Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-01-05

(which would bo very great pilyp
said the old bachelor, with emphasis, and
rather diabollcal grin.
"Yis, Sur. An now suppose well be
amber movin Shure, for IL only naded The
baby TO make 1t complate owld-I name
Miss Osborne, cats, dogs an babies"
"Get me my great-coat," was the only
reply he received. an answer the note
personally" And the great coat on, away
started Miles Guernsey for Rose Cottage
once more.
"Bedad," said Mike, with an intoxicated
wink, "it's mesilf knew he wouldn't sthand
the baby"
Miss Osborne's parlor was that night, II
possible, brighter and cbeerier than it was
on the summer. day The old bachelor had
first entered II. Instead of roses, Christ
mas greens dotted with brilliant red ber-
ries looped back the curtains, enwreaihed
the pictures, and dropped from vases and
shells, and right over the tall wax candle
burning on the centre table hung a bunch
OF mistletoe (sent with kindly greetings
and real English plum-pudding from
some kinsfolk across the sea), lis waxen
berries cleaning like clouded pearls among
its slender green leaves. Miss Osborne
had evidently not expected her guest so
soon, for she sat before the glowing CRATE
fire with Bessie Vests baby on her knees,
its small pink toes held out toward the
welcome warmth, and itself cooling and
gurgling amer the fashion peculiar to ex-
treme youth.
Ipx lnratxy uI,a l.nL nd txiib r.
holly in her hair, a tender light in her eyes,
and the loose sleeves OF her dark silk dress
falling back from her shspely white arms,
as she held the child with motherly grace,
and softly sang dreamy nursery rhyme
Miles Guernsey thought OF a beautiful Ma
donna he had seen in Rome as be looked
earnestly at her, moment before she be-
came aware of his presence. (The black
eyed maid servant going out in hurry as
he reached the door, he had entered un-
heard.) AT last she started up, the roses in
her cheeks sweeter aud pinker than ever.
"a merry Christ nas" she cried. "How
good of you TO come so early I'll go call
brother Robert"
~ don't want TO see your brother" said
the old bachelor-"at least not yet. Icame
10 ask"
~ was sure you would" said Miss o,-
borne, breaking out into a laugh like a
young girls, ~ told mother so this morn
ing. Iknow what you came 10 ask"
"Are you quite certain you do ?" said the
old bachelor, an odd smile dancing over
his face. until il danced in his handsome
dark eyes.
"Quite certain" said the old maid seri-
ously. "But we really don't need your
help, Mr.. Guernsey; for although we are
far from rich, we have enough to share
with this dear little one, sent to me, it
seems-don't think me foolish-Ls a pre-
cious Christmas gin ON the blessed Christ
mas day--the day Mary clssped her beauti-
iul Boy 10 her heart in the stable at Bethle-
hem. See, isn't she prettyf And so plumpi
Take her in your arms. I am sure you,
who are SO kind to cats aud dogs, must al
most love this motherless little girl" And
she laid the child in the arms OF the man
who had never held baby before, and
who looked down upon it with something
very like tears glittering in his eyes.
"Ye>, it is pretty, aud plump, and every
thing you say. Rosa-pardOn me. Miss
Osborne; but please take it back. I'm
afraid OF ii. It's making fearful mouths at
me, and I'm sure IFS going 10 Scream"
said the old bachelor, sfter holding baby
exactly two minutes, the tears, il they
were tears, gone, aud the smile back again.
do take it, beg, or shall drop it,"
The old maid held out her arms. He
placed the child in them.
"And now you must 60 10 bed, baby"
she said, turning away aud then turning
back to say with another merry laugh,
You'd scarcely believe il, Mr.. Guernsey,
but Waif is jealous, aud so is puss and her
daughter"
And there they were-Waif on one side
OF her, and the cat and her kitten on the
olheI; all the objects of his detesiation
grouped together in one terrible tableauI
"Oae moment, Miss Osborne, before you
60" he stammered, 81 have come to
ask"
"Ask any thing can grant," said Miss
Osborne encoursgingly, "dnd will grant
1t, for you have been kind neighbor-I
hope may say friend-and this is merry
Christmas-"
"You 10 be my wife," interrupted Miles
Guernsey, a wonderful look of love light
ing up his face.
The baby would have been dropped then
If he hadn't caught it. But he did catch il,
aud the old maid too, in his strong, tender
arms.
won't tell you what she said, but will
say That now here on earth was there amet-
rier Christmas than at Rose Cottage that
Christmas night and will say, further,
that the following summer a Mrs. Miles
Guernsey helped 10 superlntend the cul-
ture OF the early cucumbers and pease in
Miles Guernsey's miniature vegetable gar
den, and that a number of rose-bushes
found their way across the daisy -spangled
meadow aud over the fence to the border of
the neatly kept lawn, and on that same
neatly kept lawn a wee baby girl tumbled
about uureproved, with Wa.f as a constant
companion and Mary Ann, the cat, an oc-
casional visitor. Aud 1 will still further
say that tue next Christmas there was a
grandma in the house, and a grandson with
his mothers light brown hair and his ia
theirs dark eyes, and the most abject slave
to both little ones was Mike, the "widdy
mau."-Huper's Weekly.
The President, In his annual message, re-
fers to the fact that he never voted at but
ono Presidential election, whereupon a