The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-12-25
, These held the hot stuff from tn


served it 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
if 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
interest he had never felt before,
tell me If Tiny Tim will live"
II see a vacant seat" replied the
Ghost, "in the poor chimney-corner,
and crutch without an owner,
carefully preserved. If these shad-
ows remain unaltered by the future
the child will die"
mo, nos" said Scrooge. ooh, no,
kind Spirit! say he will be spared
IF these shadows remain unal-
tered by the future, none other of
my race" returned the Ghost, will
find him here. What then? If he
be like to die, he had better do it,
and decrease the surplu popula-
tion."
Scrooge hung his head to hear
his own words quoted by the Spirit,
and was overcome with penitence
and grief.
man." said the Ghost, eff man
you be In heart, not adamant, for
bear that wicked cant until you
have discovered What the surplus
is, and Where it Is. Will you de-
eide 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
millions like this poor mans child.
Oh, God! to hear the Insect on the
leaf pronouncing on the too much
life among his hungry brothers in
the Dust"
Scrooge bent before the Ghosts
rebuke, and trembling cast his eyes
upon the ground. But he raised
them speedily, on hearing his own
name.
"Mr. Scrooge!" said Bob; "Ill
give you Mr.. Scrooge, the Founder
of the FEAST"
"The Founder of the Feast, in
deed" cried Mrs. Cratchit, REDEEM
ing. II wish | had him here. I'd
give him piece of my mind to
feast upon. and hope he'd have q
good appetite for it."
my dear" said Bob; the chill
dren! Christmas day"
1T 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 fellow"
.My dear" was Bob's answer.
Christmas day"
'T'n drink his health for your
salce 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, l have no
doubt"
The children drank the toast aft
er her. It was the first of their
proceedings which had no hearth
ness in it, Tiny Tim drank 1t last
Of all, but he didn't care twopence
for it, - SCrooge was the Ogre of
the family. The mention of his
CT nrly oh
party. which was not dispeled for
full five minutes.
After 1t has passed away, they
were ten times merrier than before,
from the mere relief Of Scrooge
the Baleful bling done with Bob
Cratchit told them how he had a
situation in his eye for Master
Peter. which would bring In, If OBJ
tanned, full five.and-sixpense week
ly. The two young Cratchits laugh
ed tremendously at the idea of
Peters being a man of business:
and Peter himself looked thought
fully at the fire from between his
collar. as If he were deliberatins
what particular Investments he
should favor when he came into the
receipt Of that bewildering income.
Martha. who was poor apprentice
at milliner's, then told them what
kind of work she had to do. and
how many hours she worked at n
stretch. and how she meant to lie
a-bed tomorrow morning for good
long rest; tomorrow being holt
day 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
'uhis collar 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-the-by they had song,
about a lost child travelling in the
snow. from Tiny Tim, who had a
plaintive little voice, and sang it
very well, indeed.
There was nothing of high mark
In this. They were not a handsome
family; they were not well dressed:
their shoes were far from being
waterproof; their clothes were
scanty; and Peter might have
known. and very likely did. the in
side OF pawnbroker's. But they
were happy. grateful, pleased with
one another, and contented with the
time: and when they faded. and
looked happier yet in the bright
sprlnklings Of the Spirits torch at
parting, Scrooge had his eye upon
them, and especially on Tiny Tim,
until the last,
BY this time 1t was getting dark
and showing pretty heavily; and, as
>Scrooge and the Spirit went along
the streets, the brightness of the
roaring fires In kitchens. parlors
and all sorts of rooms, was wonder
full. Here, the Pickering of the
blaze showed preparations for a
cosy dinner, with hot plates baking
through and through before tha fire