New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-24

will he allowed to do his part as OF oId ana 'no
stockingN will be hung about handsome graIo~
around furnace registers, under sfoVe-pTe hoio
where crates ought TO be, and in vacant spaces
,,bere stoves ought to be. Thousands Of Whispered
nravers will 90 up to Santa Claus and thousands
81 vonno dreameis will see visions OF reindeer
.lo6oes and hear the tinkling of bells, while older
children will see the shepherds OF old about the
Child in the manger. and will hear
"such music las it's said
Before was never made
But when of old the IONS of morning sung'
While the Creator great
And the wel-balauced world on hinges hung
The churches of the city Of all denominations will
e.lcbrite the Nativity with special services today
Tho booses of worship Will be decorated with ever
Greens and flowers, elaborate programmes OF music
will he carried out and sermons appropriate TO the
day will be preached. The poor will not be forgot
tcn ON the day which, of all others,
WIS instituted for them In charitable lnstl-
tptions Christmas dinners will be prepared
tomorrow for tie inmates, and Christmas trees
Will be set up for the children and will be covered
with presents. bright lights and gay ornaments.
Numberess deeds of charity viii be done privatelyr
bv which many of che very poorest will have one
day of pleasure IN the year.
Never before, perhaps. has the approach OF
Christmas tide produced such hustle AMI lie III
the streets Of the city as were seen on all sides
Yesterday. The rainy weather which pre-
vailed for several days previous kept
vast numbers of people from dong
their Christmas shopping and retail dealers were in
a state bordering on despair. There had been long
lines Of carriages standing in the dripping ram be-
fore the great shops uptown, but the broad SIDE
walks were neary deserted. But yesterday brought
tie last chance for getting Christmas presents and
great crowds of people began through TO the stores
early in the mornag WITH do-or-die expressions on
their facrs and with Rubber coats on
their arms Protection. from the raln' how
ever was not necessary, hut protection from mud
vasmost decidedly. Before noon, Broadway above
Eighth-st, Fourteenth and Twenty 'hird-s's.' be-
tween Broadway and Sixth-aye., and Slxth-ave'
above Fourteenth-St., were sights worth OehOidhg
The streets were blocked with carriages and with
great loads of Joys and green Christmas decora-
tons; the streeca and the cars on the elevated
roads were packed with men, women, children ana
bundles mostly bundles, it seemed. long
the sidewalks enormous masses OF human
beings passed in ever-changing streams :;
richly and poorly clad, handsome and
homey and commonplace, while the manned the
malt ana the bind stood on the curbstones wished
inDnmerabe "MerTy CMistmaseS" and solicited
stray coppers In the windows of great stores ana
small shops costly fabrics and brilliant eo7tumes
were displayed silver and gold and rich gems gins
tened and flashed, WORKS OF arr III HtIDlt anu
bronze and oils were tastefuLy arranged, ana ne
wiiderng masses OF toys excited J9yIuI anilcip"-
tous i'll the minds OF NUT J91 ,5
Of voung people. The windows that contnEed
mimic stage panoramas and wonderfully unnalufal
winter scenes centres OF attraction aDout
which were gathered great STATIONARY MASSES % %
people OF all ages, forms and uncomfortable condl-
lions of amplitude. Children were llIttd up 10
catch a glimpse Of the dolls that went through
mimic play and yOung girls pressed eagerly Tor
ward t0 admire the beaut full wax young man VINO
twirled a waxed mOustaohe with wax hand ana
looked dremniy into no[Lnitng9eSS: st Nm,
window made uhcomfortabe ny nearing
these complimentary remarks from bSyy OF yQune
women " Oh, isn't he llie-llke; just look a.
that nous ache ~ Isn't that dear, sweet smile!
Now, if that Was alive, wouldn' t. II be quite toe
utterly cTushingT
Street vendors were everywhere, and the air wa
filed with tho blowing of thelr toy unHpet'
and the entcing tones Of their cracked voices Toys
and gaudy baubies, green stun ami fancy arucies III
endless variety were on their stands, ana theli
aggregated harvest of cash must have been immense
Oh several corners there were very undomcsilc-
looking calmly and patiently peelng potatoes
and turnips with patent peeler5. One man was
Offering all the fun you want for ten cents, a
dime and another shouted 1T the top OF ms h0ars
voice for four mortal hours, The last One-nOw 5
your chance-a elevated allOad twenty-five cent.
The well-knOwn figure of the man with the bird
. Whistles was there with holiday decoration oi
whistles about his neck and down the We'll
CREASED front Of bis coat. lie trilled ana
warbled, hoped about and tWltched ms
bird-like features this way and that, oil ne
looked as if III the next moment he would spread
In all paris Of the city the SHOPS were dec'f9l ca
with evergreens and with artificial flowers, while
in places the unsightiy telegraph poles ana elevated
railroad columns, wound with green wTeaths and
ropes, added TO the fesal appearance OF the
streets. -,
Bowery ia GTand-st., and on the East side Rener
ally than IN any other part of the town mere
many of the little shops and large EqaoI
stores simply masses OF Od3r0us eVergreens
Here and there about the city the florists stores
filled the streets neal, them for blocks with INC
smell of flowers, while vendors OF bouquets Ire
quented every street corner
In the evening the scenes of the day became In
tensfed by the glare OF electric lights in the streets
and stores, by the thousands of gas Jeis IN the bl
liant windows and By the ilarina oil lights CD The
stands OF the street venders Nearly all of tie shops
remained open far along iutO the night, and Tia
crowds did not abate in numbers o.
IN picturesQueness till q late bour. 1u
deavor to sell out the evcT-gemanng last OF tn
LOTT and the streams o. people began to look NOR
and more If everybody had come out TO see VIVA
Vesey S. was lighted lis entire length with fam
ing torches, and from West-sI. TO broadway Gems
crowd filled the sidewalks and overhOWed INTO IN
street Along either Side OF the SIDE walks were ven
ders OF articles OF every conceivable sort !her
were festoOns Of fox robes and bed-DianEets
piles Of purses and Pppins baskets o
ia short everything that the heart OF man has con
eelved for ornament use was displayed III lavIst
improbable images of plaster OF paris were offered
Tor sale by swarthy Italians. Vne ms
guided man bGG stand Tor slnnR vi
trnmpets and called att ton to his wares By
"halcyon and yocife-ou- "toots" ON specimen
trumpet The crowd was so dense that often theft
would be a whole block which would only b'
broken when come of the throng got squeezed small
enough TO allow OF the passage OF the others Ever
the street cars IN the middle Of the street mad
hard time getting through. Amid all thIs bubbut
and excitement a poor old woman, such as may b'
seen at every gathering of the kind. and who serves
as kind OF memcnt0 mort to the thousands who rust
along on business or pleasure intent sat In al
Obscure Dook and dOlefUliy manipulated the crank
OF one OF thOse hand-orgaus winch give false not
once In every sixth turn that If one has good
unenlnrv and No very accnrafn mnncal ear be can