New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-26
MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS.
GENERAL FEATURES OF THE HOLIDAY.


its disting nguisbing characteristics. There we're no
magic pictures defty drawn by Jack Frosts invisl-
bic hand upon the window pancs; no slegh-bells
sent their silvery music through eager air; no
skaters mado merry the ice: no snowballs flew
about and no snOw-houses or snow men reared their
strange fantastic shapes. Many little one won
dered how Santa Claus, or Kris krlngle or 81 Nch-
oas the is the only respectable gentleman who
indulQes in 10 many aliases managed To get about
with his reindeer and sled. But get about he did,
and that right bpskly. Stockings were hung mp IN
countless numbers, and bright young eyes wero
opened early in the morning TO see what was IN
them. Before noontimc children were rushing
about the streets searching out their companions
and showing them tho wonderful things that Santa
Claus had brought Tho balmy air like that
of an early april day. and tue birds sang Christ
mas carols in every park in the city. In Central Park
crowds of people enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and
made Christmas seem almost like May festival
Through all tho walks poured stream OF fathers
and mothers with their happy children laden WIN
candies and oranges at their sides. The ANIMALS Ia
the Park had the greatest picnic OF their lives for
the children, oyerllowIng with good things, did
not object to feeding the monkeys on
nuts and raisins, the birds on cake, ana tho
hyenas wolves, tigers. keepers and otner ANIMALS.
on whatever they would take. One benevolent
taffy; but the lorlly beast ould not have IT, Tho
baboon seemed to like co,oanu, cako pretty well;
but he went and hid his head when he saw how
many kisses" mlrmozst got and hog the Wild
cat took to ladies fingers young man. with
hat one size too small for him, inquired Al ih'y h'd
any green seals among the other animals aAd on
learning that there were none went away looking AZ
If it were only a common bne Monday and ho5
Christmas at all.
In Fifth ave. there were crowds of persons gong
10 and from the churches. number of persons
went to as many churches as possible IN order 70
hear a. much good music as they cou.d IN Que day.
Windows all over town were decorated Win
Christmas wreaths of bright green. stores
were all closed and the city put on lts
usual holiday appearance. Down town any
person who did not know it was Christmas
might easily have been led TO believe that it was
Sunday Indeed several persons did enter places OK
refreshment through the side doors, under the I'M
preston that they were engaged in that great and
good work-vlolating the Penal Code, heeleyated
railways and the street cars did excellent busi-
ness and so did the ferrybjats Restaurants were
well patronized by that class Of persons who are un-
fortunate enough to have no homes. TO them the
Christmas dinner had little charm. They had plenty
to cat but one to eat with. In spite OF the num-
bers of persons in the streets the ce satlon OF bust
ness made the city very quiet. No one seemed 10
realize the value Of the Stiffness more than Iitle
man in Twenteth-st. He sat oa the steps IN front
of his house and blew toy cornet ani thnmped
drum pitlcssly.
"You are making gool deal of noise" said
passer-by.
"You can lest betcher sweet life am. and amt
glad its Sc quiet We'll, ! should smile. You
| hear me ~
And tho voiceof his trumpet continued to be heard
| in the land.
On the east side Of the town the feutonic po9ula-
tion celebrated the great festival Of tho year with
| feastng and mirth. The pipes that were smoked,
and the old stories of Christmas in the father.and
| that were told, were as numerous as the waves on
| the Bay. Everyone appeared TO be shaking hands
with everyone else and there was universal least
of sauer kraut and u flow OF beer. One elobular
citizen reclined gracefully upon keg d dis
| cOurscd thus:
| "Vat's der use. chi Wy der Christmas don'd
| COON after dot New Yclr's und nicht bevOref
| Fiery yahr ch schvear off on dot New Years day.
Aber vots der goot' Some dime putty soon III gids
| to bin Christmas. unl, by chmuineddy! | got me
too many peers drunk b5vCre know we're vas
und den my schwearing OFF was busdet higher as
| Gilhorys kide VOts der use 7 S'hclp me, l.aac!
nefer schvear me OF again. Dots vots de
| maedder NIT me, don'd ltT
The West Side also celebrated Christmas with
blowing of horns and eating of peanuts in its usual
| manner The great crowds which streamed through
Eighth-ave. were orderly enough, though here and
there was seen man who looked as if under the in
| auencc of a dinner cooked in that famous West Side
| resort known rs "Helis Kitchen" Theatres all
over the city gave matinee but most OF these wero
| not well patronized. There were good old times"
| IN the history of the drama when three perform
| ances were given on Christmas day-two farces at
| 1o.,O a. m drama in tbs afternoon.
and n double bill" at night Those
e" good old times" are not lettering about
| the streets of this city 10 any great extent,
| and s. few theatres counted mp more than 5000
| Yesterday afternoon. Mechanical toys afforded
more amusement to the children than the theatres
| could There was 40 such show In public place
of amusement as could be had at home by simply
winding MP one of those wonderful bears that have
| been exhibited durin. the past few weeks and
watching him ctew AMI claw around as If he con-
| sIdered himself whole menagere with a side show
attachment. A whole family could reap aInuse-
| mcut combined with instruction from these gentle
| antics and weary housewives could forget that it
was--or ought to have becn-waSh-day, and remem-
| her only that II was Christmas. One woman in tho
Bowery had forgotten ii was wash-day, hut had an
| indstinct recollection that 1t was q good
day for iqulds She invested in largo
| quantity OF them, and then went aud sas
down on the horse-car track and blocked three cars
| before IA tender-hearted policeman came along and
| took her to another and q better land. A tribune
reporter who was wandering around looking for
| ,,ne one TO whom he might give two or three moro
| Christmas presents, met an Italian nobleman of tho
Street Cleaning Department one broom.
"WeIl, ,kgnor," said the reporter, are you having
a merry Chri stmasP
| mo. Chrstmas-a no goOd-a; not-a make-a
| "a cent-a. Corpo di Baccho! No Ikea da