Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1890-12-27
NEW YORK NOTES.
NEW YORK, December 20, 1890,

Editor of Woman's Chronicle
These are days when no one is too aristocratic
to carry bundle or even an armful of them.
Rlest Christmas tide-for just once in the year
the sentiment of love reigns supreme in the human
breast Stern realities of life are in eclipse for
the nonee, and the pocketbook, governed by the
heart, yields up its all ON the altar of brothery
love. Little Christmas fairies call our attention to
the appropriateness of this gift and that one and
memory rakes up to our notice the friend we have
scarce thought of for a twelve month. The Christ
mas fairy suggests at once suitable gift, but when
we consult the purse and find it is empty, she
looks very sorrowful, and when we promise to
crafty her next Christmas she breathes in our ear
a sigh that makes us feel-well as though Christ
mas is very unsatisfactory affair after ALL But
it isn't and Kriss Kringe is by no means failure
but will continue to come down chimneys as long
as there are houseops and iresides.
The year has grown old, and ere he dies he
seems to challenge us for q kiss of farewell and
forgiveness for his shortcomings, till we forget the
sorrows he has brought us in recognizing the Joys
The Herald's Christmas dinner to the newsboys,
paid for by an unknown gentleman bids fair to be
a complete success in every particular Every one
takes genuine interest in it. They are to be
waited on by adies-some of the best known,
noble women of the city, Mrs. Cleveland included
and will have turkey and cranberry sauce, vege-
tables and mince pie, and all they can stow away
OF it. The same unknown gentleman has again
appeared with check for 81 900, to help buy each
boy pea-jacket. The public has been invited to
make up the other thousand dollars needed to buy
the garments, and funds are pouring in. 1t will
be something of sight, too, to behold 900 hap
py-faced boys uniformed alike. This gift is in the
true spirit of Christmas Would there were more
persons of wealth similarly disposed.
The looseness of the marriage laws of New York
State has recently been brought to light through
the courts. Some time ago Loring A. Robertson
died leaving an estate valued at two and half mill
ions. He left no will, and no widow, as far as
known, but when the relatives met in court to at
tend to the legal distribution of the property an
attorney rather unexpectedly put in claim for an
unknown widow of the deceased. Her claim was
that they had entered into verbal agreement of
marriage, and lived as husband and wife secretly,
This statement true, then she is his lawful widow.
according to the law of the State which saws that
valid marriage may be contracted by man and
woman without the presence of minister maois-
trate or witness, without any ceremony other than
their own agreement. No writing or record is
essential; no publicity is required but only the
State can dissolve it.
Where IN our fair land is to be found such an
lntoleable, far-reaching wrong as this. Father
hnckerbocker better begin the work of revising;
atiSVocratlc RULES and knee-buckes poorly adorn
nm, while sanctonmg such barbarous condition
Of affairs.
there Is no more room In New York for dogs
than there is for children. The public heart GOES
out to the poor canine, licensed even tho he he
Tor he knows not his danger The dog-catcher in
MS Toe, and he may be ever so well protected bv
his owner, unless the owner is strong and able to
resist these dog thieves, he is liable at anv mo.
menl to find his four-footed friend rushed off in
the dog-wagon The dog-catcher is a type Of
V"eFe lhShutatng to say human, and 'beast"
sounds DpLtpr Tho 10 IA