Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-06-14
POLLY's PIES,

uu1llt ufeiueai hunOul'tu lulI some one
there recognized the signal ani knew the
baking was done
In and out Travelled the busy shovel till the
inner depth where yet O red glow fingered.
was reached, gave mp its last treasure, and
Polly, making fan of her apron, stood bc.
fore the table to inspect the result There
they were ranged 10 order due, the loayes
brown and white, the rolls, the cracking pork
and beans, the " lection cake, that difficult
dainty, over whose precarious fortunes she
had watched till midnight-the two-and-twon.
ty pigs, gold, brown, and cranberry red
toothsome mince and translucent apple, Gus
tard ilecked with cinnamon tarts open-moulh-
ed aud gaping for the friendly jam and in
the midst, its disk like yellow earthen ware
towering above the rest, the huge chicken pie,
to whose composition had gone such wealth
Of cream, Of celery, iatted pullets, as is not
often met with outside the limits Of the Pur-
sail farm. With somathing Of the feeling Of
general nt the head of his battalion, Polly
reviewed her forces, noting here and there a
specially crisp edging, and in her own mind
apportioning this and that to Uncle Nathan
or Aunt Sapphira, and these to grace to-mor-
rows dinner; for tomorrow was New
/ Englands special day--that " great day OF
the feast'--in behalf of which governors are
wont to make proclamation, and neighbors to
vie in friendly zeal Of housewifery and kind
remembrance Of those who have no portion
of their own.
Yes" said Polly, half aloud, that will
be best for the Bulger children, guess. The
crust is little too brown, but they won't
mind that and its so big. Then old Aunt
Piggett shall have this and that one l'll
send
An approaching iootstep cut short the solilo.
guy, and, blushing rosy red she caught up
one special pie and hurried it into the table
drawer Next moment her mother entered.
Well, Polly, done ?"
Yes mother. Come and look at them.
They made pleasant picture that mother
and daughter, as they stood side by side be
fore the long ironing-table. Mrs. Pursall wa
tall and erect, the very model Of farmer
wife Strong sweet, with face unfurrowe,
by the wheels of that light team, care an,
worry, who drive so heavily over female gooC
looks in our country, and smile undimmed anC
bright, it was easy to vision forth the bonnl
bride who thirty years before, had passet
through that door on her wedding morning
to be from thencelorth the JOY and comfort 0
all within And beside her stood the yisio
renewed in early youth, the same eyes O
happy blue, the same dimped cheeks, th
same capable hands for Mrs Pursal was
noted housewife, and Polly inherited the gif
{ in full measure. II was with little heart
t beat that she now watched her mothers criti
= cal survey, and the nod with which it con
4 cluded
First-rate, dear / neves saw better
D And what lot Of them Some are to sen
5 away, | suppose2"
+ Oh, yes, indeed it would take US a mont
: to eat them ALL See, mother, these are tn
ones | picked out for ourselyes-for to-mol
d row and Sunday, you know And the other
3 are for different ioks--od Kate and uncl
), Nat, and the Bulgers, and so on. Don't yo
s think ! was lucky in my loaf Of cake ?"
t Indeed you were, and it's trying cake
] too Suppose you frost a couple of the loavt
y for tomorrow evening, and put the Other
1 away in the tin. You must be sure an
n wrap them up well. Did you ask anybod
y to come in the evening besides the Watson
It and Jim2
y No, ma aam--that is--yes, began Poll
It flushing and fustered, ! mean didn't asl
e but when Phil Ralston was here in the sun
Is mer he said he should drop in if he coul'
o and told him we'd be happy to see him"
o "Oh WELL replied Mrs Pursall too il
o tent upon the pies to detect the weak poin
e Of this lucid explanation, " that was so lor
= ago that very likely he's forgot all about
n But Philip is always welcome any how"
IN Polly said nothing In her secret soul Il
g did not believe Phil had forgotten
* How distinctly she remembered about thi
lie promise. All through the vacation so vagu
b. ly alluded to as " in the summer" they ha
G. been together, Phil and she, gardening at I'll
IS rate of mignonette seed to twenty minute
1t conversation botanizing;" Heaven say
es the mark Polly hardly knew the differenl
| between pstil and pistol y dawdling at tn
>" gate under the pink sunset until the moo
p rose shy and silvery above the pink, and Mr.
It Pursalls voice addressed them from an uppl
" window on the subject Of damp /" " trap
n sing" to use the language Of the same a
a thority, in wet grass Of evenings to scare
RI out glow worms--all Of these and smili
is pursuits had made it time of enchantmen
1t Phil was an old playmate aud neighbor; n
g. body thought much of their being togethe
70 but Polly thought great deal. And Il
IT last day of all, when she supposed him gon
4, he had stolen away half an hour before ira
IS time and surprised her in the cool well-roor
- her sleeves rolled up, her slender waist e
9, yeloped in a white apron, making pies-a
d unconscious of his proximity. The last Wis
81 stood in bold relief from Others: for, linge
e ing there outside the window, words hi
d been half said, half looked, which she cou
d never forget, though, at the same time hl
3 frightened, she had pretended not to unde
stand them And at last he took to teasi
about the pies, as she daintily rolled I
k paste, aud jagged the narrow strips for cd
j. ing. Wouldn't she make him one-al
It own-at thanksgiving time, for instance,
IS he was coming home then2 Oh, yes, he "
a sure she would, though she gave no promis
n he should come in the evening for It. A
n then the time came for him to 60 A
J. leaning through the window-Polly color
" now as she thought Of it--he had softly XII
G. ed the little brown wrist, and departed,
a last words being, If you love me, Pol
y don't forget the pie | am afraid it was
Of late for that "if"
ID For, dreadful as it seems, the Pollies
e. real life do not always wait, as the books $
they should, until decisive word has be
spoken before yielding their hearts. Lo
on comes unseen, unsought, as the sun comes
ut the dew eyes ask, and looks ask. Pruder
tugs foebly at the bolt, but her strength