Year: 1875

AS usual at this holiday time the markets of the city
we're replete with good things visitor to Washing
ton to Clinton, TO Centre to Fulton and to other
markets alike revealed the condition of affairs.
Long rows Of plump turkeys, huge piles Of ducks,
geese and game met the eye at every hand.
Here and there of beef and of mutton
and OF lamb gave token of feastng and of pleasure.
The butter merchants displayed tempting wares and
amid their yellow treasures OF the dairy huge
mounds of cheese. Near by the oyster vendors kept
up merry tune by the rapid chnk and chnk Of their
knives they opened the bivalves and
threw them by motion into the bowls before
them The fshmongers forgetting that it was holiday
time, displayed upon their marble slabs many fnny
prize and oft purchaser intent upon turkey and stuff
ing fell back upon salmon haddock in despair
the wondrous display of good things before them


And so 1t went during the livelong day People
wandered through the markets and made their pur-
chases solely with view to secure enjoyment for the
morrow To be sure


TRADITIONAL TURKEY CARRIED THE DAY,


but many goose and fat duck found its way to the
baskets of those only intent sppetzing
past for the holiday Of all holidays


But 1t was in the envrons OF the market that
Christmas tide and time gained visible attribute and
surrounding On every street contiguous to the several
markets ambitious vendors gathered to themselves
huge mounds of evergrcens the shape OF trees
the Catskl Mountains the sandy plains Of New Jersey
and the rocky crags and glens Of Western New York
Amid all this wealth OF wntry verdure were piled up
huge heaps Of crosses, stars wreaths and garands
manufactured resinous tributes OF the cedar
the pine the hemock. As II TO give diversity 10
all this holiday decoration were found the holly from
Virginia the laurel from Maryland the cypress from
the Carolinas Here and there the fastidious found
the weeping moss from Louisiana the pearl gray fcs
toons of oak from New Jersey and the bright green
fern from Florida The wintergreen berry and leaf tho
ground laurel and the bright red berry OF the holly
vivid rclief 10 the oil green foliage
mon and


With all this wealth Of the Northern woods those
seeking decoration opposite TO the Christmas time
sorey bewdered by the diversity OF the object and the
ingenuity OF those who had prepared the holiday dress
TO one who wandered about the market the sight
was pleasant one hundreds and thousands
wandered to and fro and made the scene busy
Many basket already filled was heaped up by the
happy holders with treasures they some
token appropriate to the festival which all Chris
tans whatever their creed might be- sought to honor
and enjoy. Happy hearts and happy faces every
gold and righteous feeling Of this, the Christmas time,
there were to be seen faces and hollow eyes, the
possessors of which we're unhappiy unable TO satisfy
their craving for the beautiful and the substantial
Rich and poor ebowed each other, and while the
former recked not OF the the extent Of their
purchases, there we're many who counted their pen
MES before venturng upon the purchase Of trhe
that would add to the beauty and holiday appearance of
their poor homes. But remembering the example set
by Him whose natal day all sought to honor and to
cherish each purchaser gave according his to
celebrate the day that gave 70 the world a new
epoch and a fresh guarantee Of the love Of the
Lord for His people upon earth None seemed 10
forget that nearly nineteen hundred years ago a
Saviour born upon the morrow to the multitude OF
sinners upon EARTH and seemed TO forget that
1915 wears ago q babe born in Bethlehem, and
ewaddled In the manger, new hope and treasure
for the people OF all and all climes of mother
earth. Thcwords uttered TO the shepherds upon the
plains Of Gslilce by the angel angels 70 81. the
East, Good win and peace 70 all men"
seemed reign in all hearts, and II was pleasing
10 notice that these Gays Of everyday life the
Did traditional feeling Of religious soemniy pervaded
every and frightened every face Truly, this nol
day Christmas time, as evInced last night, told the
same old simple story Of Christian faith and Christian
humblencss The day upon which the Saviour born
tobe celebrated and observed IN q Christian and
simple manner.


The spirit Of Santa Claus coming II did from the
Hartz Mountains the gons and the valleys Of Germany
extended its influence the Streets the alleys and by
ways Of Manhattan Island Amid the Belgian, the
Russ and the cobble stone pavements the green and
fresh memories Of Chrstmastde nourshed like green
bay tree and cosmopolitan city like this II not
wonderful 10 the mistetoe Of old England the yew
and the fern from the rocky glens OF Northern New
York and the Hudson, mingled with the commoncr
yieldings OF nature in the new Continent


So IL was Il will be. we trust for all time The
yue log and the Christmas tree alike find home In
the New World and as years roll on aud the American
attributes Of adhesion aud absorption are dis.
played, 30 II will be that this fair land will
seize upon and every outward attribute OF the ho
day we all seek 10 honor and enjoy Christmas, the
day OF all days was yesterday prepared for by thou
sands upon thousands, according 70 their MEANS
whether they spent dollar or hundreds or dol.
lars. the kindred feeling Of Christian love and
experienced by ALL So mote 1t be until
the end Of time Saviour born for the redemp-
tion of sinners, and new for poor humanity
tnaugurated centuries ago, and yet the story OF His
eufferngs is as fresh and green ever Amidst the
clash and angry struggle OF politics, the struggle OF
ereeds and the diversity Of human belief the legend OF
hhe Sayopr's hirtb saids out clear and hrahi II