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

and firm. blazing in half of half a quart
ern of ignited brandy and bediSht with
Christmas holly stuck into the top.
! oh, a wonderful pudding! Bob
Cratchit said, and calmly, too, that he
| regarded it as 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 flour. Everybody had
something to say about it, but nobody
said or thought it was at all a small
pudding for a large family. 1t would
have been fiat heresy to do so. Any
Cratchit would have blushed to hint at
| such a thing.
/ AT last the dinner was all done, the
cloth was cleared, the hearth swept, and
the fire made up. The compound in the
| jug being tasted, and considered per-
feet, apples and oranges We're put upon
the table, and shovelful of chestnuts
on the fire. Then all the Cratchit fam
lily drew round the hearth in what Bob
Cratchit called a circle, meaning half
a one; and at Bob Cratchit's elbow
stood the family display of glass,--tw
tumblers, and a custard cup without a
| handle.
| These held the hot stuff from the jug,
| however, as well as golden g'ohlets
would have done: and Bob served it
out with beaming looks, while the
chestnuts on the fire sputtered and
cracked noisily. Then Bob proposed
| n Merry Christmas to us all, my
dears. God bless us!'
Which all the family re-echoed.
God bless us every one!" said Tiny
| Tim, the last of all.
| He sat very close to his fathers side,
upon his little stool. Bob held his
withered little hand in his, as If he
loved the child, and wished to keep him
| by his side, and dreaded that he might
! be taken from him.
| Spirit" said Scrooge, with an in
terest he had naEer felt before, tell me
| If Tiny Tim will live"
| 81 see a vacant seat replied the
| Ghost, sin the poor chimney corner, and
| a crutch without an owner, carefully
preserved If these shadows remain
unaltered by the future, the child will
die
NO no. said Scrooge. ooh, no,
| kind Spirit! say he will be spared"
by the future. none other of my race"
returned the Ghost, will find him here
What then? If he be like to die. he had
better do 1t, and decrease the surplus
population.
Scrooge hung his head to hear his
own words quoted by the Spirit, and
was overcome with penitenee and
grief.
Man." said the Ghost, eff man you be
in heart, not adamant, forbear that
wicked cant until you have discovered
what the surplus is, and where 1t is.
VIII you decide what men shall live,
what men shall die? 1t may be that
in the sight of Heaven you are more
worthless and less fit to live than mil
lions like this poor mans child. Q God!
TO hear the insect on the leaf proncunc-
ing on the too much life among his
hungry brothers In the dust!'
Scrooge bent before the Ghosts re-
buke, and, trembling, cast his eyes upon
the ground. But raised them speedily,
on hearing his own name.
"Mr. Scrooge!" said Bob: It'll give
you Mr.. Scrooge, the founder of the
feast!"
"The founder of the feast, indeed"
cried Mrs. Cratchit, reddening. Il wish
had him here. I'd give him piece
of my mind to feast upon, and hope
he'd have good appetite for it,
my dear" said Bob, "the children!
Christmas day"
ut should be Christmas day, I am
sure" said she, ION which one drinks
the health of such an odious. stingy,
hard, unfeeling man as Mr.. Scrooge.
You know lie is, Robert! Nobody
knows 1t better than you do. poor fell
lowl"
"My dear" was Bob's mild answer,
christmas day."
"Ill drink his health for your sake,
and the days said Mrs. Cratchit, mot
for his. Long life to him! A merry
Christmas and happy new year!
He'll be very merry and very happy,
have no doubt"
The children drank the toast after
her. 1t was the first of their proceed
ings which had no heartiness in It, Tiny
Tim drank it last of all, but he didn't
care twopence for it. Scrooge was the
ogre of the family The mention of his
name cast a dark shadow on the party.
which was not dispelled foG fun five
minutes.
After it had passed away, they were
ten times merrier than before, from the
mere relief of Scrooge the baleful being
done with. Bob Cratchit told them
how he had situation in his eye for
Master Peter, which would bring In If
obtained, full five-and-sixpence weekly.
The two young Cratchits Laughed tre-
mendously at the idea of Peters being
a man of business and Peter himself
looked thoughtfully at the fire from be-
tween his collars, as If he were delib-
Grating what particular investments he
should favor when ne came into the
receipt of that bewildering income.
Martha, who was poor apprentice at
a unilliner's, then told them what kind
of work she had to do, and how many
hours she worked at a stretch, and how
she meant to lie abed tomorrow morn
ing for good, long rest; tomorrow be-
ing a holiday she passed at home. Also
how she had seen a countess and a lord
some days before, and how the lord
was much about as tall as Peter at
which Peter pulled up his collars so
high that you couldn't have seen his
head If you had been there. All this
time the chestnuts and the jug went
round and round; and by and by they
had a song, about lost child travel
ing in the snow, from Tiny Tim, who
had a plaintive little voice, and sang i.
very we'll indeed.
There was nothing of high mark in
this. They were not a handsome fam
lily; they were not well dressed; their
s,l.,a, ,,tare for from, heipg wa tar-nroof.