davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

house door, and asked Scrooge if he
knew 1t.
Know it!' said Scrooge. WAS l
apprenticed here?"
They went in. At sight of an old
gentleman in q Welsh wig, sitting be-
hind such 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's old Fezziwig! Bless his
heart; it's F'ezziwig alive again!"
Old Fezziwig laid down his pen and
looked up at the clock, which pointed
to the hour of seven. He rubbed his
hands; adjusted his capacious waist
coat; laughed all over himself, from his
shoes to his organ of benevolence; and
called out, in a comfortable, oily, rich
fat, jovial voice.
"Yo no, there! Ebenezer! Dick!"
Scrooge's former self, now grown a
young man, came briskly in, accom-
panied by his feSrow- prentice.
"'Dick Wilkins, to be sure!" said
Scrooge TO the Ghost. Bless me, yes
There he is. He was very much at
tached to me, was Dick. Poor DiclI
Dear, dear!'
"Yo no. my boys!" said Fezziwig.
No more work tonight. Christmas
Eve, Dick. Christmas Ebenezer! Let's
have the shutters up" cried old Fez-
ziwig, with a sharp clap of his hands,
before man can say Jack Robin
soni"
You wouldn't believe how those two
fellows went at it! They charged into
the street with the shutters-one, two,
three-had 'em up in their places
four, five, six-barred em and pinned
'em-seven, eight, nine-and came
back before you could have got to
twelve, painting like race-horses.
"Hilli-ho!" cried old Fezziwig, skip
ping 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!"
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24
Buenig Tmes pubra 9arshatn,u, aua rrrner "a. lan2

then? l am not changed towards you. "
She shook her head.
Am II"
Our contract is an old one. 1t was
made when we were both poor, and
content TO be so, until, in good sea-
son, we could improve our worldly
fortune by our patient industry. You
are changed. When it was made, you
We're another man."
II was a boy" he said impatiently.
your own feeling tells you that you
were not what you are" she re-
turned. Il am. That which promised
happiness when we We're one in heart
is fraught with misery now that we
are two. How often and how keenly
1 have thought of this, l will not say.
1t is enough that l have thought of it,
and can release you.
Have / ever sought released"
'In words. No. Never
In what, them"
In a changed nature; in an altered
spirit; in another atmosphere of life,
another hope as its great end. In every
thing that made my love of any worth
or value in your sight. If this had
never been between US said the girl,
looking mildly. but with steadiness
upon him, tell me, would you seek
me out and try to win me now? All,
mol"
He seemed to yield to the justice of
this superstition, in spite of himself.
But he said, with a struggle, you
thing, not"
81 would gladly think otherwise if l
could" she answered, Heaven knows!
When I have learned a truth like this.
| know how strong and irresistible ii
must be. But if you We're free today
tomorrow, yesterday, can even | be-
lieve that you would choose dover
less girl,-you who, in your very con-
fidence with her, weigh everything by
gain; or, choosing her, if for moment
you were false enough to yonr one
guiding principle to do so, do / nos
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

know that your repentance and regret
would surely follow? | do; and r.
lease you. With a full heart, for the
love of him you once Were"
He was about to speak; but, with her
head turned from him, she resumed
You may-the memory of what Is
past half makes me hope you Will
have pain in this. A very, very brief
time, and you will dismiss the recoiiec-
ton of it, gladly, as an Improbable
dream, from which it happened Well
that you awoke. May you be happy
in the life you have chosen!'
She left him, and they parted.
"Spirit!" said Scrooge, show me no
more! Conduct me home. why do
you delight to torture me-"
zone shadow more!' exclaimed the
Ghost.
mo more!" cried Scrooge, mo
more I don't wish to see 1t. Show
me no more!"
But the relentless Ghost pinioned
him in both his arms, and forced him
to observe what happened next.
They We're in another scene ana
place; a room, not very large or hand
some but full of comfort. Near to
the winter fire sat a beautiful young
girl so like that last that Scrooge
believed it was the same, until he saw
her, now comedy matron, sitting OPP
posite her daughter. The noise in
this room was perfectly tumultuous, for
there were more children there than
Scrooge in his agitated state of mind
could count; and, unlike the celebrated
nj forty
children conducting themselves like
one but every child was conducting
itself like forty. The consequences
were uproarious beyond belief; but
no one seemed to care; on the contrary,
the mother and daughter laughed
heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and
the latter, soon beginning to m1ngle
| in the sports got pillaged by the young
brigands most ruthlessly. What would
II not have given to be one of them!
Tho 1 never could have been so rude,
no, no! 1 wouldn't for the wealth of
all the world have crushed that
braided hair, and torn it down; and for
/ the precious little shoe, / wouldn't
have plucked it off, God bless my soul!
to save my life. AS to measuring her
waist in sport, as they did, bold young
brood, | couldn't have done it; l should
have expected my arm to have grown
round it for punishment, and never
come straight again. And yet l should
have dearly liked, l own, to have
| touched her lips. to have questioned
her; that she might have opened them:
to have looked upon the lashes of her
downcast eyes, and never raised q
blush; to have let loose waves Of hair,
an inch of which would be keepsake
beyond price; in short, / should have
| liked. | do confess, to have had the
highest license of a child, and yet to
| have been man enough to know It's
value.
But now a knocking at the door was
heard, and such rush Immediately
ensued that she, with laughing face
and plundered Dress was borne to-
wards ii in the centre of flushed and
boisterous group, just in time to greet
the father, who came home attended
by man laden with Christmas toys
and presents. Then the shouting and
the struggling, and the onslaught that
was made on the defenseless porter!
The scaling him, with chairs for lad
ders, to dive into his pockets, despoil
him of brown-paper parcels, hold on
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

partners; people who were not to be
tritled with; people who would dance,
and had not notion of walking.
But If they had been twice as many
-ah, four times-old F'ezZiwig would
have been a match for them, and SC
would Mrs. Fezziwig. AS to her, she
was worthy to be his partner in every
sense of the term. If that's not high
praise, tell me higher, and I'll use it..
A positive light apr cared to issue from
Fezziwig's calves. They shone in every
part of the dance like moons. You
couldn't have predicted, at any given
times what would become of them
next.
And when old Fezziwig and Mrs Fez-
zfwig had gone all thru the dance; adj
vance and retire, both hands to your
partner, bow and courtesy, corkscrew,
thread the-needle, and back again to
your place; Fezziwig "cut''-eut so
deity, that he appeared to wink with
his legs, and came upon his feet again
without a stagger.
When the clock struck eleven. this
domestic ball broke UP. Mr.. and Mrs
Fezziwig took their stations, one on
either side of the door, and shaking
hands with every person individually
as he or she went out, wished him
or her Merry Christmas. When
everybody had retired but the two
'prentices, they did the same to them.
and thus the cheerful voices died away,
and the lads We're left to their beds,
which We're under +. counter in the
back shop.
During the Whole of this time.
Scrooge had acted like man out of
his wits. His heart and soul were
in the scene. and with his former self
He corroborated everything, remem-
bered everything, enjoyed everything,
and underwent the strangest agita-
ton. 1t was not until now, when the
bright faces of his former self and Dick
We're turned from them. that he re-
membered the Ghost, and became con-
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24
STANE THREE.

The Second of the Three Spirits.
Awaking in the middle of prodig
iously tough snore, and sitting up in
bed to get his thoughts together,
Scrooge had no occasion to be told that
the bell was again upon the stroke OF
one. He felt that he was restored to
consciousness in tie right nick of time,
for the especial purpose of holding
a conference with the second messen-
ger dispatched to him thru Jacob Mar
ley's intervention. But. finding that he
turned uncomfortably cold when he be-
gan to wonder which of his curtains
this new spectre would draw back, he
put them every one aside with his own
hands, and, lying down again, estab-
lished a sharp lookout all round the
bed. For he wished to challenge the
and did not wish to be taken by sur
prise, and made nervous.
Gentlemen of the free-and- easy sort,
who plume themselves on being &C
uuainted with a move or two, and be-
ing usually equal to the time OF day,
express the wide range OF their ca
pacity for adventure by observing that
they are good for anything from pitch
and toss to manslaughter: between
which opposite extremes, no doubt,
there lies a tolerably wide and COM
prehensive range of subjects With
out venturing for Scrooge quite as
hardly as this, I don't mind calling
on you to believe that he was ready
for a good broad field of strange APP
pearances, and that nothing between
baby and rhinoceros would have as
tonshed him very much.
Now, being prepared for almost any
thing, he was not by any means pre-
pared for nothing; and, consequently,
when the bell struck one, and no shape
appeared, he was taken with violent
fit of trembling. Five minutes, ten
minutes, a quarter of an hour Went
by, yet nothing came. All this time he
lay upon his bed, the very core and
centre of a blaze of rudy light, which
streamed upon it when the clock pro-
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

tight by his cravat, hug him round
the neck, pommel his back, and kick
his legs in irrepressible affection. The
shouts of wonder and delight with
which the development of every pack
age was received The terrible an
noucement that the baby had beer TAX
en- in the act of putting a dolls frying
pan into his mouth, and was more than
suspected of having swallowed fic-
titious turkey, glued on a wooden plat
teri The immense relief of finding this
false alarm! The joy, and graft
tude, and ecstasy! They are all indie
scribable alike 1t is enough that,
by degrees, the children and their emo
lions got out of the parlor, and, by
one stair at time, up to the top of
the house, where they went to bed, and
so subsidized
And now Scrooge looked on more at
tentively than ever, when the master
of the house having his daughter lean
ing fondly on him, sat down with her
and her mother at his own hreside;
and when he thought that such another
creature, quite as graceful and as
full of promise, might have called him
father, and been a spring time in the
haggard winter of his life, his sight
grew very dim indeed.
Belle" said the husband, turning
to his wife with smile. Il saw an old
friend of yours this afternoon"
"Who was it,"
"Guess!''
How can I? Tut, don't 1 know"
she added in the same breath, laughing
as he laughed. "Mr. Scrooge."
Mr.. Scrooge it was. l passed his
office window; and as it was shut up,
and he had a candle inside, could
scarcely help seeing him. His partner
lies upon the point of death, hear;
and there he sat alone. Quite alone in
the world, / do believe"
Spirit" said Scrooge, in broken
voice, remove me from this place.
II told you these We're shadows of
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

scious that it was looking full upon
him, while the light upon its head burnt
very clear.
"A small matter said the Ghost, ito
make these silly folks so full of graf
itude.'
SMALL" echoed Scrooge.
The Spirit signed to him to listen
TO the two apprentices, who were pour
ing out their hearts in praise of Fez-
ziwig, and, when he had done SO,
said
why! 1t it not? He has spent but
a few pounds of your mortal money:
three or four, perhaps. Is that SO
much that he deserves this pralseE
1T isn't that" said Scrooge, heated
by the remark, and speaking uncon-
sciously like his former, not his latter
self,-'it isn't that, Spirit. He has
the power to render us happy or I'M
happy: to make our service light or
burdensome; a pleasure or toll. say
that his power lies in words and looks:
in things so slight and insignificant
that it is impossible to add and count
'em up; what then? The happiness he
gives is quite as great as if it cost
fortune"
He felt the Spirits glance, and
stopped.
what is the matter?" asked the
Ghost.
Nothing particular" said Scrooge.
Something, 1 think?" the Ghost in
sisted.
NO." said Scrooge,-"no. l should
| like to be able to say word or two
Ia. i,,e
His former self turned down the
lamps as he gave utterance 10 the
wish: and Scrooge and the Ghost again
stood side by side in the open air.
my time grows short" observed the
Spirit. quick!
This was not addressed to Scrooge,
or to any one whom he could see,
but it produced an immediate effect.
For again Scrooge saw himself. lie
was older now; a man in the prime OF
life. His face had not the harsh and
| rigid lines of later years; but 1t mad
begun to wear the signs of care and
avarice. There was an eager, greedy,
restless motion in the eye, which
showed the passion that had taken
i root, and where the shadow OF the
growing tree would fall.
| He was not alone, but sat by the sid7
of a fair young girl in mourning dress,
| in whose eyes there We're tears, which
sparkled in the light that shone out
of the Ghost of Christmas Past.
1T matters little" she said softly
ITO you, very little. Another idol has
displaced me; and if it can cheer and
comfort you in time to come, as
would have tried to do, have no just
cause to grieve."
what idol has displaced you" he
rejoined.
"a golden one"
"This is the even handed dealing OF
the world" he said. There is nothing
on which it is so hard as poverty; and
there is nothing it processes to con-
denim with such severity as the pur-
suit of WEALTH."
You fear the world too much" she
answered gently. "All your other hopes
have merged into the hope of being
beyond the chance Of its sordid re-
proach. | have seen your nobler as
pirations fall off one by one, until
the master passion, Gain, engrosses
YOU. Have I not?"
What than?" he retorted. Even Il
i have grown SO much wiser, what
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

$Twelfth- cakes. Twelfth day, or the
Epiphany, twelve days after Christmas,
was celebrated as the manifestation
of Christ to the Gentiles, particularly
to the three wise men. In it's more
recent celebration, cakes are made
with bean inside, and whoever cuts
the piece containing it is called king
of the bean, or of Twelfth night. The
choice of a king by beans was also
made by children during the Roman
Saturnalia.
@Giant. This is description of
Santa Claus, the Dutch name of Saint
Nicholas, the patron saint of children.
The custom, in some European coun-
tries and in America, of children hang
ing up their stockings for Santa Claus
to fill with presents is derived from a
story that this saint threw into an open
window, on three different nights,
purse of gold as a marriage portion for
each of the three daughters of a poor
nobleman.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

.sir Roger de Coverley. A country
dance corresponding to the Virginia
Reel; named from Sir Roger de Cover
lev. one of the members of the imagin-
ary club under whose direction the
Spectator was proposed to be edited.
Sir Roger of Coverley. or Cowley, near
oxford, is a type, in the pages of the
Spectator, of benevolent country
gentleman, of the "old School" and is
supposed to be drawn from one Sir
John Pakington, seventh baronet.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

*Ali Baba. The wood-carrier, IN the
Arabian Nights tale of THE Forty
Thieves" who accidentally learns the
magic words. open, Sesame" by which
he gains entrance to the robbers cave.
Dickens's first composition was trad
edy founded on one of the Tales of the
Cent?" book which he read before
he was ten years old, and which great
ly excited his imaginative powers
*Valentine and Orson. An old ro-
nance, probably of the fifteenth CEN
tury, which tells how the twin sons
of an emperor of Constantinople were
born in forest near Orleans. in
France.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

*"Bob." A cockney or slang word for
a shilling. A cockney is a man born
in the city of London, or within the
sound of Bow Bells.
The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-14
A surprised Physician.
A dying patient recovers through the in
terposition Of a humble German.

terposition Of a humble German.
Chicago, Nov. Is.
Some weeks ago DIR. c., a very reput-
able and widely-known physician, living on
c. Street, was called to attend a very
complicated case Of Rheumatism. Upon
arriving at the house he found a man about
forty years of age, lying in a Frustrated and
serious condition, with his wboles frame
dangerously affected with the painful dis
ease. He prescribed for the patient, but
the man continued to grow worse, and on
Sunday evening he was found to be in a
very alarming condition. The knees and ell
bows and larger joints were greatly in
famed, and could not be moved. 1t was
only with extreme difficulty that the pa
tient could be turned in bed, with the aid
of three or four persons. The weight of
the clothing was so painful that means had
to be adopted to keep it from the patients
body.
The doctor saw that his assistance would
be of no avail, and left the house, the mem
bers Of the family following him to the
door, weeping. Almost Immediately the
grief stricken ones were addressed by an
humble German. He had heard of the
despair of the family, and now asked them
to try his remedy, and accordingly brought
forth a bottle of St. Jacobs Oil. The poor
wife applied this remedy. The first appli-
cation eased the patient very much; after
O few hours they used it again, and, won
der of wonders, the pain vanished entirely!
Every subsequent application improved the
patient. and in two days he was well and
out. When the doctor called a few days
after, he was indeed surprised.
The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-14

J Another club woman, Mrs. .
Haule, Of Edgerton, Wis.,, tells
how she was cured OF irreguIari-
ties and uterine trouble, terrible
pains and backache by Lydia E.
Piukham's Vegetable Compound.
The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-14
PRETTY LITTLE NOVELTIES.

Concentrated satchet fills a tiny am
ulet of Japanese bronze.
Grape designs are appearing in every
thing and charming and reasonable is a
scarf pin OF grapes and diamonds.
The fashionable long chain still
holds its own and one of the prettiest
seen was Of gun metal with turquoise
matrix set at intervals.
Lemonade spoons of gold and ster-
ling silver have three tiny prongs for
extracting any seeds that may have
found their way into the drink.
The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-14
He Lost.

A Quaker city gossip tells this story of a
young man who apologized for being late
at a dinner party: =.
lawfully glad to see you, Mr.. Rlank,"
said the hostess. $50 good of you to come.
And all the way from New York, TOO! But
where is your BROTHER
II am commissioned to tender his re-
grets. You see, we are so busy just now
that it was impossible for both of us to get
away, and SO we tossed up to see which Of
us should COME said the young man.
How nice! Such an original idea! And
you won"
NO said the young man, absently; 81
lost."-Pittsburg Bulletin.
The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-14

Itchines. of the skin, horrible plague.
Most everybody afflicted in one way or an
other. Only one safe, never failing cure.
Doan's Ointment. At any drug store, SOC.
The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-14

I'VE would all be better if we'd
begin the day BY eating fruit" said
the doctor.
sOh, I don't know" said the smart
one; Il guess our first parents would
have been better il they'd have let
fruit alone.'-Yonkers Statesman.
The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-14

"a while ago my health began to
fail because of female troubles. The
doctor did not help me. l remembered
that my mother had used Lydia e.
Pinkham's Vegetable Compound
on many occasions for Irregularities
and uterine troubles, and / felt sure
that it could not harm me at any rate
to give it a trial.
81 was certainly glad to find that
within a week l felt much better, the
terrible pains in my back and side
were beginning to cease, and at the
time of menstruation l did not have
nearly as serious a time as hereto
fore, SO / continued it's use for two
months, and at the end of that time I
was like a new oma 1 really have
never felt better in my life, have not
had a sick headache since, and weigh
20 pounds more than I ever did, so I
unhesitatingly recommend Vegetable
Compound."-M Mrs. MAY HAULE, Ed
gerton, Wiz, President Household
Economics Club. $4,000 forfeit If ~oyiqinai Of
n6oUe letter prorins genuineness cannot be produced.
Women should remember there
is enc tried and true remedy for
all female ills, Lydia E. Pink
hams Vegetable Compound. Re-
fuse to buy any other medicine,
you need the best.
The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-14

Obscurity furnishes a good pedestal for
lasting fame.-Ram's Horn.
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-12-20

The following, clipt from the Rocky
Mountain Cyclone, shows how CON-
pletely the English language is
adapted for sudden and unforeseen
emergencies:
1--WE begin the publication of the
Roccay Mountain Cyclone with some
phew diphiculties. The type phoun-
ders phrom whom we bought our
output phor this printing Office
phailed to supply us with any ephs
or Gays, and it will be phour or phive
week bephore We can get any. The
mistaque was not phound out till a
day or two ago. We have ordered
the missing letters, and will have to
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-12-20
An exchange truthfully says: If

An exchange truthfully says: If,
instead of sticking on the corners of
the streets or on trees at the country
cross roads n notice like this: "Go
to Sellem & Skinem for goods and
groceries, the home merchant would
put live ''local" in his paper, telling
the people that he has certain goods
for sale at certain low prices. he
would keep many of the dollars at
home that now go through the mails
for goods at such Northern mail-or-
der houses as John Wunnamaker.
Sears, Roebuck & Co., and Others,
who advertise the bargains they offer
and place their advertisements in pa
pers for the people to read.
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-12-20
True Contcntrnent.

In this age OF restlessness md wild
speculation, whenso many are search
ing eagerly for happiness, and sigh
ing. after numerous disappointments,
"Who will show US any good?" it is
refreshing to meet with contented
Christian heart, which has found true
peace by living in constant commra-
ion with God. In one of our ex-
changes We find the following:
Said a venerable farmer, some eighty
years old, toa relative who had lately
visited him: II have lived on this
farm for more than half a century.
/ have no desire to change my resi-
dence as long as I live ON earth. !
have no desire to be any richer than
Inow am. have worshipevi the God
of my fathers with the same people
for more than forty years. During
the time l have rarely been absent
from the sanctuary on the Sabbath,
and have never lost one communion
season. / have never been confined
to my bed by sickness a single day.
The blessings Of God have been richly
spread around me, and / made up my
mind long ago that, il l wished to he
happier, must have more religion"