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

n,en, and looked towards the Spirit for an ex-
plAnation. ~
The Phantom glided on into street. It's
niger pointed to two persons nesting Scrooge
listened again, thinking that the explanation
might lie mere
He knew these men, also, perfectly. They
were men Of business, very wealthy, and Of
great Importance. He had made point al
ways Of standing well in their esteem-in d
business point Of view, that is; strictly in
business point Of view.
How are you +" said one.
/" How are you ! = returned the other.
"Well!" said the first cold Scratch has
got bis own at last, hey! !"
$50 I am told, returned the second, s'Cold,
isn't 1t l'
"seasonable for Christmas time. You're not
. skater, suppose !"
8 No. No. Something else to think Of Good
morning"
Not another word That was their meeting,
their conversation, and their parting.
Scrooge was at first inclined to be surprised
that the Spirit should attach Importance to con-
yersations apparently so trivial; but feeling as
sured that they must have some hidden purpose,
he set himself to consider what it was likely to
be- They could scarcely be supposed to have
any bearing on the death of Jacob, his old part
ner, for that was Past, and this Ghosts pro-
vince was the Future. Nor could he think of
any one Immediately connected with himself, to
whom he could apply them. But nothing
doubling that to whomsoever they applied, they
had some latent moral for his own Improvement,
he resolved to treasure up every word he heard,
and every thing he saw; and especially to OBJ
serve the shadow Of himself when it appeared.
For he had an expectation that the conduct q
al hay,
and would render the solution of these riddles
easy.
He looked about in that very place for his
own image; but another man stood in his ac-
customed corner, and though the clock pointed
to his usual time of day for being there, he saw
no likeness of himself among the multitudes
that poured in through the Porch 1t gave him
little surprise, however, for he had been revolv-
ing in his mind q change Of life, and thought
and hoped he saw his newborn resolutions car
ried out in this.
Quiet and dark, beside him stood the Phan-
tom, with its outstretched hand. When he
reused himself ftom his thoughtful quest, he
faneied from the turn Of the hand, and its situa-
ton in reference to himself, that the Unseen
Eyes were looking at him keenly. It made him
shudder, and feel very cold.
They left the busy scene, and went into an
obscure part of the town, where Scrooge had
never penetrated before. although he recognised
its situation, and it's bad repute. The ways
were foul and narrow; the shops and houses
wretched the people hall. naked, drunken, slip
sh0d, ugly. Alleys and archways, like SO many
cesspools; disgorged their offences of smell, anc
dirt, and life, upon the struggling streets, ane
the whole quarter reeked with crime, with filth
and misery.
a low-browed, beetling shop, below pent-hous
roof, where iron, old rags, bottles, bones, ant
greasy offal were bought Upon the floor with
in, were piled up heaps of rusty keys, nails
chains, hinges, files, scales, weights, and refus
iron Of all kinds. Secrets that few would lk
to scrutinize were bred and hidden in noun
tains of unseemly rags, masses Of corrupted fat
and sepulchres Of bones. Sitting in among til
wares he dealt in, by charcoal stove, made 9
old bricks, was gray-haired rascal, nearl.
seventy years of age, who had screened him
self from the cold air without, by frousy cur
tanning Of miscellaneous tatters, hung upon
line, and smoked his pipe in all the luxury c
calm retirement.
Scrooge and the Phantom came into til
presence of this man just as woman with
heavy bundle skunk into the shop. But she ha
scarcely entered, when another woman similarl
laden, came in too; and she was closely followe
by man in faded black, who was no less star
tied by the sight of them than they had bee
upon the recognition of each other. After
short period of blank establishment, in which Il,
old man with the pipe had joined them, they a
three burst into laugh
.sLet the chairwoman alone to be the first
cried she who had entered first. "Let tn
laundress alone to be the second; and let th
undertaker's man alone to be the third Loo
here, old Joe, here's u chance. If we haven
all three met here without meaning it'll"
.sTou couldn't have met in a better place,
II
ssCome into the parlor. You were made free
it long ago, you know and the other two ain
strangers. Stop till | shut the door of the shol
All How it skreeks! There amt such rust
bit of metal in the place as its own hinges, | b.
leve, and I'm sure there's no ouch old bons
here as mine. Ha, ha We're all suitable
our calling, we're well matched. Come into IL
parlor. Come into the parlor."
The parlor was the space behind the screen
rags. The old man raked the fire together wit
an old stair rod, and having trimmed his smok
lamp tfor it was night with the stem of h
pipe, put it in his mouth again.
While he did this the woman who had alread
spoken threw her bundle on the floor and 81
down in Haunting manner on stool crossiI
her elbows and her knees, and looking with
bold defiance at the other two,
;. "What odds, then! What odds, Mrs Di
Der !" said the woman. every person has
right to take care Of themselves. He alwa
didn
"That's true indeed!' p said the laundres
8" No man more 500
"Why, then, don't stand staring as if "
was afraid, woman; who's the WISER We
not going to pick holesin each others coats,
supposed"
s'No, indeed!' said Mrs. Dilber and the m,
together. "We should hope not
every well, then!' cried the woman. 'sThat
enough Who's the worse for the loss of fe
things like these' Not asdead man, ] suppose
&c No, indeed said Mrs Dilber, laughing.
eff he wanted to keep 'em after he was dea
wicked old screw" pursued the woman, 'swl
wasn't he natural in his lifetimes If he hi
been, he'd have had somebody to look after hi
wheu he was struck with death, instead of !
ing gasping out his last there, alone by hill
self.''
sits the truest word that ever was spoke
said Mrs, Dilber. "Its judgment on him. "
81 wish it was a little heavier one," repli
the woman s'and it should have been, you M
depend upon it, if could have laid my han
on anything else. Open that bundle, old j
| and let me know the value of it, Speak o
/. plain. I'm not afraid to be the first, nor afra
II for them to see it. We knew pretty well til
/ we were helping ourselves. before we met hel
1 believe. Its no sin. Open the bundle, Joe
Y But the gallantry Of her friends would not
II low of this; and the man in faded black, mou1
! ing the breach first, produced his plumber.
r was not extensive. A seal or two, apencil-ca
o.,,N - u