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

| now in one part and now in another. and what
was light one instant, at another time was dark,
the figure itself fuctuated ia its distinctness:
| being now thing with one arm, now with one
| leg, now with twenty legs, now pair Of legs.
| without head, now head without body; OF
which dissolvipg parts, no outline would be visi-
Bile in the dense gloom wherein they melted
away. And in the very wonder Of this, it would
| be itself again, distinet and clear as ever. u
g Are you the Spirit, sir, whose coming was
| foretold TO me r asked scrooge.
al amp
The voice was soft and gentle. singularly
low, as IL, instead of being close beside him,
it were at distance.
"Who, and what are you y scrooge de-
handed
81 am the Ghost of Christmas PAS"
Long past ," inquired Scrooge, obsersant Of
its dwarfish stature.
"No. Your past"
Perhaps Scrooge could not have told anybody
| why, if anybody could avesasked him; but he
had special desire to see the Spirit in his cap,
| and begged him to be covered.
| What! !" exclaimed the Ghost, &c would you
| so soon put out, with worldly hands, the light
| give2 Is it not enough that you are one Of
those whose passions made this cap, and force
| me through whole trains Of years to wear it low
| upon my brow!'
| Scrooge reverently disclaimed all intention to
1
8. bonneted" the Spirit at any period Of his life.
| He then made bold to inquire what business
brought him there.
/ "Your welfare" said the Ghost
Scrooge expressed himself much obliged, but
could not help thinking that night Of unbroken
4 rest would have been more conducive to that
end. The Spirit must have heard him talking,
| for it said Immediately:
ssYour reclamation, then. Take heedl
/ mt mt ita gtronp hand rs IL ernko and
clasped him by the arm.
Rise! and walk with mee'
1t would have been in vain for Scoorge to
| plead that the weather and the hour were not
adapted to pedestrian purposes; that bed was
! warm, and the thermometer a long way below
freezing that he was clad but lightly in his
slippers, dressing gown and night-cap and that
he had a cold upon him at that time. The grasp,
though gentle as a woman's hand, was not to be
resisted. He rose: but finding that the Spirit
made towards the window, clasped its robe in
duplication. 49,
al am a mortal,'' Scrooge demonstrated,
g and liable to fall"
i I" Bear but touch Of my hand there said
the Spirit, laying it upon his heart, e and you
4 shall be upheld in more than this!"
As the words were spoken they passed through
the wall and stood upon an open country road,
with fields on either hand. The city had en-
tirely vanished. Not vestige Of it was to be
SEEN The darkness and the mist had vanished
with it, for it was a clear, cold, winter day,
with enow upon the ground
"Good heaven 7" said Scrooge, clasping his
i hands together, as he looked about him. ssI
was'bred in this place. I was boy herer'
The Spirit gazed upon him mildly. Its gentle
touch, though it had been light and instantane-
Gus, appeared still present to the old mans
sense Of feeling. He was conscious Of a thou
sand odors floating in the air, each one connec
ted with a thousand thoughts, and hopes, and
joys, and cares long, long forgotten!
Your lip is trembling said the Ghost
ssAnd what is that upon your cheek ~
Scrooge muttered, with an unusual catching in
his voice, that it was pimple; and begged the
ghost to lead him where he would.
Sc You recollect the way p inquired the Spirit
Remember it % cried Scrooge with fervor--
"I could walk it blindfoldr'
sStrange to have forgotten it for so many
years!" observed the ghost Sc Let US 60 on 20
They walked along the road, Scrooge recog-
, nized every gate, and post, and tree; until {
little market-town appeared in the distance
with its bridge. its church, and winding river
Some shaggy ponies now were seen trotting to
wards them with boys upon their backs, VIII
called to other boys in country gigs and carts
t driven by farmers. All these boys were in grea
, spirits, and shouted to each other until th
broad fields were 80 full Of merry music, that tn
|
e "These are but shadows Of the things tina
r have been,'' said the Ghost. They have n
consciousness of u.s.
t The jocund travellers came on; and as the
d came Scrooge knew and named them every on
:, Why was he rejoiced beyond all bounds to sc
k them' Why did his cold eye 81 stem, and hi
e heart leap up as they went pasti Why was h
filed with gladness when he heard them Civ
: each other Merry Christmas, as they parted a
l crossroads and by-ways, for their severa
honest What was merry Christmas to Scrooge
t Out upon merry Christmas! What good had j
r ever done to him!
The school is not quite deserted said tn
. Ghost. ga solitary child, neglected by hi
friends, is left there still"
Scrooge said he knew it. And he sobbed.
They left the high-road, by well -remem
, bered lane, and soon approached a mansion o
| dull red brick, with little weathei cock sur
mounted cupola on the roof and u bell hangin,
? in it. 1t was large house, but one of broker
fortunes for the spacious offices were little used
their walls were damp and messy, their window
| broken, and their gates decayed. Fowls clucke'
], and strutted in the stables; and the coach
4 houses and sheds were overrun with grass. No
was it more retentve of its ancient state within
r for entering the dreary hall, and glancin
e through the open doors of many rooms, the
3 found them poorly furnished, cold, and vast
There was an earthly SAVIOUR in the air, chill
i baroness in the place, which associated itse
, somehow with too much getting up by candl
e light, and not too much to eat
e They went, the Ghost and Scrooge, aero.
e the hall, to a door at the back of the house
: opened before them, and disclosed a long, bar
T, melancholy room, made barer still by lines
!, plain deal forms and desks At one Of these
9 lonely boy was reading near feeble fire; an
9 Scrooge sat down upon a form, and wept to 8,
s his poor forgotten self as he had used to be.
Not latent echo in the house, not squea
d and scuffie from the mice behind the panneln
d not drip from the half. thawed water-spout
II the dull yard behind, not sigh among tt
leafless boughs of one Respondent poplar, not Il
idle swinging of an empty store house door, n
o not clicking in the fire, but fell upon the hea
: Of Scrooge with softening influence, and gave
freer passage to his tears.
e The Spirit touched him on the arm, NJ
a pointed to his younger self, intent upon h
It reading. Suddenly man, in foreign garments
wonderfully real and distinct to look at: stot
outside the window, with an axe stuck in
belt, and leading an ass laden with wood
the bride.
"Why, it's Ali Baba!'' Scrooge exclaim,
in ecstasy. 's1t's dear old honest Ali Bah
Yes, yes, I know! One Christmas time, VIII,
yonder solitary child was left here allalone,
t. did come for the first time, just like that. Pc
boyl And Valentine said Scrooge,sts and
il wild brother, Orson; there they go! Al
4, what's his name, who was put down in /
u. N