New-York tribune., 1879-12-21
THE psvEy M CHPTSTV4S

There is somewhat OF utfHtdrlan auu WOfh-t-udN
style about the shop windows of Broadway from
the Battery up to Fourteenthst. There are so many
of them never lighted up; so many which exhibit
only solemn, mechanical merchandise not too good
for human natures daily food saddles and hats
and drugs and medicines. tools, guns canes and the
latest things in smoking tobacco. There are gories
il is true of meerschaum pipes and OF foreign fruits
the chemists arc frequently prisrnatic; and there
is sort of border-land of faery, In
which the BARRIERS shops expensive ami
ornate ard the great hotels make an i'm
preston through their looped and windowed
frontage Here and there too. in lower Broadway
there is print Shop doing missionary work among
nonasthetic buyers aud sellers; book shop
with long lots of gilded bindings. the very luxury
of transcendent tOolng. Upon the sidewalks are
the extemporized emporiums-one low, long shelf Is
all the verge which these traders under the canopy
OF the sky can command-these. traffickers III
dingy photographs. dusty confectionery, cheap
music toy gymnasts and cough candy. There Is
enough to amuse, enough tn redeem from dulness
this side the square and there is on earth this
side of heaven. But we are coming now where the
Aaddins of the retail trade have lighted lamps more
magical than Edson's; where traffic takes on rain
bow hues where the goods CLEAN and glow and
FASH and soft and fiery colors answer each other
all over the magical display. Evidently the popu-
lation knows what pretty, and is here to confirm
and increase It's knowledge.
The lesson which philosopher would gather from
all this sparkling and spicy variety would be that
man (as well woman and child wants a great
deal here below. Wen. IL would he but duh
Christmas il the tree of Santa Claus bore but one
kind of fruit. II the htte yearn for rattles
they also pine for straws and we-why, our rattles
must be louder, and of many tones, and our straws
longer, and of many colors. The contented soul
makes free market, and lays in imperial supplies
wherever it goes Here is bit Of the celestial pave
ment behind the great. fawess sheet-it is almost
a sea of glass. They have caught the sun
rays and put them into the little prisons
diamond and ruby, emerald and amethyst-tbis
glorious array of corruscations. each in its worthy
rim of yellow gold These all ours. We who
gaze at the window may take possession without
fear of the policeman. They brought from
the bowels of the earth expressly for this hour and
for us. That might enjoy the luxury of this mo-
ment aud fill ourselves at this feast of the eyes,
the poor miner deved in California; the snpple
diver went down under the watersof the Persian
Gulf the swart negro pIashed and peered and pad
died in the Brazilian rvJrs. And here they are
ali for u.s. the mllonares of the moment the heirs
of an hour Dainty danes may have them. but it
will be after -us. They will sparkle In saloon and
boudoir but they sparkled first for MS in the street.
They will be hidden away in caskets and cloistered
in strong boxes. but just now they for all the
world. Look your fill. for that all their future
owner can do; and we going away presently to
fresh fields of the far aud fine. and to pastures
of presents. And good-by to the lapidarys
window-once we are gone. there will be nothing
left in it but secondhand merchandise.
Shall we take further view of possessions
But they too many for us; and what if We
should 20 mad, some have done, at such embar-
rassment of riches Shall we taper off from this
inebnety of the optic nerve by look at the solids
and sslbstantialsi 7 Here are the tools with which
some young carpenter will reconstruct his mammals
furniture and be chastised TO redness for his me-
chanical ingenuity Here the blocks with
which he will build a temple and then he will pull
1T down, the young Samson Agonistes! Here are
the bow and the arrow, which may prove fatal to
the eyes of the nursery maids tbe rocking horse
which shall balk the siesta of the irate lodger
the floor below Here is the bat and with it the ball.
which will 90 flying through some pats-glass win
dow Here the balloons, which will collapse and
melt into air, thin air. and very bad-smeling air at
that! Here-but nough of sights The shopmen are
turning off the gas the tired statesmen and sales
women are putting on their hats the curly heads
are pressing their pillows and dreaming of Christ
mas the enterprising proprietor is computing the
days profits the rich are wondering how they
shall spend their for gifts. and the poor how
they shall get money to spend for the same. Mean
while, merry Christmas comes on apaco Let M
tune our voices and train our hearts and hands TO
welcome IL Let us give the foEelock of Time
vigorous twist and be glad with something more
than punctuality!