Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-12-23
CHRISTMAS EVE AT OLD FEZz[-
WIGS.

WIGS.
This from the Christmas Carol. desert ,iu, the
Christmas Eve Publication vs. hich old Fezziwig and
his wife gave IN tn old warehouse to all the EN-.
poy-s aud dep'u ient' aud attaches OF tn. e.
Enlistment. is Of the best bits of Charles
Dickens's Christmas writings 1t is familil- but
it Is heart warming, aud worth reading, as is the
whole Christmas Carol, at every Christmas sea
sob.
The CHOSE stopped at "A certain ware.
house door, and askel ScrooLe if ne knew
it.
Know it, said Scrooge. WAS l ap-
prentced here
They went in At sight of an old gen
tleman in Welsh wig, sitting behind such
a high desk, that if he had been two inches
taller he must have knocked his head
against the ceiling, Scrooge cried in great
excitement
"Why, it is old Fezziwig, Bless his
heat; it's Fezziwig alive again.
Old Fezzwig laid down his pen, and
looked up at the clock, which pointed to
the hour of seven. He rubbed his hands
adjusted his capacous waistcoat; laughed
all over himself from his shoes to his or
gan of benevolence: and called out, in
comfortable, oily, rich, fat, jovial voice.
'No no, there! Ebenezer Dick
Scrooge's former self now grown a
young man, came briskly in, accompanied
by his fellow prentice.
Dick Wilkins, to be sure, said Scrooge
to the Ghost. Bless me, yes. There he
is He was very much attached to me, was
Dick Poor Dick, Dear, dear
"Io no. my boys, said Fezziwig. "No
more work tonight. Christmas Eve, Dick
Christmas, Ebenezer, Let's have the
shutters up cried old Fezziwig, with a
sharp clap of his hands "before a man
can say Jack Robinson!"
You wouldn't believe how those two
fellows went at it. They charged into the
street with the shutters, one, two, three,
had EN- up in their places-four five,
six,-barred EN- and pinned 'em,-seven,
eight, nine, and came back before you
could have got to twelve, painting like
race-horses
"Hili-ho" cried old Fezziwig, skipping
down from the high desk with wonderful
agility. Clear away, my lads, and let's
have lots of room here! Hilli-ho, Dick
| Chirrup, Ebenezer'
Clear away! There was nothing they
wouldn't have cleared away, or couldn't
have cleared away, with old Fezziwig
looking on. 1t was done in minute
Every movable was packed off, as il it were
| dismissed from public life sorevermore the
floor was swept and watered, the lamps
were trimmed, fuel was heaped upon the
| fire: and the warehouse was as snug and
warm and dry and bright ballroom as
| you would desire to see upon a winters
! night.
In came fiddler with a music book, and
went up to the lofty desk, and made an or
| oh Oc . Nd
aches. In came Mrs Fezziwig, one vast
substantial smile. In came the three Miss
! Fezziwigs, beaming and lovable. In came
the six young followers whose hearts they
| broke. In came all the young men and
women employed in the business. In came
the housemaid with her cousin the baker
| 10 came the cook, with her brothers par
ticular friend, the milkman. In came the
| boy from over the way, who was suspected
of not having board enough from his mas
ter, trying to hide himself behind the girl
from next door but one, who was proved
to have had her ears pulled by her mistress.
In they all came, one after another; some
shyly, some boldly, some gracefully, some
awkwardly, sorne pushing, some pulling,
in they 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 af-
fectionate grouping; old top couple always
turning up in the wrong place; new top
couple starting off again, as soon as they
got there: all top couples at last, and not a
bottom one to help them When this re-
suit was brought about, old Fezziwig, clap
ping his hands to stop the dance, cried out,
"Well done" and the fiddler plunged his
hot face into a pot of porter, especially
provided for that purpose. But scorning
rest upon his temperance, he instantly
began again, though there were no dancers
yet as if the other fiddler had been carried
home, exhausted, on a shutter, and he
were bran-new man resolved to beat him
out of sight, or perish
There were more dances, and there were
forfeits and more dances, and there was
cake and there was negus, and there was a
great piece of cold roast, and there was
great piece of cold boiled, and there were
minneapolis and plenty of beer. But the
great effect of the evening came after the
roast and boiled, when the fiddler IAN art
full dog, mind The sort of man who knew
his business better than you or l could have
told it to HIND struck up "Sir Roger de
Coverley." Then old Fezziwig stood out &c
dance with Mrs. Fezziwig. Top couple, too
with good stiff piece of work cut out fol-
them; three or four and twenty pair Of
partners; people who were not to be trihed
with; people who Mould dance, and had nc
notion of walking.
But if they had been twice as many-ah
four times-old Fezziwig would have beer
a match for them, and so would Mrs. Fezzi
wig. AS to her she was worthy to be hi
partner in every sense of the term. Il
that's not high praise, tell me higher, anC
I'll use it. A positive light appeared Il
issue from Fezziwig's calves. They shon'