Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-01-06
THE CHRISTIANS VISITOR.

POlypOdlum House was III p STATE OF
wild excitement. Inside and outside,
from roof to basement, all betokened
preparations for the reception of some
specially honored guest. Never in the
annals of Polypodium House had the
brass plate on the door shone with such
brilliant lustre. Never (well, hardly
ever had the doorstep been hearthston-
ed to such marble whiteness, or the oil-
cloth in the hall bees -waxed to such
alarming slipperiness. Warm smells of
a cakey description pervaded the lower
regions and even found their way pre-
maturely into the drawing-room, where
the two Misses Pimpernel sat in eager
expectation. 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 side
board, was decorated with garland of
paper roses. But the crowning glory of
the room was its antimacassars. Anti
macassars had always been a leading
feature at Polypodium House Academy.
Ill natured people, unable to conceive
devotion to art for its own sake, had
been known to remark that the parents
paid for the materials, the young ladies
did the work and the Misses Pimpernel
kept the antimacassars but be this as it
might, it is certain that the antimacas
sar manufacture was carried on at Poly
podium House with extraordinary vigor.
There were some of soft clinging wool,
against which you leaned back luxuri
ously. and spiteful nobby ones. which
hurt your head when you sat down, and
stuck to your coat-oollar and hung down
your back when you got up again. On
the mantelpiece stood a miniature of a
chubby faced young man, with stubbly
red hair; and over it hung an oil 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 seat
ed on the same sofa, their arms lovingly
entwined together, and the youngest
Miss Pimpernel gazing upward with
rapt affection at the eldest Miss Pimper-
nel's tortoise shell comb. And here, on
the selfsame sofa, sat the Misses Pim-
pernel again. Miss Pamela was perhaps
shade fatter, and Miss Penelope shade
taller and thinner than in the old days
The short-waisted dresses had succumb-
ed to the changeful influences of time
and fashion, and the Misses Pimperne el
had scarcely. so brilliant complexion,
or so much Of it, as they appeared to
have had at their pictorial age, but all
else was unchanged the sofa, the tor
toise-shell combs, the hair in the little
punches of frizzy ringlets on either side
of the head, even to the pose of Miss
Pamela's disengaged hand on the arm
4 fIoc 70 L
chief which in the portrait she held
daintily nipped by its middle between
her thumb and second finger, and which
nipped between her second finger and
thumb-all seemed so little altered that
one might have fancied that, having
taken their place On the sofa for the pur-
pose of the portrait, the sisters had re-
manned there ever since. On the pre-
sent occasion, however, Miss Pamela s
eyes were directed towards the eff1gy OF
the chubby youth on the mantelplece
Her sister, meanwhile, was employed
in knitting, occasionally stopping to
listen as if for some expected sound. Al
ter a few moments gaze at the sandy
youth, Miss Pamela exclaimed, pressing
the small lace handkerchief with both
hands to her left side:
'De-ar Peter how I long to see him ;
you are sure he said to- night, Pene-
lope? p
MY dear child, how can you be so alb
surd? Here is his letter. Read it again
| if you feel any doubt on the subject,
though you must have done so quite slx
times already. He distinctly says he
hopes to be with us about seven O'Clock
on Tuesday evening, the 22nd. This IS
Tuesday, is it not? and it is now quar-
ter to seven.'
Thirteen minutes, dear! Thirteen
minutes! Only to think that in few
short minutes he will be here" Here
Miss Pamela again pressed the small
handkerchief spasmodically against her
left side, as if that was the spot referred
to.
Now, Pamela, my DEAR said the cid
er sister, ia O warming voice, and hold