The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-01
BROOKLYN LETTER.

Christmas i'm the City Of Churches
The Holiday. Season from n E1nan.
cial Observation-Disclosures Enjoy.
ment ard Public and Private Be
neyOlence-NIiss ThRrsby's Fare.
well Concert I'm the Church Of Her
Childhood. .g
Special Correspondence of the Star.
. BROOKLYN, N. Y, Dec. 20.
Considering the universality with
which Christmas is celebrated in this
broad land of ours, to select it as theme
may at the first blush seem like a piece
of triteness scarcely commendable in view
Of the fact that before this letter appears
in print the winter holidays will be about
over, And yet there is alwaysdominant
in the human breast a. curiosity to learn
what others do upon occasions similar to
those in which we ourselves figure, and
this curiosity I. am in duty bound to
recognize and;'if possible, to crafty.
And in the first place l know OF no
holiday season since the war when SO
much shopping has been done as was
done this season. Indeed, it requires no
assurances from shop-keepers to con-
vince me of the fact. Take, for instance,
such great bazars as Loeser &. Co.'s and
Ovington Brothers, in this city, and
Macy's, Ridley's, and Tifany's, in New
York, and have no doubt that thou
ands of dollars change hands over, their
counters every day of the week preced-
ing Christmas. In three at least of the
stores mentioned the crowd was so dense
from 10 o'clock a. m. until after sun
down, that moving about in them was at
tended with great personal Inconvenience,
but it was an inconvenience that every one
bore with smiling countenance, being
bent upon generous errands, and, there
fore, being spiritually proof against an
noyances, petty and great. And what
was going on in these huge shops was be-
ing repeated in degree in every shop in
the two cities. Remarked prominent
Broadway, New York, jeweler to me to-
day, "This has been the best season we
have had for years, and, what is more,
we regard it as the sign of better times
and coming prosperity" And so says
eyerv prominent merchant in New York
But l am depressing somewhat. Christ
mas was dismal day. A rainy day had
preceded it, and all Christmas the cold
rain fell in great sheets, until toward
nightfall, when hail, followed by snow
gave variety to the dismalness. The sur
went down behind clouds, but the damp
snow had ceased falling, and peo
pie began to look forward tc
: something like decent evening, when
: suddenly it began showing again, and
continued showing until the streets wert
two or three inches deep in white. Aftel
all, Christmas is a fireside festival, anc
: 80 wind and rain, sleet and snow coult
, not mar the occasion. There was jo,
within, howled the tempest ever 50 loud
ly without.
8 In another aspect beside the domestic
. the day was a success. / refer to tn
! celebrations in the various charitable in
!. stitutions, public as we'll as private, ant
8 in the County Penitentiary and Jail.
e find no less than ten of these institution
D mentioned in the daily papers as having
4 duly observed the day, while there nigh
: be enumerated as many more where tn
inmates also had their turkey and Gran
berry sauce. not to mention keepsakes O
various kinds. Sometimes, when hea
public orators proclaiming this as tn
age of science, / feel like adding, "an'
also the age OF humanity-brotherl
love-" On Thanksgiving I CHANGED t
! drop into the Penitentiary in. time t
listen to volunteer concert given b.
: : artists for the entertainment of the eigh
! : hundred inmates and never shall fol
get the sight l there witnessed.
, There could not have been a more ar
preciative audience than those pool
misguided creatures, sitting in rows tina
stretches far back from the platform, an
!, the tears that glistened on many cheek
J when a violinist played "Home, Swee
Home" revealed depths of tenderness
too often overlooked in dealing with on
4 criminal classes. And so Christmas ha
: its message of encouragement for tn
prisoners, of love for the orphan, Q
, sympathy and good cheer for the sic
!, and MANNED, and of remembrance fo
the aged and outcast. While Brookly
took care of its delightful homes, it di
I not overlook the unfortunate, and thu
! though the elements ragged and the street
:. were dismal, truly Christian joy all
! peace reigned throughout the great city
y Some weeks ago l referred to the Ell
: pected arrival of Miss Emma Thursby
= the famous concert and oratorio soprano
! but from a dislike to harp upon on
\ string, and for the reason that / ha
e other matter to write about, did nc
J refer subsequently to her appearance i
concert. But last Monday evening sh
I appeared in her farewell concert for tn
= season in this city at the church of he
= girlhood, Rev. DR.. Porter's, and as th
occasion was her last public performanc
in the East before setting her face "Wes