Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-12-28

/ completed ms seventeen year. and the AT
lantic," New Englands favoritc magazine,
with which Mr.. Whittier has always been 80
closely identified since its very commence
ment reached its twentieth ycur the same
dhy. Ii was. consequently, peculiarly fitting
that Messrs. u O. Houghton n Co., the pres
ent publishers of the magazine. should make
! feast in honor of the day, TO which Mr..
! Whittier was hidden ns the chief guest with
about fifty other choice spirits. 10 do him the
homage which comes from the heart of every
one. II was O. royal occasion. and one which
| win be long remembered by those who w,r,
so fortunate us 90 be among Che chosen
guests Why J would have been happy had
/ been relogatcd TO the lonesomest corner.
could ! have had u pie like that to have pick
ed the plums out off, Jack Homcr would
have been nothing to me m my self glorhoa-
ton and cAuitatiou. What matter II ! was
put away from the table set ont among the
shadows. / would yet have had the perfume
of Che flowers. the sight of the faces and the
sound of the voices. / WIS denied my corner
but some one has brought the spirit of the ou-
casiou to me- standing III the gloom and the
chill of the outside given me a glimpse of the
brightness and warmth. and infected inc Will
ms own enthusiasm. feel la little less like
Glory McQuirk this morning than / did last
might Tor although th. good time WAS go
ing on Oh the same. and u wasn't IN il. vet
some one was kind enough to bring bit Of 1t
/ away for ue, $50 ! get It with not much of it,
freshness lost, If it was at second hand
Fnncy table crowned with guests lik,
Whittier Emerson Ionpfellow and Holmes
four names most reyered IN American liter
nture. quarte.te whose equal is rarely seen
the world over Beside these were Whipple
. Hgsnson Crunch the artist. poet and phi
losophef-uud Charlie Elliot Norton. while
among the younger men were Howells, the
most charming of c-snyists critical of con
uoisssurs and loyal OF men. who edits the At
luutic with o. grace and discretion which non,
OF hi predecessor have surpassed Charles
Dudley Warner. the freshest and cheericst OF
oar writers vino has newer grown ~. as his
last book being O. boy. distinctly proves
John boyi, O'beilly tue hery young Irish
refugee. vino. coming here few year, ago o.
: poverty and exile, unknown and uuirieud,d
has won tor himself % proud place in litsru-
ture. H. +. Seudi-r the author of tine charm
I ing Bodley Books. and Samuel L. Clemens.
under which formal arpelluuUu tine majority
/ of the world wont recognize the prince Of
. good fellows Mark Twain. DO Won think We
need to fear for the future of our national lit
emturc with men like these to tax. tine pincc
OF those who are passing away Holmes had
% poem ia which ns paid the Ioycllrst tributes
Co Whittier. LouEieuov and Lowell Isn't
this reference to Whittier axpuisit, ,--
"Aud the wood thrush q Esss,, yon know whom ]
mc-u.
whose cong echoes round us while be- sits unseen.
Whose hta-t-tlrous of verse through our melnories
thrill
Like breath from tine wood. like . breeze from tt-
We thinl it the vote, Of q serspu That siug--
. Alas remainder that angels have WING
What story is ths % tine dsy q mis- birth
Let aim lave o. hundred ! We want him on eartl.~
This i- refreshing after all the twuddle the
public has been treated 10 lately on TINS same
tupi. Mark Twain made a funny speech
grote,gue Iu it- absuriity. Ii seem, to M
that Twain i- ine4hnustibia IN lis droiiues-
and his latest effort Us always the most vhiln-
steal With sentiment and humor tine eve
ming passed and ann sure Mir Whittier will
count Al- seventeen birthday as not the least
pleasant OF all ng has kept
The Old South fuir is almost over; on,
day more and 1t will be closed and like it,
predecessor. will Doe hu, a memory. During
tie past two weeks. our women Of leisure
have been playing at snopkecping and max
ing believe work with a white-tingered daiuti-
ncs-. which lent a charm To everything they
did. and with au enthusiasm that viii "ten'
when tomorrow the receipts VIII be counted
ur. ] think tn, Old South is safe: tine Wis,
women who have had tine matter III cnarg.
have taken care of that They have sent TO
thu ends ul the earth. levied contributions
from every nation TO sci the temptations
which should snare the uuwary feet ana coax
tine money from uusIspecting pockets. There
have been thousands Of dollurs spent there
during tin. holiday season, and / should feel
like cougratulaung those who had il IN charge
did / not know how much actual trouble they
have uuwiJuugly caused The Old south
fund mas gained. but il has been at the ex-
pense of men who had looked forward to this
holiday season to retrieve the fortunes Of 90
most disastrous business year There Is not
o. dealer OF any account Ia Boston vino Is not
thousands Of dollar poorer for Tins fais
Look at 1t for "a minute. The year has been
noommouly bad: most Of them have done
little more than keep themselves ON their feet :
they had counted on the holiday trade to give
them "a uew impetus. This fair wac projected
they Were ali expected 10 contribute To 1t and
did So most generously: then the very people
whose trade they had looked for spent their
money there 30 they were double losers. l.
il surprising that among this cnss OF men
There isn't tnat enthusiasm for tAc cause that
it, advocates think IT the duty of every one t.
| exhibit: Certainly. Save the Old South by all
means. but / question whether d should d.
| done at tine risk Of destroying even one man 3
chances Tor fair business future. have
/ heard this story Of loss from at least Il dozen
lips during the past week.
Now don't think / am lacking IN patriotism
or that have no yeneration for the old land
marks Of boston / wouldn't have the Old
South destroyed, but there are so many men
and women of fortune who might come 10
the rescue. who would not feel il as those do
/ on whom tine real burden has fallen. the rt-
tail merchants OF the city
The Museum and Globe are following Eng
lish fashion IN giving us something Jolly and
nee for Christmas spacialues only We are 10
he treated to Opera B0uiie and burlesque in
stead OF pantomime. AT the Museum the
1 Christmas bill consists of beauty aud the
/ Beast and that lovely play, Dot" This
| comes the nearest 10 the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I combination Of Dora and "Bmcb-eyed Su-
1 SAN which attracted so many thousands Of
delighted persons TO Selwyu's during the FIRST
/ winter OF its existence.
At the Globe, the new opera buuffr, Pip
/ pin" by j. Cheeyer Goodwin and John Bra
] hmm Is ~ na r,rnlnnDl with Elm Mothrrl,,.