The Season and Its Prospects

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THE SEASON AND ITS PROSPECTS

Winter may now be considered as fully inaugurated. The second snow has fallen and vanished again, Thanksgiving is passed and gone, balls have been given, turkies have been eaten at family gatherings, and the holidays are not far off. A word or two, then, on the prospects of the "winter campaign" (to use the Herald¹ phraseology) may not be out of place.

First, we shall have no lack of amusements. First and foremost, the Western District will rejoice in operatic performances under the management of the impressario of the Academy of Music, Ullman. In default of an opera-house, the Athenaeum, a far inferior building to the Odeon in this district, will be used as a substitute. We congratulate our friends of the W. D. upon the treat in store for them. Then there is a course of lectures, given by the Brooklyn Mercantile Library Association, which, in the standing of the men engaged and the interest of the subjects under discussion, surpass anything offered in New York this winter. There will, of course, be the usual variety of Terpsichorean entertainments, public dinners, etc., and on the whole, there is very little danger of the Western District people dying of ennui.

We wish we could give as creditable a list of good things to come in our own portion of the city. But we are not without our consolations. Our musical friends are very active and a large number of concerts are to come off—among others, the Harmonic Society will give several more of their fine entertainments, which will doubtless be fully appreciated, judging from the generous applause and substantial welcome with which their last exhibition was received. Our literary associations—of which we have several—are also wide awake and energetic. They only want a more extended aid and support to accomplish a good work for the cause of association for mental improvement among our young men. Of private parties and social gatherings there will be more than the usual number, people having measurably got rid of the incubus of monetary depression that weighed so heavily upon them last winter.

One thing should not be forgotten in the programme for the season. Remember the poor. It is likely to be a hard winter for them—how hard, those who may be lolling at this moment in their arm chairs and glance at these paragraphs, can hardly understand. Let public benevolence and private charity not be solicited in vain for those who are genuinely worthy of becoming its recipients. To those who neglect their duty towards "the poor, whom we have always with us," the festive seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas can bring no real gladness, and the New Year will come uncrowned by a blessing.

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