting peacefully on
his shoulder. and some fond fathers
rocking hoI>e resting between his legs
and never growl IL growl. Purses
. open at this time that stay shut tighter
than an oyster the rest of the wear. toI
: the Star in the East draws up the bump
. of bcncvolencc as the moon does the
ocean. So its good day. and wish
your readers II Merry Christmas and
much joy of it.
, The holiday display in the hazar> this
z year Is gayer than ever. There Is an
| endless assortment in toys for children
The mechanical ones. costly a> they
are, improve each season. These rep
!. resented all humanity. of whatever age.
| sex OF nationality. Cinnamon. in pig
:. tails. bend over the wa>h-tuh or ironing
table; fat, indolrnt looking negroes. il
: gay handannaS, toll with the broom aud
l Scruhbing brush French maids. Will
t conventional cap and apron, mind tn,
children, while yrandmaS. in silk bro
p, cadeS, take il promenade with mamma.
i'll more youthful array, and SO on lad
u intinitum.'
= The show windows are, of course
: gorgeous beyond all the rest of til,
stores. In most of them Santa Claus
SNOW covered, white bearded and jolly
with Il small Christmas tree in his han,
OF growing ont of his nose OF head
: stands guard over an aIlay fit to driv,
all the children to distraction with adj
$ mirati"n and longing. y tavorite sub
= set for such decoration is some Cour
Il scene oI house interior, the dTdmdti
:. personde being dolls of all sizes and ages
4. dressed in the height of style and ar
g ranged i'll entirely natural attitudes
il Other windows have tracks set and pre-
II poSterouS little engines actuated 10y
IT, springs scuttling around the circle to
j. dear life, dragging still smaller ears
j. from whose windows stare continual
V the painted faces of very erect and very
:. self satisfied passengers. Others still
:. contain Il water tank in which swim
% mechanical geese. occasionally run dOwi
- 10y Il boat propelled by the oars of tw,
II jerky little collegiate mannikinS. or h.,
e.. steam with zeal boilers heated by Spiri
+ lamps. Inside, Noah's Ark maintains it
d perennial popularity, and the improb
IT able elephant and stiff .jointed tiger gaz,
l. blandly on all corners with the contiden
l. assurance of old aud favored friends
N Owing to recent financial reverses til,
n largest private collection of painting
Is in. America has been brought to thu
> auction block this week. This CALLER,
IL was the property of Mr.. John Taylo
Al jersey Central Railroad. the stock q
+. which took il tumble last autumn from
,r 100 to less than 40, in consequence u
,e the breaking of the coal ring which
=. noticed at the time of its occurrence
is The sale has thus far occupied tw
,e evenings, and realized for the owne
!. S3lS 900. All the " orks sold have bee
st oil paintings, the water cOlors being re
II served for il separate sale. Some pic
Is lures brought prices which are prett
large for America, and all average,
about 81 800 apiece. The figures plac
ed on these canvaseS we've totally dis
proportionate to their apparent values
the reputation of the artist being ap
III parently the sole criterion
V. One little picture by Messonnier G
e Paris, hardly more than foot squar
j. brought 81 900, and Turner's '.Slav
of Ship" il canvas that looks as though