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

Whose elses do you think?" replied
the woman. He isn't likely to take
cold without 'em. / dare say"
Il hope he didn't die OF anything
catching? Eh?" said old Joe, stopping
in his work, and looking up.
Don't you be afraid of that" re-
turned the woman. 81 ant so fond of his
company that I'd ioiter about him for
such things if he did. All! You may
look thru that shirt till your eyes ache;
but you won't find a hole in it, nor a
threadbare place. It's the best he had
and a fine one, too They'd have wasted
it, If it hadn't been for me-
What do you call wasting it," asked
old Joe.
Putting it on him to be buried in, to
be sure replied the woman, with
laugh. Somebody was fool enough to
do it, but took it off again. If calico
ant good enough for such purpose, it
isn't good enough for anything. It's
quite as becoming to the body. He can't
look uglier than he did in that ONE
Scrooge listened to this dialogue In
horror. As they sat grouped about their
spoil, in the scanty light afforded by
the old mans lamp, he viewed them
with detestation and disgust which
could hardly have been greater tho they
had been obscene demons, marketing
the corpse itself.
"Ha, hal" laughed the same woman,
with money In it, told out their several
gains upon the ground. "This is the
end of 1t, you see! He frightened every
/ a VIZ hiy,o l,o iii,
to profit US when he was dead! Ha,
ha, hal"
Spirit" said Scrooge, shuddering
from head to foot Il see, see The
case of this unhappy man might be my
own. My life tends that way now.
Merciful Heaven, what is ttis?"
He recoiled in terror, for the scene
had changed, and now he almost
touched a bed,-a bare, uncurtained
bed, on which, beneath ragged sheet,
there lay something covered up.
which, tho it was dumb, announced it,
self in awful language.
The room was very dark, too dark to
be observed with any accuracy, tho
Scrooge glanced round it in obedience
to secret impulse, anxious to know
what kind of room it was. A pale light,
rising in the outer air, fell straight up
on the bed; and on it, plundered and
bereft, unmatched, unwept, uncared
for, was the body Of this man.
Scrooge glanced towards the Phan-
tom. The cover was so carelessly adj
justed that the slightest raising of it,
the motion of a finger upon Scroogess
part, would have disclosed the face He
thought of it. felt how easy it would be
to do, and longed to do it, but had no
more power to withdraw the veil than
to dismiss the spectre at his side.
Oh. cold, cold, rigid. dreadful Death,
set up thine altar here, and dress 1t
with such terrors as thou hast at thy
command; for this is Thy dominion! But
of the loved, revered and honored head,
thou canst not turn one hair to thy
dread purposes, or make one feature
odious. 1t is not that the hand is heavy,
and will fall down when released; it is
not that the heart and pulse are still:
but that the hand was open, generous.
and true; the heart brave, warm, and
tender; and the pulse mans. Strike,
Shadow. strike! And see his good deeds
springing from the wound, to sow the
world with life immortal!
No voice pronounced these words in
Scrooge's ears, and yet he heard them
when he looked upon the bed He
thought. If this man could be raised UP
now, what would he his moremost
thoughts? Avarice, hard-dealing, grip
ing care? They have brought him to
rich end. truly!
He lay, in the dark, empty house.
with not man, woman, or a child to
In Ii yI fo ir,-f nr that
and for the memory of one kind word !
will be kind to him. A cat was tearing
at the door, and there was a sound Of
gnawing rats beneath the hearthstone.
What they wanted in the room of death.
and why they were SO restless and dis
turbed, Scrooge did not dare to think
Spirit" he said, this is fearful
place. In leaving it, I shall not leave
it's lesson, trust me. Let 1go!"
Still the Ghost pointed with an un-
moved finger to the mead.
Il understand you," Scrooge returned.
"and 1 would do it If could. But
have not the power, Spirit. I have not
the power"
Again it seemed to look upon him.
'If there is any person in the towns
who feels emotion caused by the man
DEATH said Scrooge, quite agonizsd.
"show that person to me, Spirit, | be-
seech you'll"
The Phantom spread it's dark robe
before him for a moment, like wing;
and withdrawing 1T, revealed room py
daylight, where a mother and her chill
dren were.
She was expecting some one, and
with anxious eagerness: for she walked
up and down the room; started at every
sound looked out from the window;
glanced at the clock; tried but in vain.
to work with her needle; and could
hardly bear the voices of her children In
their play.
At length the long-expected knock
was heard. She hurried to the door,
and met her husband; man whose
face was careworn and depressed, tho
he was young. There was remarka-
Bile expression in 1t now; a kind of sert-
Gus delight of which he felt ashamed,
and which he shrugged to repress.
He sat down to the dinner that had
been boarding for him by the fire: and
when she asked him family what news
(Which was not until after a long si-
lence), he appeared embarrassed how
to answer.
SIS it good" she said, "or bad ?"-to
help him.
Bad he answered.
1--WE are quite ruined?"
"No. There is hope yet, Caroline"
IF he relents," she said, amazed,
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