The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-25
CHRISTMAS IN LONDON.
One of Charles Dickens's Many Pictures {
the Great and Merry Feast.

One of Charles Dickens's Many Pictures of
the Great and Merry Feast.
The poulterers shops were still half open and
the fruiterers shops rad liant in their glory.
There were great round, pot -bellied baskets of
chestnuts, shaped like the waistcoats of jolly old
gentlemen, lollng at the doors and tumbIing out
into the street in their apoplectic opulence
There were rudy, brown-faced broad girthed
Spanish onions, shining in the fairness of their
growth like Spanish Friars and wnking from
their shelves in wanton slyness at the girls
as they went by and glanced demurely at the
hung-up mistleto. There were pears and
apples clustered high in blooming pyramids:
there were punches OF grapes made, in the shop
keepers benevolence, to dangle from conspicu-
hooks that peoples mouths might water
gratis as they passed; there piles of flberts,
messy and brown, recalling, in their fragrance,
ancient walks among the woods and pleasant
shufings ankle-deep through withered leaves;
there were Norfolk Biffins squad and swarthy,
setting off the yellow OF the oranges and lemons,
and III the great compactness of their juicy per
sons urgently entreating and beseechinG to be
carried home IN paper bags and eaten after din
ner. The very gold and silver fish, set forth
among these choice fruits in bowl though
members of dnll and stagnant -blooded race
appeared to know that there something
gong on, and, to fish, went gasping round and
round their little world in slow and passionless
excitement.
The grocers oh, the grocers nearly closed
with perhaps two shutters down, or one; but
through those gaps such glimpses! 1t was not
alone that the scales descending on the counter
made merry sound, or that the Irvine and roll
parted company so briskly, or that the can
listers ratified up and down like juggling
tricks, even that the blended scents of tea and
coffee were so grateful to the nose, or even that
the raisins were so plentiful and rare, the al
monds so extremely white, the sticks of CHINA
mon SO long and straight, the other spices so
delicious, the candied fruits caked and spotted
with molten sugar as to make the
coolest lockers on feel faint and subsequently
bilious. Nor was it that the figs were
moist and pulpy, or that the French plums
blushed in modest tartness from their highly
decorated boxes, or that everything was good to
eat and in its Christmas dress; but the custom
ers were ali so hurried and so eager in the hope
full promise of the day that they tumbed up
against each other at the door, crashing their
wicker baskets wildly, and left their purchases
upon the counter and came running back to fetch
them, and committed hundreds of the like mis-
takes, in the best humor possible; while the
grocer and his people were so frank and fresh
that the polished hearts with which they fast
ened their aprons behind might have been their
own, worn outside for general inspection and for
Christmas davis to peck at if they chose.
But soon the steeples called good people all 10
church and chapel, and away they came flockirg
through the streets in their best clothes and with
their gayest faces. And at the same time
there emerged from scores of by streets, lanes
and nameless turnings, innumerable people,
rying their dinners to the bakers shops The
sight of these poor jewellers appeared to inter
est the spirit very much; for he stood with
Scrooge beside him in bakers doorway and,
taking off their covers as their bearers passed,
sprinkled incense their dinners from his
torch. And 1t was a very uncommon kind of
torch; for once or twice when there were angry
words between some dinner-carriers who had
jostled each other, he shed few drops of water
on them from it and their good humor was re-
stored directly. For they said it was shame to
quarrel upon Christmas day. And so it was
God love it, so it was!