Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-25
NEW YORK PLUNGES.
As Enthusiastic in Observing Christ
mas as in Other Things.
GOSSIP FROM THE BIG TOWN
Civil Service TefOrm and the Robberies
in the Hail Service.
USING TIE EYES IN FLIMFLAMYING
CORRESPONDENCE OF TIE DISPATCH,

fCORRESPONDENCE OF THE D1SPATCH.t
NEW YORK, Dec 24-Christmas Day is
the day of human gladness throughout the
civilized world or whatever country or of
whatever cline, all who bask in the glori-
ous sunshine of Christianity feel the same
quickening of the pulse, the same warming
of the heart toward the rest Of humanity.
The artificial barriers reared by society
are weaker on this day than any other day
of the year. The bonds that restrain US
from the acknowledgment of our fellow
men are loosened by charity and love. On
this day of all other days we are glad be-
cause others are glad. Christmas joys are
catching A divine unselfshness fills the
breast For once we rejoice in the happi-
ness of our neighbors. A subtle sympathy
permeates the soul Over the lowered
bars of distrust it goes out to cheer every
human creature.
Christmas Day in New York means much.
And much that it means could never be
quite understood by those without the
social pale of the great American metropo-
lis. No staid old New England village
ever observes the Christmas holidays with
greater fervor than they are kept in Gotham
town. The lion and the lamb of Wall
street lie down this blessed season together.
All the marts of trade are either closed or
hushed, save alone those that cater to the
universal joy of the time-and these run
day and night The millionaire and the
poorest slave of the sweat-shop turn aside
from ordinary vocations to give Christmas
Day royal welcome And they are not to
be cheated out of the formal recognition by
the fact that Christmas falls now and then
on Sunday. Perish the thought.
Sundays come and go every week. Christ
mas comes but once year.
Hark to resonant glory of old Trinity.
How now booms the distant bells of sweet
St Patrick's chimes And here and there
and everywhere the mellow metal chorus
joins. -..
This is New York. Talk not to me of old
St. Paul's and the smoky fog of London.
This is New York Christmas and the day
can be seen as we'll as heard.
The blessed bells. The heart softening
bells. Their sweetly shimmerinR sounds
vibrate on the frosty tympanum of
Gotham's Christmas day. Their solemn
music fills Broadway. 1t overpowers the
aristocratic upper town. 1t hangs happy,
rythmical halo over all Manhattan. 1t falls
alike upon the listening ears OF the Just and
unjust. 1t bears into palace and hovel the
glad tidings with Undiscriminating gentle
ness and love-the tidings that Christ is
born.
No one has ever truly known Christmas
who has not heard the bells OF New York
on Christmas morning. And nobody has
really seen Christmas until he has seen
what these musical messengers of heaven
bring forth. Pouring down from brick and
brown stone, they come, a mighty. well
clad, gladstone host. From car and cab and
carriage they swell into Fifth avenue-the
best dressed, handsomest and richest peo-
pie in the world. There is but one other
day in the year when you can see such
throng and that is on Easter Sunday. Then,
as now, their feet are turned churchward
and their minds are bent upon Christ Theirs
are not the severely ascetic faces of the
earlier church, but the faces of modern Christ
ianity, that denies not the innocent crav-
ings of the flesh nor the freedom of relig-
ious thought They are the happy faces OF
those who have fed well, who are conscious
OF being dressed we'll and who have no cares
that cannot be left over till tomorrow.
At work or play, on Change or at church,
New Workers never do anything by halves.
1t is the great spirit of trade that follows
the New Yorker through life-the mental
and physical activity that makes leisure a
bore and rest a sort of punishment So on
Christmas holidays he plunges. If piously
inclined, he plunges into church matters.
If merely benevolent, he plunges into all
sorts of benevolent dissipations. If of a
rigidly domestic turn, he pluuges into fam
lily surprises for vile and children. If of
social disposition, he plunges into society.
If man about town, he plunges into the
customary whirl of late suppers and wine
ad libitum. In any case he plunges. Bear
this characteristic in mind in considering
the New Yorker's Christmas.