Show 71 A NEW uffe W when en I 1 w was w a girl before new york had gro grown gron c cosmopolitan we used to look forward to new years day with a great r t 1 deal I ea of pleasant anti the first foot over the threshold was watched for with some curios ty who of the outside world should be first to enter the home with the merry salu tat on A happy new year we were always rather pleased if it hap bened to be a pretty child or a grace ful girl who brought this greeting al though it was very apt to be instead the milkman with h s rosy face bronzed and flushed by wind and weather or the carrier of the news paper who brought an elaborate mes sage in verse for which he expected a gratuity new york being originally a dutch city it kept for many years the beau ticul traditions ol 01 dutch hospitality therefore 4 it wa was obligatory on all L households not in mourning to receive 31 e calls on new year s day A table was w as sumptuously spread with refresh S h ments which included sandwiches he s piel led oysters salad cold turkey ey i fruit cake lemonade coffee and if i the people of the house were so in cl ned wine and eggnog egg nog and every ery r caller was invited and expected to partake of the feast ladies day followed on the second ot of january when women called on one another exchanged good wishes abd and discussed the pleasure of the day before it wis a happy time while it lasted but after a while as the city grew large and distances were maent fled until instead of a town manhat tan became a great capital with all sorts and conditions of people the custom of new year s calls died a natural death s home corn com panion |