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

II WISH" Scrooge muttercd, putting his
| hand In his pocket and looking about him
after drying his eyes with his cuff, but it g
"What IL the natter" asked the Spirit.
Nothing" said Scrooge. nothing. There
| was boy singing a Christmas carol at my
door last night. ! should like to have given
The Ghost smiled thoughtfuly and waved
its hand. saying as he did so, Let us see
| another Christmas"
words and the room became a little darker
and more dirty. The panels shrunk, the
windows cracked fragments OF plaster .ell
| out of the ceiling and the naked laths were
shown ms lad: but how all this was brought
about Scrooge knew no more than you DO.
He only knew that it was quite correct;
| that everything had happened SO; that there
| he was, alone again. when all the other boys
had rome home for the Jolly holidays.
He was not reading now. but walking up
and down despairingly. Scrooge looked at
| the ghost. and, with mournfui shaking OF
| his head glanced anxiously toward the door.
| 1t opened, and a little girl, much younger
| than the boy, came dartins in. and. putting
| her arms about his neck and often kissing
| him. addressed him as her Dear. dear
brother"
II have come to bring you home. dear
| brotherr said the child. clapping her tiny
hands. ITO bring you home. home. home!
Home little Fan?" returned the boy
"Yesv said the child. brimful of glee
Home, for good and all. Father Is so
much kinder than he used to be! He spoke
so gently to me one dear night when was
going to bed, that was not afraid to ASK
him once more IL you might come home;
| and he said, yes, you should; and sent me
in a coach to bring you. And you re to De a
man. said the child, opening her eyes.
land are never to come back here; but
| first we're to be together all the Christmas
long. and have the merriest time in all the
world
s'You are quite a woman. little Fanr ex-
She clapped her hands and laughed. and
| tried to touch his head; but being too little
laughed again, and stood on tip-toe 70 EN-
| brace him. Then she began TO drag MN, ~
her childish eagerness. toward the door; anu
he, nothing loath to go. accompanied mel.
A terrible voice in the hall CRIED Brine
down Master Scrooge's box, there?' and IN
the hall appeared the schoolmaster himself
who giared on Master Scrooge with a fero-
cious condescension. and threw him into
dreadful state of mind by shaking hanos
with him. He then conveyed him ana ms
| sister into the veriest old wen OF snlVerlns
best parlor that ever was seen. where the
maps upon the wall, and the celestial ana
terrestrial globes in the windows. were waxy
with cold. Here he produced oecanter oi
curiously light wine, and a block Of curious
ly heavy cake, and administered INSTALL
ments Of those dainties to the young people;
at the same time sending out meager ser
postboy, who answered that he thanked
the gentleman, but II it was the same tap
as he had tasted before. he had rather not
Master Scrooge's trunk being by this time
tied on to the top Of the chaise, the children
babe the schoolmaster goodbye right WILL
ingly: and. getting into 1t, drove gayly
down the garden-sweep; the quick wheels
dashing the boar frost and snow from on
the dark leaves Of the evergreens like spray.
Always a delicate creature. whom a
breath might have withered." said the
Ghost But she had a large hearth
so she had" cried Scrooge. You're
right. L will not gaipSay IL. Spirit. God
forbid
she died a woman" said the Ghost. land
had as think. children"
"One child" Scrooge returned.
True" said the Ghost. Your nephew
scrooge seemed uneasy in his mind and
answered briefly, Yes
the school behind them. they were now in
the busy thoroughfares Of a city.
1t was made plain enough, by the dress
ing Of the shops. that here too 1t was
Christmas time
The Ghost stopped at a certain warehouse
door and asked Scrooge il he knew it.
Know itv' said serooge. Yves I ap-
prenticed here!
They went in. At sight Of an old gentle
man in Welsh wig. sitting behind a high
desk. Scroose cried in great excitement:
Why. It's old Fezziwig! Bless his heart;
It's Fezziwtg alive again.
Old Fezziwig laid down his pen, and look
ed up at the clock. which pointed to the
hour OF seven. He rubbed his hands; ad-
1usted his eapacious waistcoat: laughed all
over himself. from his shoes to his organ
Of benevolence; and called out in a comfort
able. oily. rich. fat, jovial voice:
Yo no. there! Ebenezer! Dick-'
Scrooges former self, now grown n young
man. came briskly in, accompanied by his
fellow apprentice.
Dick Wilkins. to be surer said Scrooge
to the Ghost Bless me. yes: There he is.
he was very much attached to me- was
Dick Poor Dicki Dear, dear"
"Yo no. my boysr' said Fezziwig mo
more work tonight. Christmas Eve, Dickl
Christmas. Ebenezer! Let's have the shut
tiers up" cried old Fezziwig, with a sharp
clap OF his hands, before q man can say
JACK Robinson! Clear away. my lads and
lets have lots Of room here!''
wouldn't have cleared away, or couldn't
have cleared away, with old Fezzwig look
Ing on. 1t was done in a minute Every
movable was packed OF. as IL # were dis
missed from public life forevermore; the
moor was swept and watered. the lamps
were trimmed. fuel was heaped upon the
fire: and the warehouse was as snug, and
warm, ana dry. and bright a ball room as
night.
In came a fiddler with a music book. and
went up to the lofty desk. and made an or
substantial smile. In came the three Misses
Fezziwig. beaming and lovable. In came
the six young followers whose hearts they
broke. In came all the young men
| business.
In came the housemaid, with her cousin the
baker. In came the cook, with her brothers
particular friend. the milkman. In they all
came one after another some shyly, some
boldly. some gracefully, some awkwardly
some pushing. some pulling; in they ali
all came anyhow and everyhow. Away
they all went, twenty couple at once; hands
half round and back again the other way:
down the middle and up again. round and
round in various stages OF affectionate
grouping; old top couple always turning up
In the wrong place: new top couple starting
or again as soon as they got there; all top
couples at last, and not a bottom one to
help them! When this result was brought
about. old Fezziwig. clapping his hands to
stop the dance, cried out, well donev'
and the fiddler plunged his hot face into a
pot Of porter. especially provided Tor that
purpose.
There were more dances. and there were
more forfeits, and more dances, and there
was cake, and there was q great piece of
cold roast. and there was a great piece of
cold boiled, and there were mnce pies, and
plenty of beer. But the great effect OF the
evening came after the roast and boiled.
when the fiddler struck up "Sir Roger de
Coverley" Then old Fezziwig stood out to
dance with Mrs. Fezziwig. Top couple, too;
with a good stin piece Of work cut out for
them; three or four and twenty pair of
partners: people who were not to be trified
with; people who would dance, and had no
notion Of walking.
But II they had been twice as many-sh.
four ffrnoa-old Eazxfuyi0 vvo,,tA no % 49,,