The New York herald., 1876-12-26

and msfortunes and ate with zcst and thank kfulness
/ the good things which had been proviicd Tor them by
the thoughtuiness o the Commissioners and the care
oi their Warden Those whose disabilities were such
that they could not 60 10 the general tables were not
lett uncared ior but served In their respective wards
rnE woRKHousE.
In the Workhouse, which is mainly filed with the
most abandoned women who sent to the Island,
the Christmas dinner OF turkeys and chickens was
served about one O'Clock. Warden Alairc had taken
care that there should De ample provisions provided
for tho 900 inmates and the correctional influence Of
good living was exerted II Is TO he hoped with bene
ncal ELECTS Some little degree of taste had been
shown ia tho decoration OF the chapel and tho Work
house by the women, and the refining influence OF
religion was also brought TO bear upon these unior-
tunate creatures
UyKxPLoygn
Al a season when every body with any resources for
happiness avails himself OF them 10 ieel IN harmony
with the general cheer which the is by common
consent supposed 10 bring with it. aretrospoct Of the
workingmcn's condition in this city for tho past four
or 1ve months would show how difficult II must havo
hcen for these men to enter into the spirit OF time
which means universal good Will and rejoicing Tho
long weary months OF idleness which the workingmen
endured have not been calculated to inspire feelings OF
the kndlest sort In minds beginning think the pros
pcct Tor the winter desperate IL may be easily
imagined, then, how, as the Christmas approached,
these men looked upon 1t only season when would
moro iorcibly come home 10 thcm the poverty from
which themselves and their families suffering ana
which, so far as they could See was becoming more
and more severe as each week passed by.
1t was fortunate That the day brisk and pleasant,
as the nnc weather rccvcd the poor OF many Of the
pangs they would otherwise have mad to bear AS it
was, heaven only knows how many hundreds and prob
ably thousands OF families were suffering yesterday
from want oil fuel In cold and chcercss rooms there
could be icstivity ana the poor wandercr the
streets could not escape from the terrible load
preston which his position necessarily forced upon
| him. That there were numbers oil homeless pa
rading the streets yesterday. cold. hungry ana mser
able, was apparent The prisoner In his cell was
Infinitely better of than these idle men trying
| TO live somehow or anyhow until a better lime
| comes. Among The families oil the unemployed
Christmas must have been for the major
y of them very comfortlcss day. Tna.
the pleasant home associations which go to make up
even among Tho hnmblest classes merry time, rs
manifest from all the facts which have come 10 light
during the past lew weeks For The l00.0 600 children
OF the idle mechanics there was no Christmas JOY
chc OF any sort. The reflections occasioned by the
hard times could not but havo made those families
wrctched throughout the day. II IS TACT that Christ
mas for the great majority oi the idle work ngmcn
day OF hearlsores and saddening surroundings These
people have sold or Pawncd everything they that
OF the comforts OF home, bright with hope and plenty.
IL was the drcaricst day for them ali Tie year. the
contrast ing each particular want all the
1t is expected that much OF the distress which has
been famshing the poor Tor weeks past Will next
month DO partially relieved II IS said that the Board
OF Apportionmen has ut the present time control Of
quite large amount oi money received from fines
dor the Excise law which will be distributed among tho
poor. This sum will be given the different chari-
table societies IN the city accordance with rules
established IN former years. and II Is the only money
upon which the distressed count with any degree OF
certainty TO lido them over the winter months
Tho societies which Will secure this money
will also become tho distributors Of tho
coal which the Commissioners oil Charities and Cor
rection have already made arrangements to purchase
, IN January Early next month, thon. the poverty
stricken will be much better relieved Than they have
been far this winter Those who ought to know
most roative TO the condition OF the poor IN The CITY
| OF men unemployed viii render 1t absolute
necessity to call in the aid Of the wealthy tho
son advances They say that this winter being ex-
| ceptonal one for the working classes the ordinary
charity will not be sufficient to meet the distress
which exists Next week, also. The leaders OF tho
| workngmen propose submitting to the pubic state
ment of tho condition OF the and how best relief
can be afforded in this crisis
CHRISTMAS poNovAS's LANE.
At no time Is tho truth OF the adage, One.h tho
world know not how the other half lives" pal.
pablo than during the Christmas holidays. and to
mono is It forcibly brought home than
| to the man whose duty brings him
in contact with society in all its phascs
The engaged upon the daily press, thrown as he
is into communion with tho highest and lowest oI
Gods creatures, has Of observation accorded
only to his privileged craft In his Christmas "de-
ail' he has the occupants Of the Homo for tho
| Aged made joyful at an expense which
a days .'shopping; he has soon the unknown
founding happy with It's single, cheap toy, and full o
gratitude 10 me unknown santa Claus; nc mas seen
ireghtcd Christmas tree, brilliant with a hun
drcd tapers and rich with eclectic gifts from
the hamper of the fabcd old man, and
ho has seen, down where poverty shrinks
to hide ITSELF neglected BY the world, gloom and sad.
| limos to Sleep be repeated OF Santa Claus
| He. like the world, his ready visit pays
| Where Fortune smiles. The wrctched he forsnkes.
The fortunate thousands, drowsy In the Rasronomc
felicity OF roast turkey and plum pudding never
| dreamed yesterday, as they made merry in comfort
and plenty that within tho sound OF the same church
1 hell red undr and
| young II would be useless to select any party
among the thousand fortuna,os for descrip-
ton upon such occasion Christmas
for each was in itself sufficient ITSELF and zach had
that element OF bomc" that made it unlike all Others
The bright and happy rccolections Of the day may DO
selected fancy dictates, but there Is phase OF
| Christmas that may serve TO make permanent those
| treasures Of memory aud heghtcn by contrast tho
| pleasure they first gave
In Donovan's lanc famous story and record as tho
abode OF poverty romantic and prosy Christmas
came and went, undgnifcd by visit from Santa
Claus Here, the wrechcd rag pickor, the jadcd
organ grinder and tho dreamy opiun-posoncd Celcs
tal find common home, the dainty myth stopped not
| to blcss True, many hearth OF mistaken faith
looked back to the grand event commem
brilliant and uncnding promise. Many more without
tho light OF faith felt keenly the discrimination made
| against them in the distribution OF blessings and
| grumbed loudly or sought oblivion in the cup More
than house visited by the writer IN the wretched
quarters tho Five Points had added to its travail
| the modification OF drunken master. In some OF
the novels visited there evidence Of taste bc-
yond tho field ofits display, and many humble effort
was successful In impartng to rooms homc-like
and CHEEKY appearance In a the Nth floor
| OF a wrctchcd tenement In Donovan's lane HERALD
reporter found woman happy IN the company OF her
four little ones, sitting close to the fra The
had in her hand linen mounted copy OF the history
OF Mother Goose and was reading the wonderful tale
to tho delighted young folks when tine reporter
entered. Upon n table In the middle Of the room was
httle very little, tree, scaniy, very scansiy dec
grated. Tho little ones and the woman happy
though they had been The recipients of the saints
best and choicest gifts. Into the next
this little party the reporter was conducted
4
occupant Of the room was dark-faced Italian who
before a table which n tallow candle, stuck In
tho neck OF bottle, threw fant uncertain light.
The was eating crust Of bread and the party
enterod unbiddcn he stopped in his frugal
meal, but recognizing the familiar face OF the
detective he went with his eating.
In OF the room stood hand organ, and IL
perched lean cadavorous monkey. Tho detective
called him by name, and he opened his eyes for n
mont and then resumed his dream OF the land where
there are no pennies and no cruel mastera