The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-07
"Miny, my DEAR said Miss Pinnifer, Il

"Milly, my dear" ," said Miss Pinnifer, 81
want your advice"
Hadn't you better ask father?" said
probably be of greater value than her
| own.
"No, my dear; no, / think not. In a
would be Judge. / want to know, dear,
whether look best in my black satin
spencer and pink muslin skirt, or in my
Stuart tartan. Take time to consider, my
dear"
"They're both very NICE" said Milly.
"The tartan for choice, / think"
"Do you, deare Now was thinking,
do you know, that the tartan was rather
rather old-looking. One doesn't want
to make oneself quite middle.sged per-
son, you know, dear"
"0f course not" said Milly; but I
always thought the tartan 80 very becom-
ing. What makes you SO particular to-
day1n
to tell you. But We girls never can keep
our little secrets, can we?"-the dear
creature Was fifty if she was day the
fact is -it's-it's on account of Mr.
Brown, dear"
Milly looked at her inquiringly, but with
a roguish twinkle in her eyes. The old
lady continued
@The object Of Mr.. Browns coming, my
dear, is, as you are aware, enveloped In
mystery. He must have an object, you
know, and have reason to imagine
strong reason, l may say-that that object
is myself"
"You don't say so! said Milly. "Pray
accept my best congratulations. Has he
declared his intentions."
"Well, no, dear, can't say he has ex-
actly declared himself in words at least !;
but If you had only seen how he Looked
dear. He looked at me with positive
smile. quite loyer-like, I assure you. And
then he insisted on coming to dinner"
"Well, dear, I'm sure I'm very pleased"
said Milly. "We've all been puzzled to
dare say that's it You won't forget old
friends when you are grand lady, will
your"
"I haven't accepted him yet, my dear"
said Miss Pinnifer, "and l shan't either,
the first time of asking 1t doesn't do for
q girl to make herself too cheap. He'll
have to be very attentive, can tell him, if
he expects to have any chance with me.
o dear o dear he's beginning to burn p
The last words referred to the turkey,
which was under Miss Pinnifer's especial
care, and which she forthwith began to
haste violently.
"Pve had q good deal of attention in
my time, you see, my dear, so perhaps l
think the less of it on that account. 1t
isn't to be expected, you know, with my
experience, that should be dazzled by
Mr.. Brown. Isn't he fat, dear?"
"Is he." said Milly; II haven't seen
him, you know"
Mot seen him! ~ said Miss Pinnifer
"What do you means My dear, was
speaking of the turkey"
"Oh!" said Milly.
The conversation was interrupted by
the return of the party from church. The
Younger TOdds were found considerably in
the way of the cookery, till Milly hit on the
happy expedient of sending them to the
bakers to fetch the pig. Forthwith they
departed, with pig written plainly on their
countenances, and raced all the way to
the shop, upon the understanding that
Tic t6ll UC tuC ptiLC VI tAC
Johnny, the eldest, as might have been
expected, came in foremost, to the great
grief and disbursement of his brothers,
I'LL he magnanimously promised them that
they should have the tail after he had
done with it. Rather more quietly than
they had set out, the trio returned from
the bakers. Johnny and Tommy Todd car
rying the dish between them. Willy, the
vvo,1v, voo< yv,,,cb wo Tod tn rrv 10 cnver
but the more mature wisdom of Johnny
suggested that perhaps the pig you'd
keep hotter with it on 80 Willy had to
content himself with walking behind as
near as possible, and shifting the fragrance
of the savory burden. When they reached
home, Mr.. Brown had Just arrived, and
their father and Milly were endeavoring
adequately to express their appreciation
of the hampers Mr.. Brown seemed
pleased by the interruption, and patting
the boys heads paternally, asked them if
they were good boys Johnny and Tom
nv. though a little abashed, answered
manfully with q view to sixpences) that
they were, but Willy, who was of ner-
vous temperament, began to cry, and
promised irrelevantly that he wouldn't do
it again.
Dinner. time speedily arrived, much to
the satisfaction of everybody. A few min
utes before the appointed hour came a
young gentleman with very stiff shirt
collar, and a rather bashful expression of
countenance, whom Milly's bushes at
once designated as Charley Collins. AL
most before Charley had been formally in
troduced, Miss Pinnifer came upon the
scene, dressed in the black satin spencer,
and pink muslin skirt, with little blue
bows pinned on all over her, and leading
by the hand solemn looking individual,
whom she introduced in tragedy tone as
"My brother" The individual thus al
luded to did not trouble himself to salute
the company, but dropped into the first
chair in his way, and f1xed his eyes with
strong glare upon Mr.. Brown. The
party arranged themselves round the
liable, and began to do full justice to the
good cheer. For some time there was
but little conversation, everybody being
too busily employed to talk, when
suddenly Miss Pinnifer's brother
paused in the very act of convey
ing a large piece of turkey to his mouth,
and pointing with his fork, and the
morsei still on it, at Mr.. Brown, said
"Halloa |" Mr. Brown looked little un-
comfortable, when Miss Pinnifer hastened
to explain" You'll excuse my brother,
sir, he's of unsound mind" And then
leaning over two of the little TOdds, and
seizing her brother by the collar of his
coat, she shook him violently, and said in
an impressive voice, Robert, behaved"
Whereupon Robert became much de-
pressed and behaved" accordingly. After
the excitement caused by this little incl
dent had subsided, the dinner proceeded
with great smoothness, and the little par
ty, which at first had felt some little con-
straint, was rapidly unbending under the
genial influence of the Christmas cheer.
At last came the crowning glory, in the
shape of the pudding. And such <pud-
ding! 1t was the very largest-sized pud-
ding within the memory Of the Oldest in
habitant: so big, indeed, that Milly
couldn't bring it in herself, but had to ask
Charley Collins to help her. And rich
I should rather think it wasi 1t was q
regular millionaire of pudding. Miss
Pinnifer's brother again created a little
confusion by insisting on eating pepper
with it, and shedding tears when the cruet
was taken away from him: but when at
last he was prevailed upon to try it with
out seasoning, he sent up his plate three
times, from which infer that he was by
no means such an idiot as was generally
supposed.
At last the dinner came to an end-as
dinners will, the more's the pity-and the
party drew round the fire in cosy semi
circle, and set to work regularly to enjoy
themselves. The kettle was put on the fire,
the spirits and lemons and sugar were
brought out, and Mr.. Brown volunteered
to brew sOme punch (which he did as
though punch had been his daily drink