For Christmas comes but once a year!" Eds. Crescent:—
Thus saith the old song, and the advice is in the vein of true philosophy. Yes, philosophy—the purest kind, too, which seeks human happiness, and the beguiling pleasantly away of life's toilsome road. * * * I have often thought that the people of France are the wisest in the world; for under their coating of light-hearted fun—often levity—they hide from people's eyes, and from their own too, many things that the English, and we Americans, would sulk over half a lifetime. Cares will come: the less you make of 'em, the less they really are.
"Let's dance and sing!"
Have not the (so called) wise heads made a great blunder, then, in putting down the joke, the careless jest, the bit of practical fun, the ever-recurring laugh, as signs of idle mind? To my notion, the jolliest chap is the deepest philosopher—though he may not know it himself.
The fun that's enjoyed to-day, though, must be enjoyed within doors; for rarely have we had such a spiteful conspiracy of the elements against out-door comforts, as on this Christmas day for '48. The ground since Friday, has been covered with snow and ice. Last night it thawed, and now we have a diabolical mixture of snow, slush, and mud. Over and around all spreads the densest of fogs—more impenetrable than the style of a transcendentalist.
All the church bells rang merry peals this morning. The chimes of Trinity, in particular, gave out an especial ding-dong, in honor of the day. (It is somewhat singular that they don't get some fit and proper player upon those chimes. We are heartily tired of hearing nothing but an octave run up, and then run down—Sunday after Sunday.).....Of course, with such weather, the ladies can't go out; and just as of course, the streets and churches are uninviting, and the sitting rooms and parlors doubly attractive....A number of balls are forthcoming during the current week. At one of them, that of the "Northern Light Association," Martin Van Buren is to be present. He and "Prince John" are in town; ditto Wm. H. Seward. The latter is pushed by his friends for the U.S. Senatorship. Fillmore is understood to be against him. The whigs are quarrelling like the mischief over this and other "spoils."
The California gold excitement still rages, and, like most potent maladies, it has swallowed up lesser ones, such as the Cholera, the influenza, and so forth....A horrid murder, of which the papers will give full particulars, was committed in Walnut street, last Friday: the victims, thus far, are two Germans—the woman, Maria Kloster, not being dead yet.
....We have also had a little breeze, from the attempted abduction, in broad day, and in one of our most public streets, of a young man, a mulatto, who was claimed as his property, by a person named Lee. The latter engaged a couple of men to do the job, and promised them $200 for it. They may get the dollars—but it is quite likely they will get a short residence in the State Prison, too; as the offence of abduction is a felony here.
MANHATTAN.