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


Scrooge's niece. AT least you always
tell me so.''
What of that, my dear?" said
Scrooge's nephew. "His wealth Is OF
no use to him. He don't do any good
with it. He don't make himself COM
Portable with it. He hasn't the salts
faction OF thinking-ha, ha, habitat
he is ever going to benefit us with It.
II have no patience with him. OBJ
served Scrooge's niece. Scrooge
niece's sisters, and all the other ladies,
expressed the same opinion.
"Oh, have!' said Scrooge's nephew
II am sorry for him; l couldn't be angry
with him If I tried. Who suffers by his
Ill whims? Himself, always. Here, he
takes it into his head to dislike U.S. and
he won't come and dine with us. What's
the consequence? He don't lose much
of dinner"
Indeed, / think he loses very good
dinner" interrupted Scrooge's niece
Everybody else said the same, and they
must be allowed to have been compe-
tent judges, because they had just had
dinner and. with the dessert upon the
table, were clustered round the fire, by
lamplight.
well! I am very glad to hear it"
said Scrooge's nephew. because l
haven't any great faith in these young
housekeepers. What do you say, Top
PERI"
Topper had clearly got his eye upon
one of Scrooge's niece's sisters, Tor he
answered that bachelor was a wretch
ed outcast, who had no right to express
an opinion on the subject. Whereat
Scrooge's nieces sister-the plump one
with the lace tucker, not the one with
the roses-blushed.
"Do go on, Fred" said Scrooge's niece,
clapping her hands. He never finishes
what he begins to say! He is such
ridiculous fellow"
Scrooge's nephew reveled In another
laugh, and as it was impossible to keep
the infection off, tho the plump sister
tried hard to do it with aromatic Vine
gar. his example was unanimously fol-
lowed.
II was only going to say" said
Scrooge's nephew, that the conse-
quence of his taking a dislike to us, ana
not making merry with us, is as think
that he loses some pleasant moments,
which could do him no harm. am
sure he loses pleasanter companions
than he can find in his own thoughts,
either in his mouldy old office or his
dusty chambers. ! mean to give him
the same chance every year, whether
he likes 1t or not, for I pity him. he
may rail at Christmas till he dies, but
he can't help me going there, in good
temper, year after year. and saying,
Uncle Serooge, how are your Ii 1t
only puts him in the vein to leave his
poor clerk fifty pounds, that's some
thing; and think I shook him, yester-
day."
1t was their turn to laugh now, at the
notion of his shaking Scrooge. But pc
ing thoroughly good natured, ana not
much caring what they laughed at, SO
that they laughed at any rate, he en-
couraged them in their merriment, ana
passed the bottle, joyously.
After tea, they had some music. For
they were a musical family, and knew
what they were about, when they sung
q, glee or catch, I can assure you; es-
recially Topper, who could growl away
in the bass like a good one, and never
swell the large veins in his forehead,
or get red in the face over 1t. Scrooge's
niece played we'll upon the harp; and
played, among other tunes, simple Mt
tie air "a mere nothing; you might
learn to whistle 1t in two minutes)
which had been familiar to the child
who fetched Scrooge from the board
ing school, as he had been reminded by
the Ghost of Christmas past. When
this strain of music sounded, all the
things that Ghost had shown him came
upon his mind; he softened more and
more: and thought that ii he could have
listened to it often, years ago, he might
have cultivated the kindnesses of life
for his own happiness with his own
hands, without resorting to the sexton 5
spade that buried Jacob Marley.
But they didn't devote the whole
evening to music. After while they
played at forfeits; for 1T is good to be
children sometimes. and never better
than at Christmas, when It's mighty
founder was a child himself. stop!
There was first a game at blind man $
buff. OF course there was. And ! no
more believe Topper was really olind
than believe he had eyes in his boots.
My opinion is, that 1T was done thing
between him Scrooge's nephew; and
that the Ghost of Christmas present
knew It. The way he went after the
plump sister in the lace tucker was an
outrage on the credulity OF human ma,
ture, Knocking down the fire irons.
tumbling over the chairs, humping up
against the piano, smothering himseI
amongst the curtains. wherever she
went there went he! He always knew
where the plump sister was. he
wouldn't catch anybody else. II you
had fallen up against him Gas some of
them did) on purpose, ne would have
made feint of endeayoring to sieze
YOU, which would have been an a1front
to your understanding, and would In
stantly have sided off in the direction
of the plump sister. She often cried
out that 1t wasn't fair; and 1t really
was not. But when, at last, he caught
her; when, in spite of all her sllken
rustlings, and her rapid fiutterinSs past
him, he got her into corner whence
there was no escape, then his conduct
was the most execrable. For his pre-
tending not to know her; his pretend
ing that it was necessary to toucn neg
head dress, and further TO assure NM
self of her identity by pressing a GER
tain ring upon her finger, and certain
chain about her neck, was vie, fnoil-
strous No doubt She told him her
opinion of 1T, when, another pima man
being in office, they Were so very con-
fidential together behind the curtains.
Scrooge's niece was not one OF the
blind mans buff party, but was maze
comfortable with a large char ana
foots stool. in a snug. corner, where the