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

with wood.
WHY, it's Ali Baba!"* Scrooge ex-
claimed in ecstasy It's dear old hon.
est Ali Baba! Yes, yes, l know! One
Christmas time, when yonder solitary
Ichild was left here all alone, he die
come, for the first time, just like that
Poor boy! And Valentine
said Serooge, and his wild brother
tOrson;* 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
SuItan's Groom turned upside dowr
tby the Genii; there he is upon his
head, Serve him right! I'm glad OF
lit. What business had he to be mar
ried to the Princess?'
To hear Scrooge expending all the
learnestness 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 a surprise to his bust
ness friends in the city, indeed.
There's the parrot!' cried Scrooge
Green body and yellow tail, with q
/ 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!"
i Then, with 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
his cuff: but it's too late now
/ What is the matter?' asked the
Spirit.
/ Nothing" said Scrooge, nothing.
There was a boy singing Christmas
1 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 1T did SO,
4 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 were 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 tho
/ 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, deal
brother!" said the child, clapping her
tiny hands, and bending down to laugh
1 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
(
me one dear night when / was going
to bed that / was not afraid to ask
him once more il you might come
home; and he said Yes. you should .
and sent me in a coach to bring YOU
1 And you're to be 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 a woman, little FAM"
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 eag-
erness, towards the door; and he, moth
ing loath to go, accompanied her.
A 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 a ferocious con-
tdescension, 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
i of shivering best parlor that ever
/ was seen, where the maps upon the
Iwali, and the celestial and terrestrial
globes in the windows. were waxy with
cold Here he produced decanter of
euriously light wine, and block OF
i euriously heavy cake, and administered
lfnstallments of those dainties to the
young people; at the same time, send
ing out meagre servant to offer a
glass of something to the postboy,
who answered that he thanked the gem
t1eman, but If 1t was the same tap az
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 schoolmasteI
good-by right willingly; and, gettine
into it, drove gayly down the garden
sweep, the quick wheels dashing the
boar frost and snow from off the dark
leaves of the evergreens like spray.
i Always delicate creature, whom
a breath might have withered," said
the Ghost. But she had large
heart!"
$50 she had" cried Scrooge you're
right. / will not gainsay it, Spirit. Coo
Forbid"
She died woman" said the Ghost
and had, as 1 think, children"
"One child" Scrooge returned.
True" said the Ghost. "Youl
nephew!"
Scrooge seemed uneasy in his mind
and answered briefly, Yes"