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

and f1rnl, blazing In NAN OF NAN QUAR- L
ern of ignited brandy, and bedight 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 were 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 circle, meaning half
| a one: and at Bob Cratchit's elbow
stood the family display of glass;
tumblers, and custard cup without a
handle.
| These held the hot stuff from the jug,
| however, as we'll as golden goblets
would have done: and Bob served 1t
out with beaming looks, while the
chestnuts on the fire sputtered and
cracked noisily. Then Bob proposed
"A 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 II 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 ne had naser felt before, tell me
| If Tiny Tim will live
Il see a vacant seat" replied the
Ghost, Sin the poor chimney corner, and
a crutchs without an owner, carefully
preserved If these shadows remain
unaltered by the future, the child will
die
NO no." said Scrooge. "oh, no,
kind Spirit. say he will be spared
IF these shadows remain unaltered
by the future, none other of my race
returned the Ghost, twill 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 penitence and
grief.
man." said the Ghost, 'if 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 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: 'Tll 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 a piece
of my mind to feast upon, and l hope
he'd have good appetite for it,
my DEAR said Bob, "the children!
Christmas day.
TT should be Christmas day, / am
sure" said she, ION which one drinks
the health of such an odious, stingy,
hard, unfeeling man as Mr.. Scrooge.
You know he is, Robert! Nobody
knows it better than you do, poor fell
low!''
MY dear" was Bob's mild answer,
christmas day."
..Pll drink his health for your sake.
and the days" said Mrs. Cratchit. mot
FOR his. Long life TO him! A merry
Christmas and a 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
;ngs 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 dark shadow on the party,
which was not dispelled fn' full five
minutes.
After it had passed away, they We're
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 tire
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 We're deiib-
Grating what particular investments he
should favor when he came into the
receipt of that bewildering income.
Martha, who was a poor apprentice at
a milliners, 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 a good, long rest; tomorrow be-
ing 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 a lost child travel
| ing in the snow, from Tiny Tim, who
| had a plaintive little voice, and sang IL
very well indeed.
There was nothing of high mark in
| this. They were not handsome fam
| lily; they We're not well dressed; their
shoes were far from being water proof;