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

| pointed straight before them.
Lead on!' said Scrooge.-"lead on! The
night is waning fast, and 1t is precious time
to me, know. Lead on, Spiritp'
| The phantom moved away as it had come
toward him. Scrooge followed in the shadow
| Of it's dress, which bore him up, he thought
| and carried him along.
They scarcely seemed to enter the city;
! for the city rather seemed to spring up
| act. But there they were in the heart of it
| on Change, amongst the merchants, who
hurried up and down, and chinked the
money in their pockets. and conversed in
trifed thoughtfully with their great gold
seals. and 30 forth. as Scrooge had seen
| them often.
he Spirit stopped beside one little knot of
business men. Observing that the hand
was pointed to them, Scrooge advanced to
/ listen to their talk.
| NO" said a great fat man with a mon
strous chin. Il don't know much about it
either way. I only know he's dead"
| when did he die?' inquired another
| Last night. believe"
why, what was the matter with him.
asked third. taking a vast quantity of
SNUFF out Of a very large snun-box. Il
thought he'd never die"
God knows said the first with a yawn.
what has he done with his money!"
asked a red-faced gentleman with a PEN
dulous excrescence on the end of his nose,
that shock like the gills Of a turkey cock.
haven't heard. said the man with
i
company. perhaps. He hasn't left it to me.
| That's all know
This pleasantly was received with a gen.
| eral laugh.
Scrooge was at first inclined to be sur
prised that the Spirit should attach i'm
portance to conversation apparently so triv-
| ial. but feeling assured that they have some
hidden purpose he set himself to consider
what 1t was likely to be. They could
scarcely be supposed to have any bearing
on the death of Jacob. his old partner. for
i hat aoSf md tie
| was the future
He looked about in that very place for
his own image. but another man stood in
/ his accustomed corner, and though the
clock pointed to his usual time of day for
| being there he saw no likeness of himself
| among the multitudes that poured in
| through the porch. 1t gave him little sur
prise. however, for he had been revolving
In his mind a change of life and thought
| and hoped he saw his newborn resolutions
| carried out in this
an obscure part of the town. where Scrooge
had never penetrated before. although he
| recognized its situation and its bad repute.
| The ways were foul and narrow: the shops
and houses wretched the people half-naked
| drunken, slipshod, ugly and the whole
| quarter reeked with crime, with filth and
misery.
Far in this den Of Infamous resort there
was low-browed. beetling shop. below a
penthouse roof where iron, old rags, bot
| ties. bones and greasy offal were bought.
Of rusty keys. nails. chains. hinges. files.
| scales. weights and refuse iron of all kinds
sitting In among the wares he dealt in,
by charcoal stove. made of old bricks.
was gray-haired rascal nearly seventy
years OF age, who smoked his pipe In all
the luxury OF calm retirement.
Scrooge and the Phantom came into the
presence OF this man. just woman with
a. heavy bundle skunk into the shop But
she had scarcely entered when another
woman. similarly laden. came in too and
she was closely followed by a man in faded
| black. After a short period of blank aston
ishment. in which the old man with the
pipe had Joined them, they all three burst
into a laugh.
Let the charwoman alone to be the
frstp cried she who had entered first
Let the laundress alone to be the second
and let the undertakers man alone to be
chance! If we haven't all three met here
without meaning itr'
"You couldn't have met in better
place" said old joe removing his pipe from
his mouth. Come into the parlor You
were made free of 1t long ago. YOU know
and the other two amt strangers. Come
into the parlor Come into the parlorr
The parlor was a space behind a screen
OF rags. The old man raked the fire to-
eether with an old stairrod and having
trimmed his smoky lamp flor 1t was night
mouth again.
While he did this the woman who had
already spoken threw her bundle on the
manner
on STOOL crossing her elbows on her knees
other two.
what odds then, What odds. Mrs. D,,-
ber! said the woman. Every person has
right tn take care of themselves He
always did, Who's the worse for the loss
Of a few things like these? Not a dead
man. i suppose"
No. indeed" said Mrs. Dilber. laughing.
IT he wanted 70 keep 'em after he was
dead" pursued the woman. "whv wasn't
m frrro tn hte tfAkt~
he'd have had somebody to look after him
when he was struck with death. instead of
wing easping out his last there. alone by
IT'S the truest word that ever was
spoke" said Mrs. Dilber. IT'S judgment
81 wish it was little heavier Judgment"
replied the woman. land it should have
been, you may depend upon it, If 1 could
have laid my hands on anything else. Open
the bundle. old Joe. and let me know the
value or 1t. Speak out plain. I'm not
afraid to be the first nor afraid for them to
see it,"
Joe went down on his knees for the
greater convenience OF opening it. and hav-
ing unfastened a great many knots dragged
out large heavy roll Of some dark stuff.
curtainsr'
..Ah!' returned the woman, laughing and
leaning forward on her crossed arms. BED
curtains. Don't drop that oil upon the
blankets, now"
HIS blankets" asked Joe.
Whose else's do you think?' replied the
woman. He isn't likely to take cold with
out 'em, / dare say. All! You may look
through that shirt till your eyes ache, but
you won't find a hole in it. nor a thread
bare place. It's best he had and a fine one
too. They'd have wasted it IL it hadn't
been for me-"
Scrooge listened to this dialogue in horror
spirit" said Scrooge, shuddering from
head to foot, II see, see The case of this
unhappy man might be my own. My life
tends that way now. Merciful heaven,
what is this?"
He recoiled In terror. for the scene had
changed, and now he almost touched a
bare. uncurtained bed.
\ pale light. rising in the outer air. fell
and bereft, unmatched, unwept, uncared for
was the body of this man.
spirit" he said, this is fearful place
In leaving it L shall not leave its lesson
trust me. Let us go! Let me see some
tenderness connected with a death, or that
dark chamber, Spirit, which we left Just
now, will be forever present to me-"
The Ghost conducted him through several
streets familiar to his feet. and as they
went along. Scrooge looked here and there
to f1nd himself, but nowhere was he to be
seen. They entered poor Bob Crachit's
house, the dwelling he had visited before
and found the mother and the children
seated round the fire.
Quiet. Very quiet The noisy little Graft
chits were still as statues in one corner
a nm Of pAta