Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-06-07
How Miss Phipps Became Mrs. Phillips.
| LEAP-YEAR STORY.

LEAP-YEAR STORY.
Authors and artists have imposed some most
ridiculously untruthful types of character upon
us. For example, what is the conventional no.
tion of the British old maid Thanks to those
unchivalrous caricaturists, the phrase suggests
the picture of lady with figure like ram.
rod and face like wintcr-0ppe-a crab-ap-
ple-reserving her small remnant of sour milk
of human kindness for her cat as afraid of the
men as Horaces Chloe and feasting like ghoul
upon the mangled regulations of her youthful
sisters. Well, now, my reader, look round your
circle of acquaintance, and tell me honestly how
many eff vestal virgins you can find. Inever
met with one, and, with your permission, will
introduce you to little body who is the very
opposite OF that atabominable portrait-my friend,
Miss Phipps.
As plump as a partridge, as blithe as mavis,
bright eyed as robin, Aunt Rhoda-as she is
called in some dozen families into which she has
lovingly been adopted-is in request for all our
morry-makngs, and lights up the sick-rooms,
to which she will go just as willingly, like very
substantial sunbeam. She doesn't petrify into
hand-crossed efhgy in men-folks company,
but roundly rates the bad taste of bachelors in
having suffered her so long to continue single.
OF course, like all women who are good for any
thing-it is only your selfish people (moral oys-
ters) who shut themselves up, and take no in
terest in their neighbors-she is fond of bit Of
gossip and being hot-tempered little dame,
she can occasionally say sharp thing of, though
far more frequently to, for she likes everything
above board, any one who has happened to offend
her, or-what is far easier mode of rousing
her wrath-who has offended her friends. But
there is not grain of malice in her heart. She
blurts out exactly what she thinks in u volcanic
burst, and there an end far preferable mode
of procedure, in my opinion, to the polite,
smiling way in which phlegmatc people dribble
out their spite--in such small contributions that
grievance will last them for month.
Such is Miss Phipps, as, on the last night Of
1855, she sits in her dolls house of cottage in
Pogis Parva, entertaining a tiny party of vii
lage friends. Her elder sister, Harriet-also Il
maiden-is really the mistress of the house; but
she, good, quiet soul, resigns the lead in every
thing to bustling Rhoda, who not unfrequently
bullies her, in u good-naturcd way, to stir heI
into life, and whom she watches, half admirng.
ly, half-ahxiously, as one might watch the chi
na-endangering pranks Of a frisky kitten play.
ing with the table-cloth.
The hearts OF the Misses Phipps are large
but their means are small q party at theil
house, therefore, is an = event." They do thc
thing well, however, when they attempt it,
Their neatest of little parlors-although tn,
process seems very much akin to the painting o
the lily-is tidied up for hours beforehand Th
best china-while as snow, with sprigs and rim
of gold-is daintily busted. The heirloom sill
yer teapot and crean-jug are secured until tn
quaint old plate seems almost ashamed OF tha
spotless polish, which brings out in such boil
relief its bygone fashion. Cake, both of see
and plum, is cut up into the gentoelest OF block
and wedges Wafer breOd-and-buttcr is al
ranged in graceful circling sweeps, with buncl
es Of lauristlnus in the center A round towC