New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-12-25


Eli !" said old Joe, stopping in his work, and
looking up.
"Don't you be afraid Of that" returned the
woman. 81 ain't so fond of his company that
I'd loiter about him for such things, if he did.
All! You may look through that shirt till your
eyes ache but you won't find hole in it, nor
threadbare place. It's the best he had, and
fine one too. They'd have wasted it, If it hadn't
been for me-"
.What do you call wasting Of it '' asked old
joe -
Putting it on him to be buried in, to be
sure" replied the woman with laugh. sSome-
body was fool enough to do it, but took it of
again. If calico ant good enough for such o
purpose, it isn't good enough for anything. Its
quite as becoming to the body. He can't look
uglier than he did in that one"
Scrooge listened to this dialogue in horror.
As they sat grouped about their spoil, in the
scanty light afforded by the old mans lamp, he
viewed them with detestation and disgust,
which could hardly have been greater, though
they had been obscene demons, marketing the
corpse itself
ssHa, hap laughed the same woman, when
old Joe producing flannel bag with money in
it, told out their several gains upon the ground
i" This is the end of it, you see He fright
ened every one away from him when he was
alive, to profit us when he was dead! Ha, ha,
hap
"Spiritp' said Scrooge, shuddering from head
to foot. "I'see, I see. The case Of this unhap-
py man might be my own. My life tends that
way, now Merciful Heaven, what is this p
He recoiled in terror, for the scene had
changed, and now he almost touched bed: q
bare, uncurtained bed; on which, beneath a
ragged sheet, there lay something covered up,
which, though it was dumb, announced itself in
awful language.
The room was very dark, too dark to be OBJ
served with any accuracy, though Scrooge
glanced round it in obedience to a secret i'm
pulse, anxious to know what kind of room it was.
pale light, rising in the outer air, fell straight
upon the bed; and on it, plundered and bereft,
unmatched, unwept, uncared for, was the body
Of this man.
Scrooge glanced towards the phantom. 1ts
steady hand was pointed to the head. The
cover was so carelessy adjusted that the slight
est raising of it, the motion Of a finger upon
| scrooge's part, would have disclosed the face
He thought Of it, and felt how easy it would be
| to do, and longed to do it; but had no more
power to withdraw the veil than to dismiss the
| spectre at his side
Oh cold, cold, rigid, dreadful Death, set W
thine altar here, and dress it with such terrori
as thou hast at thy command: for this is thy
dominion! But of the loved, revered and hon
ored head, thou canst not turn one hair to thy
dread purposes, or make one feature odious. 1
is not that the hand is heavy and will fall dow
when released; it is not that the heart ant
pulse are still but that the hand was open, gen
| erous and true; the he art brave, warm and ten
der; and the pulse a mans. Strike, Shadow
strike Aud see his good deeds springing from
the wound, to SOW the world with life immortal
No voice pronounced these words in Scrooge'
ears, and yet he heard them when he looked upol
the bed. He thought, if this man could b
raised up now, what would be his toremos
thoughts Avarice, hard dealing, gripin,
cares They have brought him into rich end
truly!
He lay, in the dark empty house, without
man, a woman, or child, to say he was kind t
me in this or that, and for the memory Of on
kind word I will be kind to him A cat wa
was tearing at the door, and there was SCUM
Of gnawing rats under the hearth-stone. VIVA
they wanted in the room Of death, and why the
were so restless and disturbed, Scrooge did nc
dare to think.
Esprit ~ he said, "this is fearful place
In leaving it, | shall not leave its lesson, trus
me. Let us go''
Still the Ghost pointed with an umoved fnge
to the head. Ne
&c understand you,'' Scrooge returned, " an
/ would do it if l conld But I have not tn
power. Spirit, l have not the power
Again it seemed to look upon him
~
emotion caused by this mans DEATH" sal
Scrooge, quite agonzed, ''show that person
me, SPIRIT. l beseech you ~
The phantom spread its dark robc before hi
for moment, like wing; and Withdrawing
revealed room by daylight, where moth'
and her children were
She was expecting some one, and with anxio,
eagerness; for she walked up and down IL
room started at every sound !; looked out fro
the window; glanced at the CLOCK tired, put
vain, to work ut the needle; and could hardl
, bear the voices OF the children In their play
At length the long expected knock was hear
She hurried to the door, and met her HUSBAND
a man whose face was care-worn ana depresse
though he was young There was remarkab
expression IN 1t now kind OF serious delig
OF which he felt ashamed, and which ne strul
gled to repress
He sat down to the dinner that had been hoa
ding for him by the hre: and when she ask
him family what news which was not uni
: after long silence), he appeared embarrass
q how to answer
is good, she said, " or bad!' to help hi
F" Bad" he answered.
a we are quite ruined
s {" NO: There IS hope YET Caroline,
II ne reients, she SAID, amazed, i" there
Nothing is past hope, if such miracle has ha
pened.'
i !" lie is past reentlng,' said her husban
e " He is dead
She was mild and patient creature, II h
face spoke truth; but she was thankful in h
n soul to hear 1t, and she said so, with clasp