The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-01-16
LgTTE2 FROM ENGLAND.
LONDON, Eng, Dec. so, 1879.

Eyl pliun uurhhtes as tuey lOUktu out
upon the bright moonlight OH Christ
mas eve, and with glad hearts they pre-
pared to make the most of the merriest
day in all the English year. For weeks
tue venders of huge loads of holly and
misiletoe and ivy had helped to make
cheerful the front parlors of almost
every home In London, and no one was
so poor as not to carry a sprig of green
in hat or button hole. Those venera-
BILE auxiliaries of the Christmas feast =
roast beef and plum pudding were
temptingly displayed in the restaurant
windows and were to be found at every
household shrine, and In all respects
the day bid fair to be the iolliest on
record. But alasl that evil genius of
London--the fog-slowly threw its
dark, cold shroud over the great CITY,
yelling palace, steeple and hovel In an
impenetrable mantle. At noon on
Christmas day, gas was burning
throughout the city as if it were mid
night. In the streets reigued the silence
of "the city of the dead" Only at
times could the disconsolatc stragglcr
catch view of the houses on the oppo-
site side of the street, and the huge
mass of st. Paul's was not visible forty
ieet from the west end. A thick, slip
perry slime coated the pavements, and
The staggering wanderer could only
discover his near vicinity to an omni-
bus (Which vehicles were few and far
betweeD by the muffled thud of the
horses hoofs, and the sudden looming
up of a gigantic shadow within a few
feet of him. Black aud dismal, the
Thames swept under London Bridge
with hoarse murmur, and the barges
and steamships, dimly perceptible,
foated like ante diluvian monsters
which had suddenly appeared on the
stage of action with the most sanguina-
ry designs. As the day proceeded,
darker and darker became the gloom.
1t penetrated every barricade-the door,
the window, and even the heart. Grand
as were the services of song and preach
ing in all the cathedrals and chapels
throughout the city, few ventured to
trust themselves out of doors even II
they were awake In time. "Never such
a Christmas day in the remembrance of
this generation" was the consolatory
grumhle of all. Happy the mortal who
had cheerful home on such a day.
AS you walked down through the lower
and poorer parts of The city and saw the
pitiful scenes of want and desolation on
every side, you were almost inclined to
murmur at Providence that had taken
the one day of cheer in all the year
which came to the poor wretches.
Shiverimg In dark corners, or lowering
over the feeble fire, which only render
ed their miserable condition more man.
itest, Or stealing through the gloom to
neighboring gin-shop to drown their
cares in the "foaming cups" the sight
was one to b ing tear to the eye and a
strange, sitting sensation to the throat.
But ii Christmas was gloomy, the day
f,llowing-the bank holiday, called
choking day" from the ancient custom
Of presenting Christmas boxes to pub.
tic servants Of all descriptions, postmen,
dustmen, ETC., etc.-made some amends.
The fog of the morning cleared aWa ay
and soon the streets and excursion
trains in all directions were crowded
with eager pleasure seekers. Magnif.
cent entertainments at the Crystal Pal.
ace, Alexandra Palace, South Kensing.
ton Museum, ETC., were successful
temptations thousands. 1t was the
workingmen's great annual holiday
The shops were all closed as on the pre-
ceding day, with the exception of those
which helped to supply honest John
Bull with those necessary accompani-
nents of his pleasure, viz, restaurants
tobacco and beer saloons. Under the
stimulus thus obtained, every one help
ed to make the streets as picturesque
as possible. AS the day proceeded
things gradually became more exciting
As strolled down Oxford street in the
afternoon, now and then an omnibu.
rolled By with trio of "Bob Sawyers'
on the top waving their hats In the all
| and shouting forth Justify the fragment
of song which neither they or thei
hearers quite understood. Again |
"hansom" appeared, whose occupant
were quite too oblivious to the outward
world to be trusted in a more publi
vehicle, and whose rapturous senti
ments were quite too vehement for tn
safety of the windows. A little furthe
on there issued forth from one of tn
numerous dark alleys band of younI
women Of the lowest class, bare heade,
aud red faced, shouting at the top O
their voices all endless medley of song
not of the most refined character
AS they shuffied arm in arm down tn
street, every one stopped to smile 0
their eccontricities, while their com
rades of the opposite sex danced il
before them. A little further along
you looked down side street, yo
would see crowd In front of gin-sho
where two or three couples were waltz
ing TO the music of hand organ, muc
to the amusement OF their audienc,
Standing on London bridge you coul
hear troop Of sailors making merry
the distance as they danced with the
"sweet little Buttercups" ON the qua
terdeck. Christmas-day furnishes 50
sights indeed to friend Of Temperance
No one is arrested unless he becom,
|, quarrelsome, and the police stop al
smile at what on other days would [
accounted very disorderly conduc
In the evening there was gener
rush to the theatres. Great pains Ina
, been taken with the pantomines and Il
programme was large and comple
) enough TO satisfy the most fastidiol
taste. The approaches to the "Covel
Garden" and the "Drury Lane" the
tres were literally packed hours befoI
the doors were opened. And the sau
!, was true of every place of public enie
tainment in the city. At Covent Ga
den "Sinbad the Sailor" was brougl
out before an immense lhrong aud W,
so popular that 1t will run many week
!, At the Drury Lane the venerab
5 : "Blue- Beard" lived again his eventt
career while at the Gaiety. "Tl
Travels of Doctor Lemuel Gullivel
drew forth unrestrained mirth Of tho
: sands. On the whole, "Boxing nigh
i was the great success of the holidays.
=, The last Sunday night of 1879 chror
u cles one of the saddest railway &C,
dents OH record. AS the evening ira
from Edinburgh was crossing the II
bridge near Dundee, a terrific gale d
molisbed a portion of the bridge al
swept the train into the river with tv
hundred souls aboard. II Is uncerta
al this present writing whether any {
j. capped alive. The mail bags were was
Il. a. k.r.