Christmas Decorations.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2176, 24 December 1875, Page 2

Christmas Decorations.

As is usual at this time of the year, the shops, and consequently the streets, wear a more than usually gay attire. This is apparent hot only without the shops, but within them, and unlike most I finery, the Christmas decorations do not serve as a flimsy covering for interior nothingness, but lead one on from admiring what is artificial to desiring what is real. Conspicuous among those which have habited themselves in ferns, and nikau, which, in New. Zealand, have to do duty for holly, laurel and mistletoe, are the shops of Messrs Avenell and Hulme, while their brother of the cleaver, Mr Knight, if somewhat behind hand in decoration, fully makes up for it by his splendid show of meat of all kinds. The grocers too are not backward, as the shops of Messrs French, Joynt, and Hansen can testify, the last named of these, making his shop appear more cooling by a nice display of trait. While on the subject of fruit, we can say that the " market " in Williamson street, and " Covent Garden Market," in Owen street are also bedecked, as is only fit they should be, to make the grateful qualities of their fruit all the more apparent. Mr Grant's new premises, those of Mr Forgie in Pollen street, and the recently erected establishment of Messrs Mennie and Dey have each been subjected to the powers of decorative act, not in vain either if the show without has for its aim the object of drawing attention to the good things within, Mr Quint of the Nil Desperandum is alSb one among many others—whom space forbids us to mention—who have kept up the good old custom of decorating at Christmas, and flowers within and without make his restaurant, always shady within, look very pretty and enticing.