Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-05-04

gentleman who paid him thirty dollars
month, and Ally, when in want Of pin money
had only to announce to the ladies Of Happy
Hollow that she was ready to do up their laces
or accept orders for embroidery, to find her
hands full Of work It cannot be said that
our friends laid up any money but they did
better-they enjoyed it. Uncle Phil, indeed
sometimes shook his head over "de way mon
ey burnt in his pockets" but after all he was
not far behind Ally in hospitable feelings and
the batteries of his friends upheld him.
"Phil says to me to-day" remarked Ally,
as she and Vney were making cake for the
party, each with sinewy hand in great
wooden tray OF creamy golden batter-"Phil
says de money dish cost, fust an last, would
most put new J. to dc house an we IS
| cramped TO- room. no doubt ont But says
l, Never mind, Phil de l. II take keer O.
itself / aint been talkin' bout dis quiltin
party ten years TO nothin'. De times come,
an Happy Hollow s a-gwne to see style
II.
Up rose the sun, and up rose Sis Ally, I'M
Gle Phil, and Il graceless grandchd called
| Tobe, who promised to give AZ much trouble
as Niney 10 years to come. He was on his
best behaviour now, for the day of the party
had at last rolled around, and only few final
touches remained to be given. Vney drew
up great bucket Of flowers, picked the day
before and hung down the well to keep fresh,
and decorated the front room Ally iced her
last cake Uncle Phil went of on an errand
and lobe occupied the morning principally in
! grinning aud washing himself behind the
well. Early in the afternoon the guests as.
sembled, brethren and sisters coming togeth-
err This was an innovation, as the brethren
usually strolled in about supper time, doing
little more than show their prowess as trencher
men. But Ally insisted on the change. ut
! II make things livelier," she said astutely.
Her cabin had been swept aud garnished
until it shone with cleanliness There were
only two rooms but one was adorned with
| grand piece Of furniture, the very pride of
! Ally's heart-a mahogany chest of drawers,
! glittcring with brass handles and surmounted
| by an od-fashioned mirror. In both there
were bits of carpet on the floors, pictures cut
| from newspapers hanging against the white
washed walls, and white curtains futtering at
! the windows.
Uncle Phil stood in the doorway, hands ex.
tended, "a twinkle in his eye the same words
Of welcome for all. Ally, regardless of the
weather, was arrayed in a gorgeous crimson
alpaca, buttoned tightly across her plump
| bust. On her head she wore a wreath Of ros.
es, one enormous red "Giant of Battle" being
! planted just above the forehead with start
! ling effect. This costume she wore and loved,
not only loved but rejoiccd in, and was by no
means unpleasing to look on, with her beam.
| ing smiles cleaning white teeth, and air Of
happy consciousness. The company, you
may be sure, was gotten up in its best. All
the inery in Happy Hollow was brought out
to do honor to the occasion. 1t was soon ev-
| ident that SISTER Elsie in black "grana.
deer with large white turkey tail fan in
her hand, was to take the palm for tptop ell
! egance but there was a pink muslin Of
most satisfactory cut, and a white dimity that
made Nlneys eyes dance and none was so
poor as to fail Of setting off her costume with
futtering ribbon, a bit Of lace, string of
beads, or dangling earring. And although
the whole effect was slightly suggestive Of
"some in rag,
And some in tags
And some in velvet gowns
it was festal in the extreme SO much so that
Elder Buford uneasy soul feared
spirit of worldlness was creeping into the
Happy Hollow professors and suggested
to Preacher Simpson to preach a sermon on
dress an damnation widout furder delay
Brother Simpkns, a gulleiess looking,
white haired old man. whose expression
seemed to struggle between one of cheerful
kindliness and anxious care, smiled but
would make no promise. Ia fact, he had
himself to day sacrificed to the vanities, and
was disposed to look with charity on fellow.
sinners, though he hoped good man . that
few suffered as he did He wore a pair of
wide tapping kersey trousers, home made
and OF easy fit So far so good but his up.
per half was clad in tight-very tight
coat Of the kind known as swallow tail, the
gift of some former master. Time was when
it hung sgreeably on the preachers spare fig
ure, but with years had come pounds. The
poor man grew corpulent, and his fine Goa.
had no more give" to it then Elder Buford's
theology. His soul was now distracted with
wondering whether the buttons would hold
during the long evening, whether it was his
duty to forbear eating that the strain on the
broadcoth should not be too great, or wheth-
er it would not be best to shameessly unbut-
ton himself at the beginning of the feast,
and enjoy it like a man. l fear he leaned to
the latter course, for the guests all knew that
the hour of the supper was likely to be a
season of JOY. One brother" was over
heard to whisper to sister that he had
starved himself sence yistiddy SOS ter do
full Justice to Sis Ally's cookin'" Aud
though the sister put her kinky head on one
side, and intimated that Brother 'Arrison
ought ter be ashamed O. hisself." it was no
ticed that she cast longing glances through
the open door into the next room, where the
supper was laid The long table was covered
With a white cloth. None o. yo' po' white
trash linen" Ally would say, "but ginuine
damask, not ter be beat in dis town nor de
mex one"
The supply of crockery was made abund
ant from the contributions of friends, who
felt themselves honored in assisting" in ev.
er so small a way at such an entertainment.
All the treasured pieces of ''chaney" from
the different cabins were brought forward
''chaney" which had been obtained either by
gift or-well-otherwise from masters and
mistresses of the past Some of them were
very beautiful but their beauty sLone unrec.
ognzed among the glittering new pewter
spoons and picayune tumblers in which I'm
Gle Phil had invested for the occasion. The
table was already ornamented with cakes of
goodly size, fruit and sweetmeats. That part
of the supper which was TO be served hot
was still undergoing the process of cooking,
In this room Niney, in her best dress-an
outgrown pink calico--presded cheerfully.
She was as good as gold at such times, un
less good for nothing by reason of freak OF
temper or sweet native Incidence. To day,
however, all was going right She lowered
undismayed round the open fire. place with
its cracking logs, from whence savory odors
came. And small wonder From the cranes
in the wide chimney swung a chicken stew
a Ia Hancock, and pot of gumbo fit for the
heroes of Homer in an enormous tin coffee
pot coffee was being dripped and on a spit
in front of the glowing GOALS, with "creep-
er" or small oven under him to catch the rich
drippngs, was a lordly turkey, a wild COB.
bier which Phil had killed the Sunday before,
in the teeth 80 to speak, of the law and gos,
pei He not only profaned the Sabbath, but
secuted the enactment of the legislature
which had forbidden the shooting of game
during August. One of the doubling sisters
had gone to Preacher Simpkins to know what
he thought as to "de Lords people he'pin'
ter eat dat ar turkey" Preacher Simpkins
was found to hold advanced views "Wel
sister," he said, 81 amt no ways predjist
man. likes ter see jestice done-jestioe to
Brother Phil, an jestice ter de brcthering
an de sisters what anticipates ter purtake ov
him. An while 1 wouldn't heV sed te Broth
er Phil, Xxi Il dat fowl, still he is at de pres
ent as dead as a do nail, and dar's no putin
de life back in him, SO jes' says dis, Let de
Lords people enjoy him an say nothin',
'cep'n' ter thank de Lord for maxim sioh
| critters"
So there the turkey swung before Ally's
fire, seeming to preserve his dignity even un-
der the process of being done brown"
Tobe, vino gloried in his office, kept him con-
stantly turning, and as he displayed first his
broad front, and then his shapely back, he
seemed mildly to inquire if ever before had
been seen such glorious development.
1