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

child was left here all alone, he did
come, for the first time, just like that,
Poor boy! And Valentine"
said Scrooge, and his wild brother
Orson;* there they go! And what's his
name, who was put down in his
drawers, asleep, at the Gate of DAM
ascus: don't you see him? And the
/ Sultan's Groom turned upside down
by the Genii; there he is upon his
head! Serve him right! I'm glad of
| it. What business had he to be mar
ried to the Princess?"
To hear Scrooge expending all the
earnestness of his nature on such sub
jects, in a most extraordinary voice be-
tween laughing and crying, and to see
see his heightened and excited face,
would have been surprise to his bust
ness friends in the city, indeed.
There's the parrot" cried Scrooge.
Green body and yellow tail. with a
| top of his head; there he is! Poor
| Robin Crusoe, he called him, when he
came home again, after sailing round
| the island. Poor Robin Crusoe. where
have you been, Robin Crusoe@ The
man thought he was dreaming, but he
wasn't. 1t was the parrot, you know.
There goes Friday. running for his
life to the little creek! Halloa! Hoop!
Halloo!"
Then, with a rapidity of transition
very foreign to his usual character, he
said, in pity for his former self, Poor
boy!'' and cried again.
Il WISH" Scrooge muttered, putting
his hand in his pocket, and looking
about him, after drying his eyes with
l.; Inf
What is the matter?'' asked the
Spirit.
Nothing" said Scrooge, nothing.
There was boy singing Christmas
carol at my door last night. l should
like to have given him something:
that's ALL"
The Ghost smiled thoughtfully, and
waved its hand, saying, as it did so,
Let us see another Christmas"
Scrooge's former self grew larger at
the words, and the room became lit
tie darker and more dirty. The panels
shrunk, the windows cracked; frag-
ments Of plaster fell out of the ceiling,
and the naked laths We're shown in
stead; but how all this was brought
about, Scrooge knew no more than you
do. He only that it was quite correct;
that everything had happened so; that
there he was, alone again, when ali
the other boys had gone home for the
jolly holidays.
He was not reading now, but walking
up and down despairingly. Scrooge
looked at the Ghost, and with a
mournful shaking of his head, glanced
anxiously towards the door.
1t opened, and a little girl, much
younger than the boy, came darling in,
and, putting her arms about his neck,
and often kissing him. addressed him
as her dear. dear brother"
Il have come TO bring you home, dear
brother." said the child, clapping her
tiny hands, and bending down to laugh
ITO bring you home, home, home!'
Home, little FAM" returned the
boy.
"Yes!" said the child, brimful of
glee. Home, for good and ALL Home,
for ever and ever. Father is much
kinder than he used to be. that homes
like Heaven! He spoke so gently to
me one dear night when / was going
to bed that I was not afraid to ask
him once more if you might come
home; and he said Yes, you should;
And you're to be a mani" said the
child. opening her eyes and are never
to come back here; but first, we're to
be together all the. Christmas long, and
have the merriest time in all the
world"
You are quite woman, little Fan!"
exclaimed the boy.
Abe clapped her hands and laughed,
and tried to touch his head; but, being
too little, laughed again, and stood
on tiptoe to embrace him. Then she
began to drag him, in her childish Gag
erness, towards the door; and he, moth
ing loath to so. accompanied her.
terrible voice in the hall cried.
Bring down Master Scrooge's box.
there!" and in the hall appeared the
schoolmaster himself, who glared on
Master Scrooge with ferocious con-
descension, and threw him into a
dreadful state of mind by shaking
hands with him. He then conveyed him
and his sister into the veriest old well
of shivering best parlor that ever
was seen, where the maps upon the
wall, and the celestial and terrestrial
globes in the windows, were waxy with
cold. Here he produced a decanter of
curiously light wine, and a block of
curlously heavy cake, and administered
instaliments of those dainties to the
young people; at the same time, send
ing out a meagre servant to offer a
glass of something" to the postboy.
who answered that he thanked the gen
tleman, but If it was the same tap aa
he had tasted before, he had rather not.
Master Scrooge's trunk being by this
time tied on to the top of the chaise,
the children babe the schoolmaster
good-by right willingly; and, getting
into 1t, drove gayly down the garden
sweep, the quick wheels dashing the
hoarfrost and snow from off the dark
leaves of the evergreens like spray.
Always a delicate creature, whom
breath might have withered," said
the Ghost. But she had a large
heart"
so she had" cried Scrooge. you're
right. will not gainsay it, Spirit. God
forbidn'
she died a woman said the Ghost,
and had, as | think, children"
"one child" Scrooge returned.
True" said the Ghost. Your
nephew!''
| Scrooge seemed uneasy in his mind.
and answered briefly, Yes
Altho they had but that moment
left the school behind them, they were
now in the busy thoroughfares of a
city, where sbadowy passengers passed
and repassed; where shadowy carts
and coaches battled for the way. and
| all the strife and tIjmu1t of a raa1 o;ty