Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-01-03


was awfully grand, but not at all jolly; jolly
things are the best
But what would you have, Aggic the
old round of blindmans buff and pusa' in-the.
corner? | believe / have n weakness for
those venerable gNmos myself DO you re.
member the story grandmnmma tells us OF
how she remembers spinning in the corner,
while uncle John and cousin Lizzie played
blindman and big cousin Joe spnwlcd on
the floor Z"
Eyes, l do indeed, but people would hard
ly he satisfied nowadays with blindman'
buff. We must think of something new,
aunt Mary Frank wants us always to have
new things. As for Christmas trees, | am
sick to death of them they give 50 much
trouble and last such a short time A few
charades we will have, but We never spend
money on them; we always make the dress
es out of old things. and we must take care
not to have too much of one thing that is a
great mistake constant change is the soul of
fun"
There was a great deal more talk as to
what should be done at Laurel Lodge on
New Years eve. by the time the evening
arrived everything was satisfactorily arranged.
Frank had spent whole days searching
through histories to find suitable scenes for
characters, while Louis and Goldie had been
UP W NlltlI Is III iillbN llllb 'iae
lumber room for old chaih, brass rirgs or
diapidated tiger.skins. Agnes declared that
she wns worn out cutting and crimping ruifs
out of still crinone muslin, and manuiactur-
ing stomachers and crowns out of beads and
gold paper. When 7o'clock struck, ,Npecta-
tion was on tiptoe, and every one tt the
Thorntons was as eager and excited as VIII
helm Mester himself when he was about to
exhibit his celebrated puppct show. Cha
rades were to open the amuscmcntS Of the
evening The large bay window, with its
long curtains which fell conveniently around
and shut it out from the rest of the room
made rs II good stage rs could be- wished Tor
When the company were all seated, the cur
tain was drawn back, aud LOUIS and Goldie-
Goldie conspicuous from his long bright
curls-were discovered lying ON thr floor
locked in each others arms. while two dos
peratc looking ruiiians, with hacken'd faces
stood over them, holding huge feather bed
which they dropped over the little sicrptrs.
At first this was thought to r,pr, ,'rt the
Babes in the Wood, but wiser head, discov-
cred it to be the young princes N til, Tower
Next followed court sc,rr-(luctu Eliza
beth, gorg, Gus in her run and stomachcr,
giving the ring To the Earl of Essex Agnes
was the queen, while her brother George was
Essex. and knelt down on velvet cushion to
receive the gift. His crimson satin doublyt
had been manufactured with great difficulty
out of christening cloak some fifty years
old while his sword was a Spanish dagger
borrowed from Mr.. TLomton's cabinet OF Gu
riositics. The ladies of tho court were AS
smart rs crimp,d rrfIs, leads and th, united
jewclry Of the house could make them. The
next scene was Elizabeth visiting thu Coun-
tess of Nottingham il her bod and shaking
her as she confessed that IA, had lot given
the ring which Ess, had ,,ut to I'll, queen.
''Ihe word the word ~ was now shouted
out and it was soon guessed to be tower
ing the tow, ring passion of the last scene
finishing up the whole. The next charudc
commenced with Goldie and his three young
est sisters being i,d along as captvcS with
iron chains round thch rssl while a priest
represented by Frank "a toing robes and
a long beard passed by ava asked who the
children with those fair skins and bright bair
could be. When lie was tolA "Anglc.' he
answered Not Angles, but angels" This
WAS nf c-ufse ST. Augustine and the English
prisoners. The next scene was Rohinton
Crusoc, in his suit of skins, trying To strike a
light with flint stone. His cats and parrot
were looking on, and as the parrot called "A
glass of brandy and water Just at the right
time this was thought to be the most success
full scene that had come yet. Now the lights
were lowered and Scroogr. the miser. was
seen covering over the emb'rN OF his fire,
with his nlghtcap on his head and basin of
%n'oi e'ur' !" "Hl n"hu In' E''"S1 ~ pi mar
ley appeared III the background. Tie part
OF the ghoSt h'd been gwen to the thnnest
Oog tnn' oou!u pe Iouhu H' h"d uBht sult
Vi "hI'e cAllcp' "nllo N"Por"uS mist ot
white gauze gave him a most ghostly appear
ance. When he muttered Ser 90. g-t 80
IN u deep ScpulChral tone. SOM, Of the LITTLE
ones shlNered with terror. But they were AL
rlsht agaln when the curtain was drawn, and,
after niue consultation "Sklntnt ~ was
@ cull,u ou' D! tnr spectators ana this guess
proved 10 DE rlght. NO more charadcs were
gwen IN accordance %ith Agnes lhorntons
rule that there should not be too much Of
any one thiGB during the evening The par
" no" divided Ihe httie ones played post
and pnss-ln-the-corner, while the others sat
round III circle to have game which would
exercise their brains instead of their legs. 1t
was as follows; Two of the party 90 out
OF the ROOM whiIe the rest fix on - certain
en- G9ar"cter' either IN history fiction or real
life A certain object or substance with
which the person is connected is also fixed
upon ana the task OF the others Is to guess
from the answers to their questions who the
person Is and what is the substance. One
takes the person the other the substance and
IL, the Questions are asked alternately. Frank
Thornton chose the person and began ut the
top of the group.
is the person alive at present, GEORGE"
No"
Then came Amy Eckersalrs turn. She
had taken charge or the subject, and her
question was
rs the substance hard or soft Goldie 2"
"Well, neither hard nor soft-rathor hard
sometimes"
"Umph not n very satisfactory answer,
certainly"
Now Frank took up the question.
rs the person man or woman
"A man
is the substance thing in common use Z"
pause
NOT that part al lt-some part OF 1t is. ."
rs the character person in n story"
ASKED puzzled FRANK
yes,
is ihe substance something to eatt' con-
tihued amy.
fart OF II can be eaten.
rs the person some one in fairy story -
freenie
yes, yes cried Preenie eagerly.