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

ard dreary enough, for nobody lived In
it but Scrooge, the other rooms being
all let out as offices. The yard was sc
dark that even Scrooge, who knew its
every stone, was fain to grope with his
hands. The fog and frost SO hung
about the black old gateway of the
house, that it seemed as If the genius OF
the weather sat in mournful meditation
on the threshold.
Now it is fact that there was moth
ing at all particular about the knockeI
on the door, except that it was very
large. 1t is also fact that Scrooge
had seen it, night and morning, during
his whole residence in that place; also
that Scrooge had as little of what Is
called fancy about him as any man In
the city of London, even including
which is bold word-the corporation
aldermaen and livery. Let 1t also be
borne in mind thai Scrooge had not
bestowed one thought on Marley since
his last mention of his seven-years-
dead partner that afternoon. And then
let any man explain to me, If he can,
how it happened that Scrooge, having
his key in the lock of the door, saw in
the knocker, without its undergoing any
intermediate process of change,-not
knocker, but Marley's face.
Marleys face. 1t was not in impene-
trable shadow, as the other objects In
the yard were, but had dismal light
about 1t, like a bad lobsiar in a dark
cellar. 1t was not angry or ferocious,
but looked at Scroge as Marley used
to look: with ghostly spectacles turned
up on its ghostly forehead. The hair
was curiously stirred, as If by breath
or hot air; and tho the eyes were wide
open, they were perfectly motionless.
That, and it's livld color, made it horri-
BILE; but it's horror seemed to be in spite
of the face, and beyond It's control.
rather than part of it's own express
sion.
As Scrooge looked ffxedly at this
phenomenon 1t was a knocker again.
To say that he was not startled, or
that his blood was not conscious of q
terrible sensation to which it had been
a stranger from infancy, would be un-
true. But he put his hand upon the
key he had relinquished, turned 1t stur-
Oily, walked in, and lighted his can
die
He did pause. with a moments irres-
olution. before he shut the door; and
he did look cautiously behind it first,
as if he half expected to be terrified
with the sight of Marley's pigtail stick
ing out into the hall. But there was
nothing on the back of the door, except
the screws and nuts that held the
knoeker on, so he said "Pooh, pooh!'
and closed it with bang.
The sound resounded thru the house
like thunder. Every room above and
every cask in the wine merchants cell
lars below, appeared to have separate
peal of echoes of its own. Serooge was
not a man to be frightened by echoes.
He fastened the door, and walked
across the hall, and up the stairs, SLOW
". too, trimming his candle as he went.
! You may talk vaguely about driving
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

| beds, AbrahamS, BelShazZarS, apostles
putting off to sea in butter-boats. hun
dreds of figures to attract his thoughts;
and yet that face OF Marley's seven
years dead, came like the ancient
prophets rod, and swallowed up the
whole. If each smooth tile had been a
| blank at first, with power to shape
some picture on it's surface from the
disjointed fragments of his thoughts,
there would have been copy of old
Marley's head on every one.
"Humbug!" said Scrooge; and walk
ed across the room.
! After several turns, he sat down
! again. AS he threw his head back in
the chair, his glance happened to rest
! upon a bell, disused bell, that hung in
the room, and communicated, for some
| purpose now forgotten with chamber
| in the highest story of the building. 1t
was with great establishment, and with
a strange, inexplicable dread, that, as
he loked, he saw this bell begin to
swing. 1t swung SO softly in the out
set that it scarcely made sound; but
/ soon 1t rang out loudly, and so did ev-
| cry bell in the house.
| This might have lasted half minute,
i bells ceased, as they had begun, togeth-
er. They were succeeded by clanlling
noise, deep down below, as If some per-
son were dragging heavy chain over
the casks in the wine merchants cell
lar Scrooge then remembered to have
heard that ghosts In haunted houses
were described as dragging chai,s.
The cellar door flew open with a
| Il I. ,,
noise, much louder, on the floors below;
then coming up the stairs; then COM
| ing straight toward his door.
It's humbug still" said Scrooge. II
won't believe it!''
His color changed, tho when, without
pause it came on thru the heavy
door, and passed into the room before
his eyes. Upon its coming in, the dy-
ing flame leaped up as tho it cried, II
know him! Marley's Ghost!" and fell
again.
The same face the very same. Mar
ley in his pigtail, usual waistcoat,
tights and boots: the tassels on the
latter bristling, like his pigtail, and his
coat-slsirts, and the hair upon his
head. The chain he drew was clasped
| about his middle. 1t was long. and
wound about him like tail; and it was
made (for Scrooge observed it closely)
of cash boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers,
deeds, and heavy purses wrought in
steel. His body was transparent; so
that Scrooge, observing him, and look
ing thru his waistcoat, could see the
two buttons on his coat behind.
Scroge had often heard it said that
Marley had no bowels, but he had new
er believed 1t until now.
No, nor did he believe 1t even now.
Tho he looked the phantom thru and
thru, and saw it standing before him;
tho he felt the chilling influence of its
death-cold eyes, and marked the very
texture of the folded kerchief bound
about Its head and chin, which wrap,
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

Scrooge seized the ruler with such en-
ergy of action, that the singer fed III
terror leaving the keyhole to the fog
and even more congenial frost.
AIT length the hour of shutting up the
counting house arrived. With an ill Will
Scrooge dismounted from his stool, and
tacitly admitted the fact to the expect
ant clerk in the tank, who instantly
hat
You'll want all day tomorrow, !
SUPPOSE" said Scrooge.
IF quite convenient, SIR
Its not convenient" said Scrooge'
land it's not fair. If was to stop half
a-crown for 1t, you'd think yourself III
used, I'll be bound?"
The clerk smiled family.
and yet" said Scrooge. 'you don't
think me i'll used when I pay a days
wages for no work"
The clerk observed that 1t was only
once year.
"a poor excuse for picking a mans
pocket every twenty fifth of Decem-
bert" said Scrooge. buttoning his great
| coat to the chin. But / suppose you
must have the whole day. Be here all
the earlier next morning"
The clerk promised that he would;
and Scrooge walked out with a growl
| The office was closed in twinkling
and the clerk, with the long ends of his
white comforter dangling below his
waist (for he boosted no great-coaD
went down a slide on Cornhill. at the
end of lane of boys, twenty times, in
| honor of it's being Christmas eve, and
then ran home to Camden Town. as
| hard as he could pelt, to play at blind
mans buff.
Scrooge took his melancholy dinner
! in his usual melancholy tavern; and
| having read all the newspapers, and
beguiled the rest of the evening with
| his bankers book, went home to bed
He lived in chambers which had once
belonged to his deceased partner. They
were a gloomy suite of rooms, in low
ering pile of building up yard, where
| 1t had so little business to be, that one
could scarcely help fancying 1t must
have run there when it was young
house, playing at hide-and-seek with
other houses, and have forgotten the
way out again. 1t was old enough now,
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

a coach-and- six up a good flight of
stairs, c. thru bad young act of par
| lament; but 1 mean te say you might
have got hearse up that staircase, and
taken it broadwise, with the splinter
bar towards the wall and the door to-
wards tho balustrades, and done it
easy. There was plenty of width for
that, and room to spare; which is per-
haps the reason why Scrooge thought
he saw a locomotive hearse going on
before him in the gloom. Half a dozen
gas amps out of the street wouldn't
have lighted the entry too well, so you
may suppose that it was pretty dark
with Scrooge's dip.
| Up Scrooge went not caring but
ton for that. Darkness is cheap. and
| Scrooge liked it, But before he shut
his heavy door, he walked thru his
rooms to see that all was right. He had
just enough recollection of the face to
desire to do that.
Sitting room, bedroom, lumber
room. All as they should be. Nobody
under the table, nobody under the sofa;
a small fire in the CRATE; spoon and
| basin ready; and the little saucepan of
Cruel (Scrooge had cold in his heod)
upon the hob. Nobody und sr the bed;
nobody in the closet; nobody in his
! dressing gown, which was hanging up
| in suspicious attitude against the
| wall. Lumber room as usual. Old fire.
guard, old shoes, two fish-baskets,
washing stand on three legs and a po-
ker
| Quite satisfied, he closed his door, and
I! locked himself in; double-locked HIM
self in, which was not his custom. Thus
secured against surprise, he took off his
cravat, put on his dressing gown and
| slippers, and his nightcap; and sat
! down before the fire to take his cruel.
| 1t was very low fire, indeed; moth
| ing on such bitter night. He was
obliged to sit close to it. and brood over
| it, before he could extract the least
sensation of warmth from such a hand
| full Of fuel. The fireplace was an old
one, built by some Dutch merchant
long ago, and paved all round with
quaint Dutch tiles, designed to illus
trate the Scriptures. There were Gains
and Abels Pharaohs daughters, queens
| of Sheba, angelic messengers descend
| ing thru the air on clouds like feather
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

] eyes in silence, for a moment, woult
play, Scrooge felt, the very deuce with
him. There was something very aw-
| full, too, in the spectre's being provided
with an internal atmosphere of his
own. Scrooge could not feel it himself
but this was clearly the case: for tho
the ghost sat perfectly motionless, his
/ hair and skirts, and tassels were still
agitated as by the hot vapor from ar
oven.
you see this toothpick?" sai6
Scrooge, returning to the charge, foi
tho it were only for second, to divert
the visions stony gaze from himself.
Il do" replied the ghost.
] "You are not looking at it." said
Scrooge.
"But see it," said the ghost. "not-
withstanding."
Well" returned Scrooge, II have
but to swallow this, and be for the rest
of my days prosecuted by a legion OF
COLLINS, all my own creation. Humbug
tell you; humbug!"
At this the spirit raised a frightful
cry, and shook his chain with such a
dismal and appalling noise, that
| Scrooge held on tight to his chair, to
save himself from falling in a swoon.
But how much greater was his horror
when, the phantom taking off the ban
dage round his had, as if it were too
warm to wear indoors, his lower jaw
dropped down upon his breast!
Scrooge fell upon his knees, and
clasped his hands before his face.
Mercy" he said. Dreadful appari-
ton, why do you trouble me %
Man of the worldly mind!" replied
the ghost, "do you believe in me or
not?"
Il do" said Scrooge. II must. But
why do spirits walk the EARTH and why
do they come to me?"
.It is required of every man." the
ghost returned, that the spirit within
him should walk abroad among his
fellow men, and travel far and wide;
and If that spirit goes not forth in life,
it is condemned to do so after death. 1t
is doomed to wander thru the world
oh, woe is me!-and witness what it
can not share, but might have shared
on earth, and turned to happiness!"
Again the spectre raised cry, and
shook his chain and wrung his shadowy
hands.
You are fettered." said scrooge
trembling. 'sTell me why?"
II wear the chain forged in life" re-
piled the ghost. Il made it link by link,
and yard by yard; girded it on of my
own free will, and of my own free will
wore it. Is it's pattern strange to
you?"
Scrooge trembled more and more.
"Or would you know pursued the
ghost, "the weight and length of the
strong coil you bear yourself? 1t was
full as heavy and as long as this, seven
Christmas eyes ago. You have labored
on 1t, since. 1t is ponderous chain!"
Scrooge glanced about him on the
floor, In the expectation OF finding
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

personally known to Scrooge in their
lives. He had been quite familiar with
one old ghost, in white waistcoat,
with a monstrous iron safe attached TO
his ankle, who cried piteously at being
unable to assist a wretched woman
with an infant, whom he saw below,
upon doorstep. The misery with
them all was, clearly, that they sought
to interfere, for good, in human mat
ters. and had lost the power forever.
Whether these creatures faded into
mist, or mist enchrouded them, he could
not tell. But they and their spirit
voices faded together; and the night
became as it had been when he walked
home.
NScrooge closed the window, and ex-
anined the door by which the ghost.
had entered. It was double locked, as
he had locked it with his own hands,
and the bolts wkere undisturbed. He
tried to say 'Humbug" but stopped at
the first syllable. And being, from the
emotion he had undergone, or the fa-
tigues of the day, or his glimpse of the
invisible world, or the dull CONVERSE
ton of the ghost, or the lateress of the
hour. much in need of repos4. went
stranght to bed, without undressing,
and fell asleep on the instant.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24
Euau 4irs- pna Observation-Disclosures edsdap a. 1902

per he had not observed before, he was
still incredulous, and fought against
his senses.
How now!" said Scrooge, caustic
and cold as ever. what do you want
with me?"
"Much!"-Marley's voice, no doubt
about it.
who are you?"
ASK me who I was"
"Who were you, them" said Scrooge
raising his voice. you're particular
for a shade" He was going to say, ito
a shade" but substituted this, as more
appropriate.
I'm life 1 was your partner, Jacob
Marley"
Can you-can you sit down?" asked
Scrooge, looking doubtfully at him.
II can"
DO it, then"
Scrooge asked the question, because
he didn't know whether ghost sc
transparent might find himself in
condition to take chair; and felt that
in the event of its being impossible
it might involve the necessity of an en-
barrassing explanation. But the ghos'
sat down on the opposite side of the
fireplace, as if he were quite used tc
1t.
'You don't believe in me-" observed
the ghost.
.I DON'T said Scrooge.
What evidence would you have OF
my reality beyond that of your owr
senses ?"
81 don't know" said Scrooge.
"Why do you doubt your owr
senses?"
Because" said Scroge. "a little
thing affects them. A slight disorder OF
the stomach makes them cheats. Yot
may be an undigested bit of beef. bio
of mustard, a crumb Of cheese, frag-
ment of an UNDERGONE potato. There's
more of gravy than of grave about you
whatever you are!"
Scrooge was not much in the habit o.
cracking jokes, nor did he feel, in his
heart, by any means waggish then. The
truth is, that he tried to be smart, as 6
means of distracting his own attention
and keeping down his terror, for the
spectre's voice disturbed the very mar
row in his bones.
To sit staring at those fixed glazed
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24
By CHARLES DICKENS


nc 70 the old masters advertisements IN
Dickens Thackeay the list edition OIL some
preference to all others @ @
entertaining oled popular novels OF the day @
but judicious novels the masters %
isacon education after having read them
been
he
urgently aloud their families
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

Wise men. The three magi or wise
men, are in other traditions called
kings, said to be Melchior of Nubia.
Kaspar of Tarshish, and Belthazar of
Chaldea, who. guided by the star of
Bethlehem, came from the east, bearing
gifts to the infant Savior. In art, one
of these is always represented as a
black man. They never returned to
their eastern homes, and their skul;sf
In later days, were said to have been
carried from Constantinople and Milan
to Cologne, where, incrusted with jew
els, they are the chief treasure of the
cathedral Of that city; they are thus
called the Three Kings Of Cologne"
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24

United States security. This was
written in 1S43 when Reputation OF
bonds by several states had weakened
American credit In England.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-28

drills and saws. and is powdered and used
10 polish diamonds and other precious
stones. There is a wide and growing de-
mand for IL.
lowed TO travel free on the local tramway
cars IL they are under certain height.
which is marked on the doors of the
vehicle.
Arabia appear hieroglyphics which are stat
ed TO be the work of the Sabaean race. who
are regarded as the builders Of the ancient
museum ar Bulawayo.
An English curate who has Just entered
the workhouse at Tiverton. after being
without employment for three years. made
40 unsuccessful applications for place
years as a curate. but found that Wears
wanted only young men,
Field laborers I'm Spain rarely get more
than 10 cents a day. Their sole food is a
Many cannot endure twelve 20 fourteen
hours OF hard work In the broiling sun on
such fare and faint In the fields. About
per cent. OF them die annually.
st. Marks Campanile is gone. but there
exists In Russia an exact replica. which al
ready begins TO be entitled 10 some respect
of it's own on the score OF age IL was
Catherine II, and crowns the convent OF
Narechta, In the government OF kostroma.
a portion of the first iron bridge built I'm
England, Which spans the severn at Iron
bridge (Salop), has given way The parting
OF the girders caused a report like a thun-
derclap The bridge was erected In 1779.
and. according 10 the act OF Parliament
under which IL was built, the sovereign has
TO pay toll before he can cross.
West Africa has the most unhealthy cli-
mate in the world. other places. such as
Alden, Singapore and Hong-kong. are hot
ter Other places. like Santos and Vera
Cruz, show higher death rates. That Is
quite true, but when temperature. the an
nual rainfall. the number OF days when
IL does not fall and the relative humidity
OF the atmosphere are considered the causes
Of unhealthiness are revealed.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-28
DECLINED A PEERAGE.
How American Women Have Shared
the HonOrs of the Vernons.
NeW York Commercial Aduerfiser


New York Commercial Advertiser.
The report comes from London that Sir
William Vernon-Harcourt has again re-
fused peerage, preferring the old sphere
after thirty-four years in the House of
Commons. Once before, when peerage
was offered this veteran English politician,
1t is said that Sir William referred the mat
ter to his wife, American woman, who
Is quoted as saying that 1t is more fitting
for an American woman to be the wife of
a knight than of a peer. Sir William mar
ried ii will be remembered, first the daugh-
ter of Thomas Henry Lister and niece of
an Earl of Claredon, and his son by his
first marriage, Lewis, Familiarity known as
Lulu" married in 1899 Miss Mary z.
Burns, daughter of the late Walter H.
Burns, OF this city, and a relative of j.
court, who married Sir William in 1876 is
the daughter of the historian, j. Lothrop
Motley, and a relative of the Ives and God
dard families of Providence. 1t is said that
Sir William may be made a baronet, and
If the report is true history will again re-
peat itself in the large Vernon family, the
men of which have for several generations
exhibited preferences for American girls.
Lewis, the heir, has a daughter, born two
years ago.
The father of the present head of the
Vernon family, the eighth Baron Vernon,
married Miss Frances NJ. Lawrence, daugh-
ter of +. c. Lawrence, of this city, and her
son, the present Baron Vernon, who is now
fourteen years old, declared recently that
when he reached his majority he will take
wife from America. The brother of the
late Baron Vernon, the Hon. William Fred
eric Cuthbert Vernon, married in 1884 Miss
Louisa Frost, daughter of Gen. ID. NJ Frost,
u. S. A, of st. Louis, and has four chill
dren. Thus the descent of the Vernon fam
lily title and the reported baronetcy is as
sured to heirs who are half American.
The fact that the daughter of r. T. Will
son is coming to America as Lady Herbert
wife of Sir Michael Henry Herbert, the
British ambassador, newly created knight
Commander of st. Michael and ST. George
adds to the glamour of the homecoming
of the successful American woman. Lady
Herbert is likely to become a peeress as
one of the conservative London papers said
yesterday that If all goes we'll Sir Michael
will be made peer in the near future
Sir Francis Henry Evans, Liberal men,
Der of Parliament for Maidstone who has
been created a baronet, married in 1872 the
daughter of the late Samuel Stevens, of AL
bany, formerly attorney general of this
He has
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-28
OUT OF THE ORDINARY.

There are 10000 rural free delivery routes
in operation and 1913 petitions under con-
sideration.
Mattresses under the age of forty may
not be employed in cafes and restaurants
in Hungary.
the largest ratio of suicides, or 1871 per
100000 of population.
The greatest depths of ocean yet discov-
cred have been off the New Zealand coast,
and go down about six miles.
Mexican labor is so scarce as to neces-
The latter are guaranteed employment for a
year.
South Africa is of volcanic origin, and
the land In the vicinity of Kimberley is so
sulphurous that even ants cannot exist
upon il.
postal employees and market people, at
least 10000 people are working all night
in London.
In some German cities it is customary to
enabled to add from 81 to Sc q month to
their incomes.
Berlin police have issued an order for
bidding public houses to sell 'cold drinks"
below a certain temperature for the reason
that such drinks are bad for the diges-
ton.
In 1886 every child in the public schools
cost Prussia S. year. To-day the cost is
$12. The total sum expended last year on
public schools was 69,942,3 75 marks $685.
7s6, 1907
The Jews of Palestine are entirely
descended from Jews who returned to
that land from Europe. Most of them
speak a corrupt form or the German
language.
1t is reported that in and about Sheuan-
doah in the anthracite coal region of Penn
sylvania there are about 1900 Lithuanians,
5000 Poles. 5000 Ruthenians, 1000 Slovaks
and 300 Bohemians.
General Booth has just acquired 10000
acres of land in Western Australia where
he will establish a great Salvation Army
agricultural and industrial colony, which
he will populate from the London slums
A recent German traveller in the Caucasus
reports that he saw many handsome men.
but not one of the beautiful women for
which that region is famous although in
the villages everybody turned out to see
him.
fragment of a calendar the earliest
piece of printing that can be proved, ha
been discovered at Wiesbaden. The astro-
nomical calculations show that IL was in
tended for the first four months of the
year 144S.
The Cocos. or Keeling, islands which be-
long to the British Empire, are the pri-
vate property of G.. Clunis Ross who lives
on them and governs their primitive popu-
lation as an autocrat. They are a ring
of coral atolls lying 600 miles off Java
Head
Charles Payne. of Wichita KAN recently
presented the Geological Garden of ST.
Louis pure white quail caught recently in