Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1870-02-18

LLDOhO, L., II IL
splendid, Georgia. Did you ever assist in
dressing ono3"
No. George never had. There were
"men" that did them, sho stated vaguely I;
but she reused herself 10 tako an interest
as 1t seemed expected of her, and the con.
versation flowed easily along, with little
local gossipings for Hatty's benefit and oc-
casional explanations for hor own. After
a while she began to got a glimpse of the
state Of things. The parish boasted now
clergyman, !it seemed. "a most lovely
young man." aunty said and unmarried,
of COURSE" Georgia adds TO herself, "elso
there wouldn't bo all this fuss about him."
This, his first Christmas in Kinnicut was
to bo celebrated with all pphiA and circum-
stance, II seemed. And questions and an-
swers about ground pine, and laurel and
hemlock, and ivy, and who was to not the
holly berries for tha fontepayy -
terswect for tho 4lrchos, ana n + \
and Carrie that, I'd Jack aomohol Mo
seemed quito an important nars|.n. d6w 81
and fro till she grow quite = NJ Aunsr
pronounced Id sleepy ahs 4 gestod W
which proposal sho gIaaA PIED, ieSd
soouI6olsed undesea-<lf q NJ \ Will 80
pleasant glow Of the efiSefs nickoring ufs
on her pillows, she was sleeping, dream.
less sleep, refreshing alike to mind and
body.
The sun was pouring in yollow bars
through the blinds whom she awokc, Out
doors all was crisp and sparkling.
81 will make now start today" she
said TO herself. "Hore, where IL is so pleas
ant, and they are all so kind, It must be
easy to forget" Bracod by this resolve,
she went down so bright and graceful and
charming, that uncle, fairly bowitched,
went about chanting her praises to all his
cronies, and aunty couldn't say enough in
her favor.
"Not a bit spoiled or stuck up; 80 fond
of the country, it was wonderful, such a
belle as she had beenl ~ And every one
who called ro-ochoing the same story,
| quito furoro arose in the village concern
ing ''the young lady from Now York"
1t was easy to charm others. Georgia
had always found it so; to charm herself
was harder. The old pain ached still,
little duller, perhaps, but ii was there. She
| perseverod heroically, and threw herself
into all that was going forward. The girls
of Kinnlcutt were bright, unaffected set
woll-mannered and well-informed, a little
moro solicitous about their trimming, and
the patterns of their gowns than city girls
| perhaps; but quito as nice and capable in
all respects. Such momentous questions
as, "Is there any new way of making
sleeves?" "Are skirts plcated or gathered
now?" were often asked her-points which
she had been in the habit of leaving so en-
tirely to the opinion of her drcssmakcr,
that she hardly know what to answer ut
first; but she was obliging, suggested, I'D
vised, lent her patterns right and left, as an
authority of fashion should, and grow very
| popular AS fancy-work woman, hor as
sistance was invaluable. Half the Christ
mas surprises in the neighborhood, owed
their lustro to her. She even, in pursuance
of her resolve, inflicted a needless suffer-
ing upon herself, by taking in hand the
slippers she had begun for Allen, to finish
for her uncle. What fun they two had
taken over these slippers, with their grace
golden wheat cars on a deep red ground
How Allen had laughingly made her prom
iso to work another pair noxt yenr, with a
device moro suitable for a married man.
Every stitch she set in them, was like
stab of memory. Her lips would press
| tightly together, sometimes, with inward
pain, but she would not give in. If reso-
luton could do it, she was bound to be
| cured.
The Rev. Edward Latimer proved, as
she had guessed, an unmarried man. "An
unmarried priest" was what he would
have called himself. Fresh from a High
Church Seminary, Kinnicut was having
the benefit of what might be termed the
"foliated Gothic" portion of his career. An
atmosphere of ornamental detail pervaded
all his administrations. Carving flowers,
little symbolic designs decorated his old
church at every possible point. The an-
cient choir had been disbanded, and cho-
rus of Gregorian chanting Sunday School
| scholars, in white dresses, replaced them.
| His own words of ineXperience were de-
| livcred from afoft, in snowy surplicc, with
| the addition of an embroidered stole, and
| it was whispered about, that "intonng"
| would soon be added to the attractions OF
the service. For the rest, he was as good
and well meaning young fellow, rs could
| be found anywhere, and when time and
work had ripened him, bade fair to make
most excellent and useful parish clergy
man. Meantime the young ladies of tho
parish, thought him perfection, as he was
Embroidered his altar cloth, copied his
| gcnuflexions, and entered heart and soul
into the design of making this Christmas
festival tho most beautiful and complete
over known in the place. The choirsterf
were drilled night and day, in the execu-
| tion OF an elaborate anthem. The Sunday
School was to be delighted with Christ
mas tree, and beauteous designs of ovorv
kind were OH foot, for tho transformation
of the church building into a miracle of
greenness and beauty.
All hands were impressed into the service
George, with her educated tasto and def
fingers, was a valuable reinforcement
She hardly knew holly from hemloct bp...
that was no matter, tho girls said, and hcr
feeling for religious art was what tho Roy.
Alfred donominated truly wonderful. SIIe
was as much charmed as others, by the
sweet face and manner ofthe pretty strangS
or but George had no heart to flirt, and
with gentle indifference let opportunity es-
capo her, which many village belle would
have grasped at with secret transport.
Christmas eve was upon them almost bo-
fore they were aware. Hatty floundered
through her last preparations, made loud
| ii. ..TNn a
the afternoon to the church, whore much
remained to be done In tho way OF finish
ing touches. Sho was not quite so much
convert TO the new order of things, as some
of her friends, perhaps because her mind
was preoccupied by another image-no
other than the "Jack somebody" of the
first evening, whose importance Georgie
had soon learned to distinguish and recog-
nize. But that is neither hero nor there in
our story.