Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-16


was q much greater surprise to Scrooge u
recognize II as his own nephew O. and u
md himself In a bright, dr., cleaning room
with the Spirit standing smiling by his side
and looking at that same nephew.
It Is q fair, even-hand,,1, noble adjustmen
Of things that while there Is Infection IL
disease and sorrow, there il nothing in tn,
world SO trresistibly contagious as laughte
and good humor. When Scrooge's nephew
laughed In this way Scrooge's niece b,
marriage. laughed as heartily as he. AnC
their assembled friends being not a bit be
hind. roared out Justify.
He said that Christmas was n humbug
leved IL. tooY'
niece. Indignantly. Bless those women
they never do anything by halves. They ar,
always in earnest.
She was very pretty-exceedingly pretty
with dimpled. surprised-looking. capita
face, q ripe little mouth that seemed mad,
TO De kissed-as no doubt II was-all kinds
or good little dots about her chin, tina
melted into one another when she laughed
ana the sunniest pair Of eyes you ever saw
In any little creatures head. Altogether
sne was what you would have called pro
Voking. you know; but satisfactory, too. o
perfectly satisfactory
He's comical old fellow" said Scrooge',
nephew, that's the truth; and not SO pleas
ant as he might be. However his offenses
carry tneir own punishment, and 1 have
nothing to say against him. Who suffers n,
his i'll whims? Himself, alwaysi Here hi
takes 1t into his head to dislike US, and h,
won't come and dine with u.s. What's tn,
consequence? He don't lose much Of a din
Indeed. I think he loses a very good din
ner interrupted Scrooge's niece Every.
Dody else said the same and they must bt
amowsa 70 nave been competent judges. be-
.auss tney had just had dinner, and with
lne dessert upon the table, were clusteret
round the fire by lamplight
Wen am glad to hear t."said Scrooges
iepne~, because 1 haven't any great faith
IN these young housekeepers. What do you
say. Topper ~ 'ON
Topper had clearly got his eye upon one
OF Scrooges niece,s sisters. for he answered
mat bachelor was a wretched outcast
who had no right to express an opinion on
the subject Whereat Scrooge's niece's sis
ter-tne plump one with the lace tucker,
not the one with the roses-blushed
after tea they had some music For they
We're musical family, and knew what
tney were about. when they sung a glee or
eaten, can assure you; especially Topper
who could growl away in the bass like a
good one, and never swell the large veins
IN MS forehead. or get red in the face over
But they didn't devote the whole evening
70 music After while they played at
1orfeits; for 1t Is good to be children some
times. and never better than at Christmas.
when its mighty founder was a child him
sell There was first a game at blindman' s
pun VI course there was. And / no more
Deieve Topper was really blind than i be-
heve he had eyes In his boots. The way
ne went after that plump sister in the lace
human nature. Knocking down the fire
irons, tumbling over the chairs, humping
up against the piano. smothering himself
amongst the curtains; wherever she went,
there went he. He always knew where
the plump sister was He wouldn't catch
anybody else. II you had fallen up against
him las some of them did) on purpose he
would have made feint OF endeayoring
to seize you, which would have been an at
front TO your understanding, and would
instantly have sidled of in the direction of
the plump sister.
Here is q new game" said ScrooRe One
half-hour, Spirit. only one!'
1t was game called Yes and No, where
Scrooges nephew had to think of some
thing, and the rest must find out what; he
only answering to their questions yes or no.
as the case was. The brisk fire of question
Ing to which he was exposed elected from
him that he was thinking of an animal a
live animal, rather a disagreeable animal
a savage animal, animal that growled
and grunted sometimes, and talked some
times, and lived in London, and walked
about the streets, and wasn't made d show
OF. and wasn't led by anybody, and didn' {
live in a menagerte. and was never killed
In market, and was not a horse, or an
ass. or cow, or a bull, or a tiger, or a
dog, or a pig. or a cat, or bear. At every
fresh question that was put to him this
nephew burst into a fresh roar Of laughter,
and was so inexpressibly tickled that he was
Obliged to get up Off the sofa and stamp.
At last the plump sister, falling into a
similar state, cried out:
Il have found it out! I know what 1t Is.
Fredi know what 1t is!'
What is it?" cried Fred.
1T is your Uncle Scro-o-o-o-oger'
Which il certainly was.
Uncle Scrooge had imperceptibly become
50 gay and light of heart that he would
have pledged the unconscious company in
return, and thanked them In an inaudible
speech. IL the Ghost had given him time
But the whole scene passed off in the
breath of the last word spoken by his neph-
ew: and he and the Spirit were again upon
their travels.
Much they saw. and far they went, and
many homes they visited, but always with
a happy end. The Spirit stood beside sick
beds. and they were cheerful; on foreign
lands, and they were close at home; by
struggling men, and they were patient in
their greater hope; by poverty, and 1t was
rich. In aims house. hospital and Jail, in
misery's every refuge, where vain man in
his little brief authority had not made fast
the door. and barred the Spirit out, he left
his blessing, and taught Scrooge his pre-
cepts.
1t was a long night. II it were only a
night; but Scrooge had his doubts of this
because the Christmas holidays appeared
to be condensed into the space of time they
passed together. 1t was strange, too, that
while Scrooge remained unaltered in his
outward form. the Ghost grew older. clearly
older Scrooge had observed this change
but never spoke of it. until they left a chill
dren's twelfth night party, when. looking at
the Spirit as they stood together in an open
place, he noticed that its hair was gray.
Are spirits lives SO short?" asked
Scrooge.
My life upon this globe is very brief"
replied the Ghost. 1T ends tonight"
''Tonightr' cried Scrooge.
Tonight. at midnight. HarkI The time
Il drawing near"
The chimes were ringing the three-Quart-
ers past eleven at that moment.
The bell struck twelve.
Scrocge looked about him for the Ghost
and saw IL not. AS the last stroke ceased
to yibrate. he remembered the prediction
Of old Jacob Marley, and lifting up his eyes.
beneld a solemn phantom, draped and hood
ed. coming like mist along the ground to-
ward him.
STAVE ".
THE LAST OF THE SPIRITS.
The phantom slowly. gravely, silently ap-
preached. When 1t came near him, Scrooge
bent down upon his knee; for in the very
air through which this spirit moved II SEEM
ed to scatter gloom and mystery.
1t was shrouded in a deep black garment.
which concealede its head. its face, its form.
and left nothing OF 1t visible, save one out
stretched hand.
He felt that ii was tall and stately when
Ii came beside him, and that its mysterious
presence filled him with a solemn dread.
He knew no more, for the Spirit neither
spoke nor moved.
Il am in the presence OF the Ghost of
fT77l Vet r.. "A