The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-23
Bob Cratchit's Christmas.

Crom "a Christmas Carol by DickensD
And how did little Tom behave?" asked
Mrs Crachit, when she had rallied Bob
on his credulity and Bob had hugged his
daughter to his hearts content.
LAS good as goid,'' said Bob. ''and bet
ter. Somehow he gets thoughtful. sitting
by himself SO much, and thinks the
strangest things you ever heard. He told
me coming home that he hoped the people
saw him in the church, because ne was a
cripple and it might be pleasant to them
on Christmas day to remember who made
lame beggars walk and blind men see.'
Bob's voice was tremulous when he told
them this, and trembled more when he said
that tiny Tim was growing stronger and
hearty.
His active little crutcb was heard upon
the floor, and back came Tiny Tim before
another word was spoken, escorted Dy
his brother and sister, to his stool beside
the fire and while Bob, turning up his
cuffs. as if, poor fellow, they were capable
of being made more shabby, compounded
some hot mixture in a jug with gin ana
lemons and stirred it round and put on the
hob to simmer. Master Pete and the two
ubiquitous young Cratchits went to fetch
the goose with which they soon returned
in high procession.
Such hustle ensued that you might
have thought a goose the rarest Oh all
birds, a feathered phenomenon, TO Which
a black swan was a matter Of course-and
in truth it was something very like 1t In
that house. Mrs. Cratchit made the gravy
ready beforehand in little saucepan, his
sing hot; Master Peter mashed the potatoes
with incredible vigor; Miss Belinda sweet
ened up the apple sauce; Martina dusted
the hot plates; Bob took Tiny Tim beside
him IL a tiny corner at the table; the two
C-atchits sat chairs for everybody, not 1or-
getting themselves, and mounting guard
upon their posts crammed spoons into their
mouths, lest they should shrek for goose
before their turn came to be helped AT
last the dishes were set on, and grace was
said 1t was succeeded by a greatness
pause. as Mrs Cratohit, looking slowly,
all along the carving knife, prepared 10
plunge it into the breast; but when she
did, and the long-expected gush of STUFF
fing issued forth, one murmur of delight
arose all around the table, and even Tiny
Tim, excited by the two young Cratchits,
beat on the table with the handle Of his
fork and feebly cried: "Hurrah!
There never was such goose. Bob said
be believed there never was such goose
cooked. Its tenderness and flavor, size and
cheapness were the themes of universal
admiration. Eked out by the apple sauce
and mashed potatoes, ii was sufficient din
ner for the whole family; indeed, as Mrs.
Cratchit said with great delight surveying
one small atom of a bone upon the dish).
they hadn't ate it all at last! Yet every
one had had enough, and the youngest
Cratchits, in particular, were stepped in
sage and onion to the eyebrows. But now
the plates being changed by Miss Belinda,
Mrs. Cratchit left the room alone-too nerv-
Gus to bear witness-to take the pudding
up and bring it in.
Suppose it should not be done enough!
Suppose it should break in turningi Sup
pose somebody should have got over the
wall of the back yard, and stolen it, while
they were merry with the goose-a suppo-
sition at which the two young Cratchits
became livid All sorts of horrors were sup
posed.
Halo! A great deal of steam? The pud-
ding was out of the copper. A smell like
a washing day, This was the cloth.
smell like an eating-house and pastry
cooks next door to each other, with
laundress' next door to that, That was
the pudding In half a minute Mrs.
Cratchit entered-fiushed, but smiling
proudly-with the pudding, like a speckled
cannon ball, so hard and firm, blazing in
half a quarter of ignited brandy, and be-
nign with Christmas holly stuck into the
top.
Oh, a wonderful pudding! Bob Cratchit
said and calmly, too, that he considered
il. the greatest success achieved by Mrs.
Cratchit since their marriage. Mrs.
Cratchit said that now the weight was off
her mind. she would confess she had her
doubts about the quantity of -four. Every
body had something TO say about it, but
nobody said or thought it was at all a small
pudding for large family. 1t would have
been fiat heresy to do so. Any Cratchit
would have bIushed to hint at such a
thing.
At last the dinner was all done, the cloth
was cleared, the hearth was swept and
the fire made up. The compound in the
jug being tasted and considered perfect.
apples and oranges were put upon the ia
BILE and a shovelful of chestnuts upon the
fire. Then all the Cratchit family drew
around the hearth, in what Bob Cratcht
called a circle, meaning half one, and
Bob Cratchit's elbow stood the family dis
play of glass, two tumblers and a custard
cup with a handle.
These held the hot stuff from the jug,
however as well as golden goblets would
have done, and Bob served 1t out with
beaming looks while the chestnuts on the
fire sputtered and cracked noisily. Then
Bob proposed "a merry Christmas to US
all, my dears, God bless u.s." which all the
family re-echoed.
God bless US everyone" said Tiny Tim,
the last Of all.