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


were fellow passengers to the grave, and not
another race Of creatures bound on other jour
neys. And therefore, uncle, though it has new
er put SCRIP of gold or silver in my pocket, I
believe that it has done me good, and wiH do me
good; and say, God bless it!'
The clerk in the tank involuntarily applaud
ed: becoming Immediately sensible of the i'm
propriety, he poked the fire, and extinguished
the last frail spark for ever. ,isi
"Let me hear another sound from you," said
Scrooge, Sand you'll keep your Christmas by
losing your situation You're quite powerful
speaker, SIR" he added, turning to his nephew.
81 wonder you don't go into Parliament
"Don't be angry, uncle. Come! Dine with
us tomorrow"
Scrooge said that he would see him-yes, in
deed he did. He went the whole length of the
that extremity first.
"But why?' cried the nephew. s'Whyr'
"Why did you get married" said Scrooge.
"Because fell in love-
s'Because you fell in love p growled Scrooge,
as if that were the only one thing in the world
more ridiculous than merry Christmas. "Good
afternoonH' .a
SHAY, uncle, but you never came to see me
before that happened. Why give it as reason
for not coming now
ssGood afternoon ' said Scrooge.
81 want nothing from you; | ask nothing of
you: why cannot we be friendss''
ssGood afternoon p said Scrooge e'r
81 am sorry, with all my heart, to find you
so resolute. We have never had any quarrel,
to which have been party. But have made
the trial in homage of Christmas, and I'll keep
my Christmas humour to the last So A Merry
Christmas, uncleG'
"Good afternoon said Scrooge.
"And Happy New Year,
"Good afternoon ~ said Scrooge a
Ills nephew left the room without an angry
word, Notwithstanding. He stopped at the out
er door to bestow the greetings of the season Oh
the clerk, who, cold as he was, was warmer
than Scrooge; for he returned them cordially.
'sThere's another fellow muttered Scrooge,
who overheard him: ''my clerk, with fifteen
shillings a-week, and wife and family, talking
about a merry Christmas. I'll retire to Bed
lam"
This lunatic, in letting Scrooge's nephew out,
had let two other people in. They were portly
gentlemen, pleasant to behold, and now stood,
with their hats off, in Scrooge's office. They had
books and papers in their hands, and bowed to
him. IVA
''Scrooge and Marley's, believe said one Of
the gentlemen, referring to his list. sHave
the pleasure of addressing Mr.. Scrooge, or Mr..
Marleyi" ed
'sMr Marley has been dead these seven years."
Scrooge replied. ''He died seven years ago, this
very night" :.
1--WE have no doubt his iberality is we'll
represented by his surviving partner said the
gentleman, presenting his credentials.
1t certainly was for they had been two kin
bred spirits. At the ominous word ''liberality,"
Scrooge frowned, and shook his head, and hand
ed the credentials back.
AT this festive season of the year, Mr..
Scrooge," said the gentleman. taking up a pen,
g it is more than usually desirable that we
should make some slight provision for the poor
and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present
time. Many thousands are in want of common
necessaries hundreds of thousands are in want
of common comforts, sir
&C Are there no prisons :" asked Sorooge.
PLENTY of PRISONS said the gentleman, lay
ing down the pen again.
And the Union work-housesn demanded
Scrooge. 60 Are they still in operation p
s. They are. STILL returned the gentleman,
&c l wish | could say they were not"
The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full
vigor, then! said Scrooge ..
''Both very busy, sir
"Ghl was afraid, from what you said at
first, that something had occurred to stop them
in their useful course" said Scrooge. elm
very glad to hear it,
sc Under the impression that they scarcely
furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the
multitude returned the gentleman, &c a few of
us are endeayoring to raise a fund to buy the
poor some meat and drink, and means of
warmth We choose this time, because it is q
time, of all others, when Want is keer ly felt,
and Abundance rejoces. What shall put you
down for p
s'Nothipgw Scrooge replied.
s'You wish to be anonymous !"
81 wish to be left alone,' said Scrooge
Since you ask me what wish, gentlemen, that
is my answer. don't make merry myself at
Christmas, and l can't afford to make idle peo-
pie merry. lhelp to support the establishments
/ have mentioned they cost enough and those
who are badly off must go there &
"Many can't go there, and many would
rather die" ,E1 i lf.g
eff they would rather die, said Scrooge,
:" they had better do it, and decrease the sur
plus population. Besides-excuse mel don't
know that"
GO But you might know it, observed the gen
tleman
cts not my business Scrooge returned.
It's enough for man to understand his own
business, and not to interfere with other peo-
pies. Mine occupies me constantly Good at
ternoon, gentlemenF'
| Seeing clearly that it would be useless to
pursue their point, the gentlemen withdrew.
Scrooge resumed his labors with an improved
opinion of himself, and in q more facetious tenn
per than was usual with him.
| Meanwhile the fog and darkness thickened
so, that people ran about with faring links
profferng their services to go before horses in
| carriages, and conduct them on their way. The
ancient tower of a church, whose gruff old bel
was always peeping slyly down at Scrooge ou
OF gothic window in the wall. became invisi
Bile, and ssruek the hours and quarters in thu
clouds, with tremulous vibrations afterwards, a.
II Its teeth were chattering in its frozen heat
up there. The cold became intense In thu
main street, at the corner of the court some Ia
borers We're repairing the gas pipes, and hat
| lighted great fire in n brazler, round which
party of ragged men and boys we're gathered
warming their hands and winking their eve
before the blaze in rapture The water. plu
being left in solitude, its overfowings sullenl
CONCEALED, and turned to misanthropic ice. TIL
brightness of the shops, where holly sprigs an
berries cracked in the lamp heat of the win
dows, made pale faces rudy as they passes
Poulterers' and grocers' trades became splen
did joke; glorious pageant, with which it wa
next to impossible to believe that such dul
principles as bargain and sale had anything t
do. The Lord Mayor, in the stronghold of tn
mighty Mansion House, gave orders to his fit
cooks and buffers to keep Christmas as q Lor
Mayors household should; and even the littl
tailor, whom he had fined five shillings on tn
previous Monday fol-. being drunk and blood
thirsty in the streets, stirred up tomorrow
pudding in his garnet, while his lean wife an
the baby sallied out to buy the beef,