Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-28

Forty-second street there is slight relief
but more passengers get on than get of. AL
the way to Harlem the trains are packed
more people standing up than are sitting
down; and when one escapes from the steam
ing but good natured Christmas crowd he
calculates thanks in several languages.
THE DAY.
It is very quiet day. Most Of the music
outside of the churches is made by the small
boys horn, which is a feature of every side
street and all the avenues. The boy process
sions are not as large, rs numerous or as gro
tesque as those of Thanksgiving, but they
will do. There are great many small asso-
Citations that parade all alone by themselves,
with lines like rail fence and the marching
Of band of undisciphned, pigeon toed IN
dams. The officers Of these associations ride
in hacks OF more open wagons, bearing bou-
quets and sweet smiles for their ladyloves, in
behalf of whom the paraders frequently go
several blocks out of their way. To give the
procession set purpose and make the gusS
pardonable, the association is frequently
followed by the usual little black boy with q
target, as well as by the purveyor in a
wagon laden mostly with beer, the larger
and moro generally popular liquor, some
sandwiches, cold turkey, cold chicken, and
always the cheese of foreign extraction.
When the procession returns, the boys always
in good humor and some of them having
considerably too much Of it, it is found that
the target has been astonishingly perforated;
but the distance of the shooting is not accu-
rately given, and the remarkable part of
it is that none of the boys were shot.
Meanwhile the smaller boys have been
Blowing their horns as il all the WIND
of the atmosphere had settled In Their
brief lungs The churches have beer
packed and the sermons have been as good
as anything OF that kind furnished in this
world. The matinees have been thoroughly
successful the city round. The beggars
have been supplied till they can scarcely
carry their baskets The saloons have
been well patronized, but there is little
more drunkenness than on other days II
there has been good riding in the big park,
all the carriage and horseback riders have
been enjoying it, and thousands have
looked at them from the benches and the
walks. OF course, many familiar faces are
missing, for thousands have gone to the old
homestead for the old fashioned dinner;
but where one Of that kind has gone dozens
of new faces meet the New Yorker at every
place of resort and on all the corners. If there
is skating the lakes Of Central park have been
skinned by thousands of laughing girls and
boys, and they will como and 60 until 10
o'clock.
THE EVENING.
The theatres On Christmas night give their
best acting, and the large audiences they
draw give their best and most liberal ap-
plause. The Broadway theatres are not as
Gecorous and critical as usual-they are too
good natured Those on the east side are
largely given to frolicking, with an oc-
casional outburst of temper, which, however,
is promptly checked At the Grand Opera
house, built by Jim Fisk, on the west side,
there is an immense audience, largely made
up Of shop girls and other workers, and they
are delighted at everything that IS done, as
they always are, and applaud every move
ment and every act as if they thought
the show the finest in the world. The
music halls are jammed with fashy men
and rapid women. Cigar smoke fills the
air, and the various beverages. from cham
payne down, are sold in unlimited quantities.
There is a great deal of loud talk. 1t is very
seldom you run against quarrel or a fight
New York is made up largely Of people from
the rest of the world, but in its couviviality
and at all other times, it is the best natured
town in the world There are few crimes on
Christmas night Everywhere every mans
purse is open The differences of the hate po-
liticai disturbance have been forgotten.
There are small gatherings Of neighbors in
small houses, for little dancing and a little
beer, and here an Irish song, there a German
story float out to you as you pass by; giving
place directly to the music of the fiddle and
the attending shutting Of feet And always
outside these places and all the other places,
the small boy blows his tin horn with the
eviden. intention to shatter 1t before the
morning or die in the attempt As you 20
through Madison and Union squares the
shadows Of the leaves and branches, under
the brilliant electric lights, look up at
you from the hard walks with a peculiarly
Christmas look; and you find, looking ct the
benches, that several couples Of two sexes
have been quietly doing Christmas wooing
through the long evening, no matter how
severe the cold, and whether they have had to
do considerable parading arm, In arm, to keep
themselves from Christmas freeze. Nothing
has disturbed them, apparently, with the e1-
ceptio1 Of the Christmas horn at the mouth
Of the Christmas boy.
MORNING..
1t rs pretty nearly over. There is one mors
day, but it is tolerated rather than epioyed
There are few New Year calls, and peopIs
have exerted themselves % much for and
during Christmas that they ara tired, and
anxious 20 &c, back TO the old business AID
tie old otter Ways on New Years day. Al
but the small boy. BE win blow bis horn al
day, and then lay Il sorrowfully aade for
use on lie Fourth Of July.
L Il GREGORY.