The times., 1897-04-19
EASTER DAY IN NEW YORK.
Wonderful Parade of People and
Of Clothes.

| of Clothes.
| New York, April S-Nothing was lack
ing to make today as perfect an Easter
| day as ever dawned From the midni ght
| hour, when the big golden Easter moon
ushered in the new day to the set of the
sun, the sky was fleckless and the air soft
and bracing, was full of spirit Of spring
| In consequence there was such parade
| OF people and clothes as has not been seen
| in years, and Fifth avenue was panorama
| of the new fashions from / o to 8 O'Clock
| Not since the Horse Show has there been
/ such a display OF apparel. These two oc-
| casons are about the only ones where
| thousands OF people promenade in their
gayest array, to see and be seen. The horse
show lasts u whole week, whereas Easter
lasts but day, consequently the Easter
crowd all turns out at once.
Fifth avenue was almost as janmed to-
day as the promenade of Madison Square
Garden on the last night Of the show and
the costumes We're far more varied, par
ticularly in the case OF the men, who have
far more latitude of taste in day than in
evening dress. Many Of them awaited
themselves of this latitude to the break
ing point, and the showing OF plaids and
checks i'll coats was only equalled By the
brliliance OF purples and reds III bonnets
ami gowns. AS early as 10 O'Clock the
advance guard of the parade appeared,
mostly made up Of young men and women
i'll pairs. The young men, for the most
part, Wore the regulat ton black frock
coat and silk hat, and If there is any
other form OF array barring shroud that
will lend more depressing air OF gloom
to a crowd of men it has not yet been
seen i'll this region
Some of the youths had illunined the
dullness OF the costume by neckties OF
most amazing hue and design. a mag
nified study of bottle. green coma bacIi
seemed to be a favorite design iu Ascot.
Another popular bit of neckw was an
explosive effect OF red and black, fast
ened by pin, which was surmounted by
what appeared TO be an Easter egg, but
was probably intended to represent
pearl AS for the wornen's clothes, il
would take an artist of the irnpressionlst
school, with free access to d paint store
to give any adequate notion of it.
Soon after the vanguard came the main
body Of the paTadcrs. The avenue filled up
in hurry. House doors opened to let out
detachmcnts Of the narchers, III full Easter
Uniform. Every side street poured Is hun
dTeds into the main line of march until u
man who wanted To make better time than
two miles an hour had to take to tie road
way, where he was in constant danger of
being run down by the broHghans, ba-
runCtes and victoTias, which answered for
the cavalry corps Of the procession. Wide
open church doors began to swallow up the
multitude about II O'Clock, and there were
thousands OF deserters from the ranks,
leaving still enough, however, to keep the
sidewalks full, and more people were com
Ing all the time When the churches were
out and the devout returned to the march
the crush was at it's height.
Many church steps were used by the wor-
8hpers as sort OF grand stand from which
they could view the pageant al their ease,
locking directly down upon the sea of bon
nets. A few hourslater the crowd dwindird
away till there We're hardly more people
out than on an ordinary pleasant day. But
this did not last long Soon there was an
increase, and the middle of the afternoon
saw the walks crowded again This crowd
was different from the morning aggrega-
ton All the best families Of New York
were represented-by their servants coach
men. grooms buffers, night watctmen,
nursern aids, housemaids, cooks, ladies'
maids and washerwomen paraded in a
glory more pronounced than that OF their
employers. and stopped toexchange society
gossip on the corner.
There was also a large delegation Of
colored brethren from Eighth avenue.
For an hour during the afternoon two
gents in a rig attracted considerable
attention. They had hired the rig, a
large landau, with the obvious purpose OF
cutting dash. and they were doing { TO
the extent of their ability. Each wore a
huge white bunch Of flowers In his Tut
tonhole and huge black cigar In his face.
From time TO time they put their feet ON
the front seat, symbohZing aristoC ratio
ease Their line of procedure was to drive
hack aud forth between Twent y-thirtl and
Fifty-eighth streets at a slow and Cigni-
fled pace, and they probably had about as
good time as any of the paraders. The
parade kept up until the gathering dusk
toned down the color scheme of the cos
tunes, whereupon the wearers Went home.