Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-01-11
Will you let me in,

come to dinner Will you lot me in,
Fred ;"
Lot him in! It's q mercy he didn't
shake his arm OF. lie was at home in fyc
minutes. Nothing could be heartier, His
niece looked just the same. So did Topper
when he ca,he, So did the plump sister,
when ere came. So did everybody when
they came. Wonderful party, wonderful
games, wonderful unanimity, wonderful
happiness,
But he was early at the office next
morning Oh, he was carly there. If he
could only be there first, and catch Bob
Cratchit coming late. That was the thing
h. had got his heart upon.
And he did it yes he did The clock
struck nine. No Bob. A quarter past.
No Bob. lie was full eighteen minutes
and half behind his time. Scrooge sat
with his door WIDE open, that he might
see him come into the Tank.
His hat was of, before he opened the
door; his comforter too. He was on his
stool in jiiy; driving away with his
pen, as if he was trying to overtakc nine
o'clock.
"Hollom grow1ed Scrooge, in his ac-
customed voice as near as he could feign
it. "What do you mean by coming here
at this time Of day 2"
81 am very sorry, sir" said Bob, "I
am behind my time"
"You are!' repeated Scrooge. eyes.
l think you are. Step this way, sir, if you
please"
"It's only once year, sir" pleaded
Bob, appearing from the Tank. at shall
not be repeated. l was making rather
merry, yesterday, sir"
"Now, Pll tell you what, my friend"
said Scrooge. Il am not going to stand
this sort of thing any longer. And there
fore" he continued, leaping from his stool,
and giving Bob such dig in the waist
coat that he staggered back into the Tank
again; "and therefore am about to raise
your salary"
Bob trembled, and got a little nearer
to the ruler He had momentary idea
of knocking Scrooge down with it, hold
ing him, and calling 70 the people in the
court for help and a strait-waistcoat.
"A merry Christmas, Bob !" said Scrooge,
with an earncstness that could not be mis-
taken, as he clapped him on the back. "a
merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow,
than have given you for many a year
Ill raise your salary, and endcavor to
assist your struggling family, and we will
discuss your affairs this very afternoon,
over Christmas bowl of smoking bishop
Bob! Make up the fires and buy another
coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob
Cratchit y
Scrooge was better than his word. lie
did it all, and infinitely more; and to
Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was sec
ond father. He became as good friend,
as good master, and as good man, as the
good old city knew, or any other good old
city, town, or borough in the good old
world Some people laughed to see the
alteration in him, but he let them laugh,
and little needed them, for he was wise
enough to know that nothing ever hap
pened on the globe, for good, at which
some people did not have their fill of laugh
ter in the outset; and knowing that such
as these would be blind anyway, he thought
it quite as we'll that they should wrinkle
up their eyes in grins, as have the malady
in less attractive forms. His own heart
laughed and that was quite enough for
him.
He had no further intercourse with
Spirits, but lived upon the Total Absti-
nence Principle, ever afterwards; and it
was always said of him, that he knew how
to keep Christmas well, if any man alive
possessed the knowledge. May that be
truly said Of us, and all of us And so, as
Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every