The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-26
The Christmas Visitor.

from roof to basement, all betokened
preparations for the reception. of some.
specially honered guest. Never in the
annals of Polypodium House had the
brass plate on the door shone with such
brilliant iustre. Never (well, hardly
ever had the doorstep been hearthstoned
to such marble whiteness or the oilcloth
In the hall beeswaxed to such alarming
slipperiness. When smells of cakey de-
scription peryaded the lower regions,
and even found their way prematurely
into the drawing-room, where the two
Misses Pimpernel sat in eager expecta-
tion. Here, too, the evidences of festive
preparation were obvious to the least
acute observer. The. chintz covers had
been removed from the horse-hair chairs;
pale-blue rosettes adorned the legs OF the
terrestrial and celestial globes, and of the
ancient cottage piano. Even the bust of
Cicero, under the sideboard, was dec
GRATED with a garland Of paper roses. But
the crowning glory of the room was its
antimacassars. Antimacassars had al
ways been leading feature at Polypo-
dium House Academy. Ill-natured peO-
pie, unable to conceive devotion to art
for it's own sake, had been known to re-
mark that the parents paid for the ma
terials, the young ladies did the work,
and the Misses Pimpernel kept the anti
macassars; but be this as it might, it is
certain that the antimacassar manufac-
ture was carried on at Polypoaium
House with extraordinary vigor. There
were some of soft clinging wool, against
which YOU leaned back luxuriously; and
spiteful hobby ones, which hurt your
head when you sat down, and stuck to
your coat-collar and hung down your
back when you got up again. On the
mantelpiece stood a miniature Of a
chubby-faeed young man, with stubby
red hair; and over it hung an oiI-paint-
ing representing the two Misses Pimper-
mel in early youth, with very short
wasted dresses and very tall tortoise
shell combs. They were depicted seated
on the same sofa, their arms lovingly en-
twined together, and the youngest Miss
Pimperilel gazing upwards with rapt
affection at the eldest Miss PimpernePs
tortoise-shell comb. And here, on the
selfsame sofa, sat the Misses Pimpernel
again. Miss Pamela was perhaps shade
fatter, and Miss Penelope shade taller
and thinner than in the old days. The
short-waisted dresses had succumbed tc
the changeful influences of time and
fashion, and the Misses Pimpernel had
scarcely so brilliant a complexion, or Sc
mucrof it as they appeared to have hac
at their pictorial age, but all Else wa
unchanged; the sofa. the tortoise7shel
combs, the hair in little bunches of frizzy
ringlets on either side Of the head, ever
to the pose of Miss Pamela's disengagec
hand on the. arm of the sofa, and tho
little lace handkerchief which in th,
portrait she held daintily nipped by it
middle between her thumb and secont
finger, and which she now held in like
manner dmntily nipped between he
second finger and thumb-all seemed 81
little altered that one might almost havt
faneied that having taken their place OF
the sofa for the purpose of the portrait
the sisters had remained there ever since
On the present occasion, however
Miss Pamela's eyes were directet
towards the efigy of the chubb.
youth on the mantelpiece. He
sister, meanwhile, was employed ii
knitting, occasionally stopping to listen
as if for some expected sound. After
few moments gaze at the sandy youth
Miss Pamela exclaimed, pressing tn
small lace handkerchief with both hand
to her left side: ,,t.a." -.
Dear Peter! how I long to see him
you are sure he said tonight, Penel
opep =
MY dear child, how can you be so ak
surd? Here is his letter. Read it. agai
if you feel any doubt on the subjec
though you must have done 80 quite 81
times already. He distinctly SAYS h
hopes to be with lis about seven o'cloc
on Tuesday evening, the 23d. This
Tuesday, is it not? and it is now qua
ter to seven ut-.,.-s- .s,-,f....s.r
Thirteen minutes, dear! Only to thin
( that in few short minutes he will b
/ herep D., ..,..
Here Miss Pamela again pressed tn
small handkerchief spasmodieally agains
/ her left side, as if that was the spot RI
ferred to. =.
Now, Pamela, my dear,' said the eide
sister in warning voice, and holding u
her knittinG-needle by way of emphasi
beware! You know what DIR. Dottsait
You must not let that sensitive organ
zation of yours run away with you, c
he will mot answer for the consequence
DIR. Dott will not answer for the cons
quences; remember that, Pamela
%, bother DR.. Dottp said Miss Pamel'
Excuse me, my dear Penelope, and don
look so dreadfuEy shocked. You kno
what a silly impulsive creature / an
and to have an only brother returnin
from India after twenty years absence
enough to bouleyerser anybody, Pm sur
Only fancy, twenty years! It's quite
romance, isn't it? Now, Penelope, eve
you, with your streng commen-sens
you must admit that it's quite a n
nance "a fa "am .ry
well, no, dear, I don't think shoul
60 quite SO far as that. 1t is romanti
L. i