New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-25
CHRISTMAS IN LONDON.
Letter to The Philadelphia Tones.


Greater grander, more imposing than the
the single festivIty Of any one mason, however I'M
poriqh may 1e' - ' a. pnntn,na wonderful IN the
mere sight a unanimity OF feeling amid community
warfare one day in seven is in Itself impressive e1
30 iUn the strength OF moral power. almost "s
Inc flow OF Niagara stopped at stated intervals 10 TIE
sabbath cessation OF this cataract OF human AFFAIRS Inc
Cbrismas manifestation Is overwhelming IN Its magni
tude lie VINO walks OF the leading thOr0ugntures or
oudon reads the centre of the terrestrial gObe this
is the computation OF Hersche the gre&t astronomer
And although the casual visitor sr0luS through BOND
or Regent or OxfOrust the strand has neither time
nor INCLINATION to stop and verify confue the state
ment he has on every side the testimony OF MS own eyes
that he the denizen of peerless capital Never 80
plainly is this fact manifest as al the Christmas holiday
The riches all earth surface are piled up WITH moro
than imperial prOfus0n In this amazing metropolis tls
LONDON mistress OF the Christian world and thrice the
tns great mart ia carried every choicest Pr0duc maj
nature yields IN every cline every device taShloneu
by mans ingenuity In every domain OF thought,
Even the cautious observer 10 not averse 10 con-
Tossing that he will believe thing when ne sees ~ ana
vet so splendid display concentrated wealth In
some London shop windows that one cannot realize the
true value ones eyes perceive IL impossible
In the Haymsrket is the shop tho Queens godSnths
those two wide low chop WINDOWS, nshty BuAfdsu
by iron reisTOrk literally cram,ued with vessels
of gold platters and ewers epergnes aud lOyingcups
whole dinner services made OF the precious metal the
recognized medium OF the worlds trano because 0t ts
scarcity ana value The passing Stranger casts but
glance this prncey exhibition so little does he fancy
nat these ponderons articles Of domestic use are
same precious material coin carefully doed out TO
by the money changer next door who weighs every
American eagle OF spanish Isabellino Frsnon Louis
dOr dt is out Of datc call them NapOleonsl ere no
gives in exchange for them the glltterng soVeregns OF
the British realm. Even at the Queens gold-
smiths there are tokens OF tue perya0ing influence
OF Christmas. Always much g"ld plate, there Is now
more gold plate Ancient wassai bowls appear Long
golden ske wers with when to stab the pasty.
jack OF gold which to place the Joint for oonyen
fence in carving. stod, bnpsssive as such golden,
bOOded beings the Queens goldsmiths must be, stu
even they give faint outward tokens OF knowledge OF
the return OF the Yuetlde. At the Christmas season
their duty guardians calls them 10 the resi-
dence favored by the sovereign either Windsor OF Os
borne for Christmas dinner Of the Queen ID LAID out
upon the precious plate and its progress Is marked
BY many OF the quaint obseryanoes OF the banquet OF
tue oden metho procession OF singing Ministries serV
ing up boars head, the peacock pie at one end OF
when the head OF the fowl appears through the crust Oh
the PIE with the beak and eyes richly gut while AZ the
otner end the spreading tail Is displayed, Nor would
Queen be departing from tne custom O INC
were sac 10 sum nOa for Yuletide diversion that
antique court mummer the Lord OF Msrule. STOW, the
ancient onrOncler OF tho festivities OF the season, says
AT Christmasse there the klngos house, where
sOeyer hee was Orde or msruo or maystor OF
merry disportes; and the like had ye IN the mousse OF
every nODleman " HONOR OF KOOu worship, were no
spiritual temporal"