Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-12-27

was.
" Poor old lady," soliloquized as / r,
turned to nay room below, - you, ct Ieas
nave been spared the suares ofCupid. You
! at least know nothing of the bitter-swee
, thought, 1t might have been -
Here some one passed me, and looking III
| recognized Mr.. Blunt, a Young clerk, wit
whom I had never before EXCHANGED word
although ne had been in the house for 81
months. lie came and went with silent rec
ularity. and beyond his name | knew abso
IuteIy nothing of his history or persona
attributes. Obeying q sudden impulse, IN
vited him 20 dine with me. The young maj
turned back, bowed grayely, but courteousl,
declined, with z trace of dignifed reserve
which did not displease me. Something il
his dark eyes impressed me, and, curious to
see more Of them, [ explained my situation
and with earnest cordiality begged my fellow
boarder to accept the vacant seat at my
table - am but lonely old maid, Mr.
Blunt" l concluded Will you not helT
me 10 spend merry Christmas?
rs l spoke the grave face rela xed, and
alter moments hesitation Mr.. Blunt ac-
cepted the invitation, and I returned to NV
room as Triumphant a. q manager who has
I just secured a star Of the fret magnitude
( After lunch little Jane fell asleep on the
sofa, and sitting by the window | watched
the sleighs gliding by, and thought Of the
many spirits Of Christmas Past-nearly fifty
OF them-s0me rosy with hope, some dark
with disappointment; but the majority pro
sale, even tempered ghosts, not above an in
/ tersst in the merits OF the dinner. Perhaps
a tear or two dimmed my eyes as an old en-
chauted memory stole into my heart but [
was obliged 10 confess that the last time
saw Edward he was unrOmantically stout,
ana Edward wife, manGuvring little
wretch y OF the past-seemed but a faded
care-worn woman Of the present, with very
little apparent happiness to rouse my regret
iul jealousy. Twilight came, little Jane
aWoke, Tony replenished the fire and lighted
the tapers, and | consigned my ghosts 70 the
past, As Miss Michon appeared, clad, Of course
IN a black silk, and looking palmer than
yer. A few minutes before SIX Mr. Blunt
came in, polite but rather silent. - Poor
fellow, / thought. d" lie Is embarrassed no
doubt. Probably he Is from the country,
and knows little Of the world. must try 70
draw him out "
When the last dish was in place upou the
table my oddly assorted party took their
seats. and Tony began his ninistrations.
For the purpose Of making my guests feel at
ease | made effort TO supply conversation,
asking Miss Michon questions suited To her
probable capacity. talking about the country
70 hAt ID Allts dllA cAf-hN lAl TA4tAtlF -AJsI4
10 little Jane. lt was dali work. 4 mono
loguc is apt to be dull. But as Tony was
removing the soup, who should appear bnt
my delinquent guests Adam had been
's released. after all 90 Aunt Pen feared
should be l0rely aud Eva had mirdcu-
lUusly .. recovered from her headache.
Here wa : dilemma Miss Mchon famed
herself little Jane stared at Eva, Mr.. Blunt
arose and stood By his chair, and l found
myself the mo-. embarrassed OF the party.
However. | made the hest Of H. " Three
more plates. Tony Excuse the crowded
table, Aunt Pen. Miss Mich9n, allow me 70
introduce % you Mrs Wsllaek Miss R-c,
and Mr. Brown.
Completing the intr0ductiOu-. with some
iiEIcuIty all were seated. Eve next t. Mr..
Blunt. Aunt Pen between little Jane and
myself and Adam oy the side OF Miss hich0n.
II zr7s funny but ! bad no intention oi
laughing, ana began O. carve with dignity.
The situation. however. was too much iyT
Tony. lie presented plate % Miss Mieh3n
snatched it away hastily. and placed il BEL
fore Aunt Pen took it back again, under
the prctgnso Of dusting t.. AMI finally lec 10
f. On MY head in his vain efforts 70 decide
tbe proper etiquette Of the occasion. Jolly
Miss Mloh,n burst out into peal Of laughter,
Eva Joined. Aunt Pen yielded, the young men
followed her example, and We an Laughed
until The tears stood In our eyes, beginning
aram and again a. th. embarrassed Tony,
alter diving Tor the pieces thought j. noces-
sarv g. make profound sdlaU 20 each guest
In token gi bis cJuJritisu. After ms intro
I1-t.9u. ls may we'll bl imagined, there wac
u1 ..5ristraiut - mar the dinner Iva cEar-c1
g4ylv with the clerk. Adam keIt up ire oi
talked with Ltllo Jane as though she had
known her for years. ln q gustatJry point
81 view tn1 dinner was perfect the fire
zowed. the tapers shJne brightly, the holly
a.haled it, spicy perfumes. and the guests
we're raerrv. d. HAL. minee-pie '' exclaimed
Adam ga Tony brought him 70 piece = that
4a5ily compound
IEtHas- -ts door ut sorrow ....
ANA If for cold i rap 70 die,
Wen bury It 20 Christmas pc.
And Crerulurc be- merry i
&c " hat Is that you are quoting Adam
asked Aunt Pen.
An old song Of the fourteenth century.
But why 10 you say quoting? Am I not
capable Of wooing the Muse myself | as
sure you I am brimful Of poetic FIRE, and can
gush right out az any time. J VIII give you
a Christmas poem this instant, and no. only
that. but ! viii give it without the capitals /.
We had Christmas dinner ~ 1871 il you /
only could have been there 20 hear and see /
the fun Victoria sent her regrets-shc real |
" felt toe chunky but Darwin came, and !
brought with him his old ancestral monkey |
Guy Lawrence Livingstone appeared, and /
brought We ancient wassall but John hay 1
said he could not come unless wee let MN /
{ rastle. The sweet SOrosis came IN force, /
and fell into 4 spasm and Huxley sent us
each a slice of patent protOplasm. Chang, /
the yiant. came with Barnum and Mrs. Tom /
Thumb tiny and then, for something live /
". we sent out West for Cheney but lest
the ministerial East with jealousy should /
burn. We invited, in & body, the Methodist /
Book Concern Bergh could not leave his
pre- seryation- tadpole tanks and, from
mere force Of habit. the Eds. declined with /
thanks
81 weld yield - interrupted Aunt
Pen any thing for peace. Hereafter,
Adam, ! viii never question your genius
but admire your poetry with all my heart, |
provided, you do not ask me to listen to It.
!. have always thought Adams poetry pre- |
Raphaelite, " observed Eva.
!. Pre-Adamite'' said Aunt Pen.
Ex-machina,' suggested Mr.. Blunt.
!. 4 second Mr. Slum," exclaimed Miss
Nfichon. a. Indeed, ] am not sure but that
your allusion to Darwin is a base Imitation
Of Slum's epic on Mrs. Jarley's wax-work
show"
!. And tuat reminds ne, said Adam,
). that the genius Of Christmas is gone
Could we but collect together to-day those |
whose hearts he has comfOrted. whose gloom
he has cheered, whose burden he has light |
cped. whose struggles be has encouraged;
what a mighty company, Of all ages and
elias would I'LL these streets, croWding
each other to pay farewell tribute to the
beloved author The critics might pipe
their feeble strain on whatever note 'ney
pleased, bat the people recognized anu
nIaz.dav there will be many sigh over the
,njssinS Christmas story. and many kindly
-L5, ,,r ,J,e man to whom Christmas was