Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-02-13
a Goblin Tale for a winter's Eve.
CHAPTER The FIRST.
TnE MASTER SPIRIT.


:. christmas Eyel The ,,r, a. c;t,,
~ spotle-s rsrment Il s1o, 10y 10y Fo2el
garment wherein She was - WI ~
tbmili year The flakes had descended from
~ 'eI icy palaces, away in the remotest bonnd.
.I'U!uuiand, and all was crowned Win tbe
oba.. baaa,'',g element All that day had il dance(
cas,i IN mid-air, ccquettshlv courtng n,
I; now coming in thick Gusts ctr;,
s 1ue ground as il IL were an anorv child
~ sea't ting back, rs if endeavorinlr 70 rcacI,
| Wv parent cloud, from whence il came oo,,
perfect avalanche from off \ tower.
ca iooi, "Hnding and covering eyerything
sIg,e.c'y up, now tired, like descendinS
No.. ana falling family upon the ground
~" , ~ ing madly, everywhere there II
arI ''y, WIN all its sporliec madness. still
L c1I, so" IHed by its vast journey it had
,,h,i ,J'eI asleep upon the earth, and the cIouds
MN ~, gave II birth had hoated away.
L.i "e sun had set, and the dusky twilight
,'u aPpeaIcd. The little stars twinkled
ii"e,luy WIN as bright lustre to Trim her
49, ,'".o.u-'ght, .e.g, and hadalready ventured forth
~ s"%e upon the rejoicing planet beneath
ner' yet the wind blew its pipinc blasts
"'ounu every corner in every recess. over
N'.'y rool down eyeay street. wearing the
P"Ncnce ol all hapcss travclers-and the
INee's we're iull-shrching, LAUGHING. mad.
y rushing everywhere. But il was Christ
mas Eve! And the stars laughed and tho
moon smiled the snow rs it law upon the
eal'h smiled too, in its sleep, and ioined with
'ng I'm mao wind in its merry Christmas rlee
y ne streets were full on that Christmas
EVe! Fathers hurried home with covered
baskets from which peepcd forth many \
ssuple Jack or waXcn dolls head, or nerhans
the mutton for the Christmas dinner Kind
Pauent mothers, with parcels and packages Cor
tne'r dotng children, sought their comfnrto.
ole homes and bhzing fires Shop.bovs
mao with the thought of the cominp bolijav y
rushed madly by and now and then vnII-
hlled coach would wheel by bringing a host
OF shouting school boys from the classic
shades oil some country school To spend thair
holidays by their old hume fire. And tbere
wasn't "a sad couutcnance upon the GREAT
nlShWhy 10 be seen nr that oventfh evening.
who cared IT lt was cold or II the Wlud
now and then did whri away ones hat? or
" the pavement Was slippery and ones feet
fell victim to the trcachcious snare? 1t
was Christmas Eve; and didn't they have
fire at home, and smoking supper, and an
easy chair2 And wouldn't they have a hol-
iday on the morrow So who cared if it
was cold or windy
All was hustle and confusion. The toy
shops were full to ovel allowing and the
butchers and coulcCtoner's bows ran hither
and thither until they were quite out Of
breath. The great market was hung with
its lanterns and torches and was alive with
It's crowds Of fpeople Every one had pleas
ant word or a smile for his neigh9or; no
matter Il he vas iostled or roughly knocked
about his neigh .orS jont creased his
coat, or the old lady's basket behind him
thumpcd him in the back who could think
Of heiug angry ou Christmas Eve? Stranger
met stranger yet thsy aid rriands in a
moment, aud merry words and kind wishes
were exchanged rs they passed on, perhaps,
mayer g. meet again. Oh wasn't 1t a mer
~ q tiStlnas Eve? An the fires niazed
nerrigy in he homes ol all, while the crck
cts cbirped loudly upon the hearth; the te;
table nv aitng the coming 0t the trdy ane
loaded pareut =, oaued beneath its smoking
Cre. tic children romped and play cd through
The house umcStuiued, selecting the largeS
stacking to hang by the fireplace, for goo
old Santa Claus 10 put his presents in. Ha
haf hal old winter himself laughed at tn
rlee and madness Of that Christmas Eve :
foi 10! triumph was there ever such
Christmas Ever
But if there was no scowling face out
1,o,s tbere was one in. 1t was an old rOoi
:, an old warehouse by the frozen up dock
,hc Great city. 4 gas light shed is sickenin
,a,Soyer the dusky apartment revealing to u
;niruderan ancient secretary, with a high sto'
mon which sat man, perhaps on the shaC
siJc or forty five, writing taStin an enormo
nook The furniture OF the room was
otd and as dusty as he was; the chairs we
iii tho tables were old, and the uncatpet
aoor was st,cwcd with books and pape
nnd old letters and invoices until the "h'
scerc made on, feel old himself The W
do,y for there was but one, vas covered W
aIondt and had not been washed for IN,
,L,n wear and an open door revealed
,hc .irbt long ware-rOom, locked up
,bc si,ht. and illumined only by the slcl
,Ior. Of the gas light III thc counting roc
7lovcycr. through the mist OF the SCI
,s;thin the eve met n long row OF casks
t,rr.Is ranrcd around the walls OF the
'inr,s vorc room But scratch, scratch, scra
,,cnt the pen OF the old man as regard
90 the shouts aud laughter OF the merry
40 bcrcath his window, hc went on with
.,,ifirr--as if il was not Christmas Eve
However, the Old man came to the re
t.ction or its being-not CnrlNtmaS Eve,
dear reader, but supper ume ana -
,o;nc thc book before him, he tumble
hastily irtoan iron safe which stood close
"rose shook himself aud made a scow
,,lonc,. or the whole apartment lie wa
swr,l man olook upon. The stamp oi
w.s branded upon his brow Ike the ma
Gain his little eyes peeped from their
cJ # deemng ,hc whole world ras
and AZ gnxious to set rid OF its clutch'
mus'y pau old Steel spcciscles VAS u
ted la' Gpon' " yss 1ss' bcaakIcd stump OF a :
wrinklcs he was an aS- anu u oo,.',' ,.an
MI dealer in foreign aud dl9S ua',; =
Wru ne arose and shook hinSelf.'e i''l
.Hunph = he CALCULATED, as he
through this very comfortable cere
spfetty good, tut not half enough.
nose / must keep my store shut tom
INST because its Christmas | wish
would become sensible, but who can ST
A city like this TO be possessed OF one
,f common sense? Tncro'll be more
spent tomorrow frr nonsense than +.
dred men can make in hundred yC
out on Christma>! Ough h-h! Who's
An rnWJrablc ANA uudescrjbahle
was directed 70 plcasanI-looking nth