New-York tribune., 1877-01-02
THE DAY AFTER.

Yesterday the old holiday, which seems
always to have been kept by all nations adj
vanccd enough to possess almanacs, held its
own tolcIaby well in this city, III which it has
been 80 long honOrably observed In many of
the churches prayers were oEtred; Ill the
quarters devoted to commerce, devotion ceased
for the day; nobody WORKED who was not
Obliged to-; and so. with ,ca ~ able amount
of festiyity, of thcatcrgoir f dancing,
and of drinking, the Fi,si = January,
1877, wore away. TrdD dull SKY,
the flags of all Ia 'aprd lazily
over the City He'll cntcrpn'lng
person who all SIrd dpon the cupola
took a rest upon L Inside there was
some modification ncicnt customs; his
Honor did not receive is fcow-citlzens as in
former years; but municipal recognition and
refreshments were not wanting III the yencTa-
bic edlice. There were some free bars as
formerly, but the absurd habit Of giving away
drinks on such occasion is gradually dlsap-
nearing, whereby the emolument of the land
lord is promoted, if not the sobriety of the
customers. Good wishes everywhere flew about
merrlly, and gifts, which are somewhat more
substantial, were dispensed.
There are people old enough to believe that
there can be no lit Observance OF New Years
Day without at least a hundred "calls" upon
the ladies, after the old KmckerbOcker man
ner; and III a fashion somewhat more mod
crate the custom holds its own. Still
good many families yesterday did not
"receiyen at all. The doors did not fly
open; the bouneous board groaning under
boned turkey and oysters, with potables to
IL a Ii.cl,S hnt Ia
official basket was suspended at the vestibule
ready to receive cards, the perfect flower of
artificial social intercourse, to be accepted
as sufficient evidence of love, good will,
good neighborhood, and civil remembrance.
But the day was very bright, the streets were
everywhere tlronged with crowds of callers.
and the fashionable avenues were almost
blocked with the array of sleighs and carriages
to be seen before every well-known door.
The holiday is now almost universally marked
by an entire suspension of the business of buy
ing and selling; and many shops are closed
which we should naturally expect to find open
for the sale of articles suitable for gifts. 1t is
curious to notice how glad the average American,
who has been charged with an al-absOrbing dev0-
ton to mOney-making, is to put up his shutters
and devote week kday to doing nothing.
There are many more of these little vacations
now than there were twenty years ago. There
il some grumblng at this among old fashioned
merchants; but holiday once established is
never restored to its old secularty. We have
now New Years Day, Washington's Birthday,
Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas
Day. not to mention Good Friday and other
religious anniversaries.
The day after New Years Day is not ex-
actly Il holiday. but it has its prculiuritics. In
the old Fifth Ward Hotel, and i'll the bar
room crowded with curiostio', there used to
hang in his cage Il foreign bird of rare mock
ing abilities. This queer fowl made many
speeches, and among them this: GIVE US
your hand! How arc yOuH Headache this
"monng Bottle of Congress water" which,
sngularly enough, was often the refreshing
fluid which many of the company would 1T the
moment be calling for. We hope no bird
of i'll omen, like poor POe's Raven
will this morning look down upon
the reader as he makes his slow toilet
and hoarscy suggest Congress water" or
Z" Heck and soda water" or some more potent
refresher but should the ornlthoogical specter
and the prescription come together, we can