Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24


lonly light was more alarming than a
dozen ghosts, as he was powerless to
make out what it meant, or would be
at; and was sometimes apprehensive
that he might be at that very moment
Ian interesting case of spontaneous COM
bustion,, without having the consolation
of knowing it. At last, however, he be-
gan to think,-as you or 1 would have
thought at first: for it is always the
person not in the predicamel t who
knows what ought to have been done
in it, and would unquestionably have
done it too,-at last, / say, he began
to think that the source and secret
of this ghostly light might be in the
adjoining room, from whence, on fur
Their tracing it, it seemed to shine. This
idea taking full possession of his mind,
he got up softly, and shuftied in his
| slippers to the door.
The moment Scrooge's hand was on
the lock, a strange voice called him
| obeyed.
1t was his own room. There was no
doubt about that But it had undergone
a surprising Transformation. The
walls and ceiling were SO hung with
l
grove; from every part of which bright,
/ cleaning berries glistened. The crisp
leaves of holly, mstletoe, and ivy re-
Elected back the light, as if so many
little mirrors had been scattered there,
land such a mighty blaze went roaring
up the chimney, as that dull petrifac-
ton of a hearth had never known in
Scrooge's time, or Marley's, Of for many
and many a winter season gone.
| Heaped up on the floor, to form kind
of throne, were turkeys, geese, game,
Ipoultry, Drawn, great joints of meat,
sucking pigs, long wreaths of sau-
sages, mince- pies. plum buildings, bar
rels of oysters, red-hot chestnuts, cher
ry- checked apples, juicy oranges, lu-
Escious pears. immense twelfth cakes, :
and seething bowls of punch, that
made the chamber dim with their de-
| licious steam.
| In easy state upon this couch, there
sat jolly Giant glorious to see; who
bore a glowing torch, in shape not I'M
! like Plenty's horn, and held it up. high
| up, to shed it's light on Scrooge, as he
came peeping round the door.
| Come I'M" exclaimed the Ghost
come In! and know me better, mani"
| Scrooge entered tinnidly, and hung
his head before this Spirit. He was not
the logged Scrooge he had been; and
| tho the Spirits eyes were clear and
kind, he did not like to meet them.
II am the Ghost Of Christmas Pres
ent," said the Spirit. Look upon mel"
| Scrooge reverently did SO. 1t was
clothed in one simple, deep green robe,
or mantle, bordered with white fur.
This garment hung so loosely on the
| figure that it's capacious breast was
bare, as if disdaining to be warded
or concealed by any artifice. Its feet,
observable beneath the ample folds If
/ the garment, were also bare; and on
1t head 1t wore no other than a holly
wreath, set here and there with shin
| ing icicles. Its dark brown curls were
long and free; free as its genial face,
it's sparkling eye, it's open hand, its
] CHEEKY voice, it's unconstrained de-
meanor, and its joyful air. Girded
round its middle was an antique
scabbard; but no sword was in it, and
! the ancient sheath was eaten up with
rust
you have never seen the like of me
before!" exclaimed the Spirit.
Never" Scrooge made answer to 1T.
/ Have never walked forth with the
younger members of my family: mean
/ ing (for am very young) my elder
brothers born in these later years n
| pursued the Phantom.
81 don't think I have" said Scrooge.
81 am afraid have not. Have you had
many brothers, Spirit 2"
(. more than eighteen hundred" said
the Ghost.
"a tremendous family to provide for
muttered Scrooge.
The Ghost of Christmas Present
rose.
Spirit said Scrooge submissively,
Conduct me where you win. went
forth last night on compulsion, and
learnt a lesson which is working now.
Tonight, if you have aught to teach me,
let me profit by it."
"Touch my robe!"
| Scrooge did as he was told, and held
it fast.
| turkeys, geese, game, poultry, Drawn,
meat, pigs, sausages, oysters, pies, pud-
4 dings, fruit and punch all vanished in
stantly. So did the room, the fire, the
ruddy glow, the hour of night; and
InGy STOOQ Ill The city otFSGlS OH SHIlSt-
mas morning, where (for the weather
was severe) the people made a rough,
| but brisk and not unpleasant kind of
music, in scraping the snow from the
/ pavement in front of their dwellings,
and from the tops of their houses.
whence it was mad delight to the boys
to see it come Pumping down into the
road below, and splitting into artificial
| little snow storms.
| The house fronts looked black enough,
and the windows blacker, contrasting
with the smooth white sheet of snow
upon the roofs, and with the dirtier
snow upon the ground; which last de-
post had been ploughed UP in deep fur
rows by the heavy wheels of carts and
wagons; burrows that crossed and re-
/ crossed each other hundreds of times
where the great streets branched off;
and made intricate channels, hard to
| trace, in the thick yellow mud and icy
water The sky was gloomy, and the
| shortest streets were checked up with a
| dingy mist half thawed, half frozen.
whose heavier particles descended in a
| shower of sooty atoms, as If all the
chimneys in Great Britain had, by one
consent, caught fire, and We're blazing
away to their dear hearts cFhtent.
There was nothing very cheerful in the
an air of cheerfu,aess abroad that the
clearest summer air and brightest sum-
mer sun might have endeavored to