Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-03-19
THE CHRISTMAS VISITOR 1T POL-
VPODITrH HOTSE

lPODICu house.
Polvuodium House was in n state of wild
excitement Inside and outside from roof
to basement au betokened preparations for
the recention Of some snecially honored guest.
Never in the annals of Polypodium House
had tho brass plate on the door shone with
.ncb L,illinnt Instra Never well hardly
ryer, haJ ,Le joorstan been beartbstoned 10
sucl, marble whitenoss. or the oilcloth in the
Lall brrswaxed TO such alarming slipperiness.
Wsr,u smells of n cokev dcscrintion beryaded
,bo In,ysr rscions and even found their vay
nrar,s,nrslv into the drnwinp.room. where
tba two Niss,s Pimnernel SAT in eayer e1pec.
ta,ior H.. Zoo tho evidences of festive
nrennro,ion y.ro obyious TO the least acute
6Lesrvor The chint2 covers had been re-
moved from The horse. hair chairs pale.blue
rosattes adorned the legs of the terrestrial
and celestial globes, and of the ancient cot
tape piauo. Even the bust of Cicero, under
the si1eboard WAS decorated with a garland
of paper roses But the crowning glory of the
room was its antimacassars. They had always
been a leading feature at Polypodium House
Academy. Ill-natured people, unable to con-
Give n devotion to art for its own sake. had
been known to remark that the parents paid
for fine materials. the Young ladies' did the
work. and the Misses Pimpernel kept the an
timarassars: but be this as it might, il is GER
tain that the antimacassar manufacture was
carried on at Polypodium House with extra
ordinary vigor. There were some of soft
clinpin1 wool against vhich YOU leaned back
luxuriously; and spiteful nobby ones. which
hurt vour head when YOU sat down and stuck
to your coat.collar and hung down your back
when Won got up again. On the mantelpiece
stood a miniature of chubby-faced young
man with stubby red hair and over it hung
an oil. painting representing the two Misses
Pimpernel in early youth, with very short.
waisted dresses and very tall tortoise-shell
combs. And here on the selfsame sofa, sat
the Misses Pimpernel again. Miss Pamela
was perhaps shade fatter. and Miss Pene-
lone a shade taller and thinner than in the
old DAYS. The short wasted dresses had sue
cumbed to the changeful influences of time
and fashion. and the Misses Pimpernel had
scarcely so brilliant a complexion. or so much
of it, as they appeared to have had at their
pictorial age, but all else was unchanged; the
sofa the tortoise.sbell combs, the hair in lit
tie lunches of frizzy ringlets on either side
of the head. even to the pose of Miss Pamela's
disenpaped hand on the arm of the sofa, and
the little lace handkerchief which in the por-
trait She held daintily nipped by its middle
between her thumb and second finger, and
which she now held in like manner, daintily
nipped between her second finger and thumb,
all seemed little altered that one might al
most have faucied that having taken their
nlace ON the sofa for the purpose of the por-
trait the sisters had remained there ever
since. On the present occasion, however,
Miss Pamela's ewes were directed towards the
efipy of the chubby youth on the mantel.
niece. Her sister. meanwhile, was employed
In knitting. occasionally stopping to listen as
if for some expected sound. After few mo-
ments' gaze at the sandy youth, Miss Pamela
exclaimed. pressing the small lace handker-
chief with both hands to her left side,
"De-ar Peter how long to see him you
are sure he said tonight, Penelope?"
My dear child, how can you be so absurd
Here Is his letter. Read it again if you feel
any doubt on the subject, though you must
have done so quite six times already. He
distinctly SAYS he hopes to be with us about
seven O'Clock on Tuesday evening the 23d.
This is Tuesday, is it not ? and it is now
quarter to seven"
'Thirteen minutes Only to think that in
a few short minutes he will be herr" Here
Miss Pamela again pressed the small hand
kerchief spasmodicaly against her left side,
as if that was the spot referred to.
Now, Pamela my dear" said the elder
sister, in a warning voice, and holding up her
knitting needle by way of emphasis, be
ware You know what Dr. Dott SAID iou
must not let that sensitive organization of
yours run away with you. or he will not an
gwer for the consequences DIR. Dott will
not answer for the consequences; remember