Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24
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| i nope ne 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. Il ant SO fond of his
company that I'd loiter about him for
such things If he did. All! You may
look thru that shirt till your eyes ache;
but you won't find hole in 1t, nor a
threadbare place. It's the best he had,
and fine one, too. They'd have wasted
| 1t, II 1T hadn't been for me-
What do you call wasting it 2" asked
old joe
| Putting 1t on him to be buried in, to
be sure" replied the woman, with a
laugh. Somebody was fool enough to
doit, 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 thenf
with detestation and disgust which
could hardly have been greater tho thej
had been obscene demons, marketing
the corpse itself. ssss
"Ha, hal" laughed the same woman,
when old Joe, producing flannel bag
with money in it, told out their several
gains upon the ground. This is the
end of 1t, you see. He frightened every
one away from him when he was alive,
to profit us when he was dead! Ha,
ha, hal" ~
Spirit" said Scrooge, shuddef1ng
from head to foot. 81 see, see. The
case of this unhappy man might be my
own. My life tends that way now.
Merciful Heaven, what is this?''
He recoiled in terror, for the scene
had changed, and now he almost
touched bed,-a bare, uncurtained
bed, on which, beneath ragged sheet,
there lay something covered up,
which, tho 1t 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 carelessIy adj
justed that the slightest raising of it,
the motion of a finger upon Scrooge,s
part, would have disclosed the face. He
thought of it, felt how easy it would be
to do, and longed to do 1t, 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 it
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 81
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 q
rich end, truly!
He lay, in the dark, empty house,
with not a man, a woman, or child to
say he was kind to me in this or that.
and for the memory of one kind word
will be kind to him. A cat was tearing
at the door, and there was 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 1t, shall not leave
its lesson, trust me. Let u1 go!
Still the Ghost pointed with an un-
moved finger to the head.
II understand you," Scrooge returned,
"and I would do 1t if I could. But
have not the power. Spirit. have not
the power"
Again it seemed to look upon him.
IF there is any person in the town.
who feels emotion caused by the mans
DEATH" said Scrooge, quite agonizsd,
show that person to me, Spirit. be-
seech you'll"
The Phantom spread its dark robe
before him for a moment like wing;
and withdrawing 1t, revealed room by
WHERE u lliOlilSi Stii0 fACA
dren were.
She was expecting some one, and
with anxious eagerness: for she walked
UP and Down the room: started at every
looked out from the window:
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 it now; a kind of seri-
ous 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 long ST. n
ence), he appeared embarrassed how
% answer.
as it good,' she said, "or bad?"--to
lelp him.
Bad" he answered.
1--WE are quite ruined?'
mo. There is hope yet, Caroline.
"If he relents,' she said, amazed,
there is! Nothing is past hope. II such
| miracle has happened"
"He is past relenting." said her hus-
,and. "He is dead.
She was mild and patient creature, n