The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-01-24
Bo3's christmas Gale.
THE HAUNTED MAN AND THE GHOSTS
BARGAIN....A FANCY FOR CHRIsTMAs.T1ME
BY CHARLES DICKENS.

|
THE HAUNTED MAN AND THE GHOSTS
| BARGAlN....A FANCY FOR CHRIsTMAsTIME.
BY CHARLES DICKENS
MIR. Tetterby sought upon his screen for passage
| appropriate to be impressed upon his children s
| minds on the occasion, and read the following:
| "' 1t is an undoubted fact, that all remarkable
| men have had remarkable mothers, and have re-
spected them in after life as their best friends
Think OF your own remarkable mother, my boys"
said Mr. Ietterby, " and know her value while she
| is still among you!"
He sat down again in his chair by the fire, and
composed himself, cross-legged his newspaper.
| Let anybody, | don't care who it is, ge: out of
| bed again, Ietterby, as general proclamation,
delivered in very soft-hearted manner, and as
temporary" which expression Mr. Tetterby Sc
| lected from his screen. Johnny, my child, take
care OF your only sister, Sally; for she's the brightest
gem that ever sparkled on your early brow.''
Johnny sat down on little stool, and devotedy
crushed himself beneath the weight of Moloch
All, what gift that baby is to you Johnny -
| said his father, sc and how thankful you ought to
be 1t Is not generally known JOHNNY he
was now referring to the screen again, g but is
fact ascertaned by accurate calculations that the
following immense per centage of babies never at
| tain to two years old /; that is to say-''
oh, don't father, please " cried Johnny. Il
can't bear it, when think of Sally.''
Mr.. Tetterby desisting, Johnny, with profounder
sense of his trust, wiped his eyes, and hushed
his sister.
'Your brother, 'Dolphus," said his father. pokng
the fire, is late tonight, Johnny, and will come
home like lumpof ice. What's got your precious
mother7"
''Here's mother, and 'Dolphus, too, father )"
exclaimed Johnny, g think"
8, You're right" returned his father, listening.
Yes, that's the footstep of my little woman"
The process of induction, by which Mr. Tetterby
had come to the conclusion that his wife was
little woman, was his own secret She would
have made two editions of himself very easily
Considered as an individual she was rather re-
markabe for being robust and porty: but con-
sidered with reference to her husband, her dmen-
slons became magnificent Nor did they assume a
less imposing proportion, when studied with refer
ence to the size of her seven sons, who were but
dIminutlve. In the of Sally, hewever, Mrs
Tetterby had asserted herself, at last; as nobody
knew better than the victim Johnny who weighed
and measured that exacting idol every hour in
the day.
Mrs. Tetterby, who had been marketing, and
carried basket, threw back her bonnet and
shawl, and sitting down, fatigued, commanded
Johnny to bring his sweet charge to her straight
way, for a kiss. Johnny having complied, and
gone back to his stool, and again crushed himself.
Master Adolphus Tetterby, who had by this time
unwound his Torso out of prsmatc comforter,
apparently intermnable, requested the same favor
Johnny having again complied, and again gone
back to his stool, and again crushed himself, Mr..
!etterby, struck by a sudden thought, preferred
the same claim on his own parental part The
satisfaction of this third desire completely exhausted
the sacrifice, who had hardly breath enough left
to get back to his stool, crush himself agoin, and
pant at his relations
Whatever you do, Johnny" said Mrs. Tet-
terby, shaking her head, take care of her, or
never look your mother in the face again.
" Nor your BROTHER" said Adolphus
Nor your father, Johnny" added Mr.. Teterby.
mi nh affa otaII H.. a..
n'lnclatlon of him, looked down at Moloch's eyes
to see that they were all right far and skillfully
patted her back (Which was uppermosU and rocked
her with his foot.
care you wet, 'Dolphus, my boy,' said his
father " Come and take my chair, and dry
YOURSELF
No, father, thankee," said Adolf hus, smooth
ing himself down with his hands. Il ant very
wet, don't think. Does my face shine much,
father %
Well, it does look waxy, my boy" returned
Mr.. Tetterby.
" 1t Is the weather, father" said Adolphus, pol
ishng his cheeks the worn sleeve of his Jacket
hat with rain, and sleet, and wind, and snow,
and fog, my face gets quite brought out into rash
sometimes. And Shines it does-oh, don't it,
thought
Master Adolphus was also in the newspaper line
OF life, being employed, by more thriving firm
than his father Il Co., to vend newspapers at rail
way station where his chubby little person, like
shabbily disguised Cupid, and his shrill little voice
lhe was not more than ten years DID, were well
known as the hoarse painting of the locomotives,
running in and out. His juvenilIty might have
been at some loss for harmless outlet in this early
application to traffic, but for fortunate discovery
he made OF means of entertaining himself, and of
dividing the long days into stages of interest with
out neglectng business. This ingenious invention,
remarkable. like many great discoveries for its SIM
plicty consisted in varying the first vowel in the
rtt.,ti,, :.