Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-12-21
TEE CRiTcHITS' CHRISTutS DINNER
A Bm of Grnuine Chri.t.a..

WHICH Is ALWAYS NEw AND NENLH uLb
From Dickens's "Christmas uar.
And how did little Tim behave o. asked
Mrs. Cratchit, when she had rallied Bob un
his credulity. and Bob had Rugged his daueh
ter 20 hi- hearts content
AS good a. gold said Bob. and better
somehow he gets thoughtful. sitting hy hum
self so much, aud thinks the strans..t
things YOU ever heard lie told the coming
home, that he hoped the people saw him iu
the church. because he was "a cripple and
1t might be pleasant o. them to remember
upon Christmas day Who male lame heg
gars walk aud blind men ,ee
BObs voice va, tremuluus when hr tnli
them this and trembled more when be- ,aii
that Tiny Tim was growing strong and
hearty.
His active little crutch was heard upon
the floor, and back came Tiny Tim. before
an other word was spoken. escorted by his
brother and sister 10 his stool beside the
fire; aud while Bob, turning up his cuffs
a If, poor fellow. they were capable Of be-
ing made more shabby -compounded some
hot mixture in a iug with gin aud lemons.
and stirred 1t rJund aud round, aud put %
on the hob to simmer, Master Peter and the
two ubiquitous young Cratchits went O.
fetch the goose with which they soon Re-
turned in high procession.
Such a hustle ensued that You might have
thought a goose the rarest Of all birds
feathered phenomenon, 70 which a black
swan was a matter Of course and. IA truth.
it was something very like it in that house
Mrs Crstchit made the gravy ready be-
forehand in little saucepan, kissing bot
Master Peter mashed the potatoes with ia
credible vigor Miss Belinda sweetened up
the apple sauce: Martha busted the bot
plates Bob took Tiny Tim beside him IN
tiny corner at the table the two young
Cratchits set chairs for everybody. not for
getting thems Ives and, mounting guard
upon their posts crammed spoons into their
mouths. lest they should shrek for goose
before their turn came 10 be helped. At
last the dishes were set on, and grace was
said. 1t was succeeded by a breathlrss
pause, as Mrs Cratchit, looking slowly all
along the carving knife. prepared 10 plunge
it in the breast but when she did aud
when the long expected gush IT stuHng Is
sued forth, one murmur Of delight arose
all around the board. and even Tiny Tim.
excited by the two young Cratchits beat ou
the table with the handle Of his knife and
feebly cried 'Hurrah !"
There never was such goose Bob said
he didn't believe there ever was such a
goose cooked. Its tenderness and flavor.
size and cheapness, were the themes Of uni
versal admiration. Eked out hy apple
sauce and mashed potatoes, it was a sufii
cient dinner for the whole family indeed
as Mrs. Cratchit said with great delight
surveying one small atom Of bone upon
the dish, they hadn't eaten 1t all at last
Yet every one had had enough and the
youngest Cratchits, in particular, were
stepped in sage and onion 10 the eyebrows
But now, the plates being changed by Miss
Belinda, Mrs. Cratchit left the room alone
too nervous TO bear witnesses-to take
the pudding up and bring it in.
Suppose it should not be done enough .
| Suppose it should break in turning out
| Suppose somebody should have got over the
wall of the back yard, and stolen it, while
they were merry with the goose. "a suppo-
stion at which the two young Cratchts be-
came hvid. All sorts Of horrors we're sup
/ posed
Halo A great deal Of steam The
pudding was out Of the copper. A smell
like a washing, day That was the cloth.
\ smell like an eating house and pastry
cook 5 next door 10 each other, with a laun
dress's next door TO that That was the
pudding. In half a minute Mrs Cratchit
entered-fushed, but smiling proudly -with
the pudding, like a speckled cannon bali, $,
hard and firm, blazing in half quartern Of
ignited brandy, and bedight with Christina,
holly stuck into the top.
Oh, a wonderful pudding Bob Cratchit
said and calmly, too, that he regarded II
as the greatest success achieved by Mrs
Cratchit since their marriage Mrs Cratch
it said that now the weight was OIL her
mind, she would confess she had her doubt
about the quantity Of flour. Everybody
had something TO say about it but nobody
said or thought 1t was at all small pud
ding for large family. II would hav,
been flat heresy TO do so. ANY Cratchi
would have hlushed 10 hint at such a thing
At last the dinner was all done, the clotl
was cleared, the hearth swept, and the fir,
made up. The compound in the jug beinl
tasted and considered perfect, apples an'
oranges were put upon the table and a shov
elful of chestnuts on the fire. Then all th
Cratchit family drew around the hearth, il
what Bob Cratchit called circle-meaninl
half one and at Bob Cratchits elbow
stood the family display Of glass-two tum
blers and custard-cup without a handle
These held the hot stuff from the jug
however, as well as golden gobets woul
have done and Bob served il out wit
fire sputtered and cracked noisily The
Bob proposed -
"A merry Christmas 10 us all, my dear'
God bless us ~ Which all the family RI
echoed
} Good bless US every one ~ said Tiny Tin
the last Of all.