The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-12-17
STAVE TWO.
The First of the Three Spirits.

y ne FIRST OF tnS lHTce oPiTitS.
When Scrooge awoke, it was so
dark that, looking out of bed, he
could scarcely distinguish the trans
parent window from the Opaque
i walls of his chamber. He was en-
deavoring to piece the darkness
with his ferret eyes, when the
chimes of neighboring church
struck the four quarters. So he
listened for the hour
To his great establishment, the
heavy bell went on from six to
seven. and from seven to eight,
and regularly up to twelve: then
stopped. Twelve. 1t was past two
when he went to bed The clock
was wrong An icicle must have
got into the works. Twelve,
He touched the spring of his re-
peater, to correct this most pre-
posterous clock Its rapid little
pulse beat twelve, and stopped.
why. it isn't possible said
Scrooge, that l can have slept
J through a whole day and far into
another night 1t isn't possible
that anything has happened to the
sun. and this is twelve at noon"
The idea being an alarming one,
he scrambled out of bed, and CROP
cd his way to the window. He was
obliged to rub the frost OF with the
sieve of his dressing gown before
he could see anything; and could
see very little then. All he could
make out was, that it was still very
foggy and extremely cold. and that
there was no noise of people run
ming to and fro, and making
great stir, as there unQuestionably
would have been if night had beat
en- OF bright day, and taken posses
sion of the world. This was a
great relief, because Three days
after sight of this First of EX
change to pay to Mr.. Ebenezer
Scrooge or his ORDER" and so forth.
would have become mere United
States security if there were no
days to count by.
Scroogc went to bed again, and
thought, and thought, and thought
IL
nothing of it. The more he
thought, the more perpleYed he
was; and the more he endeavored
not to think, the more he thought.
Marley's Ghost bothered him ex-
coed ngly Every time he resolved
within himself, arter mature in
CURRY, that it was all dream. his
mind flew back again. like a strong
spring released, to hsi first posi-
ton, and presented the same prob
lem to be worked all through,
Was it a dream or not?55
Scrooge lay in this state until
the chime had gone three-ouarter3
more, when he remembered. on a
sudden. that the Ghost had warned
him of a visitation when the bell
tolled one. He resolved to lie
awake until the hour was passed.
and, considering that he could no
more go to sleep than go to heaven
this was perhaps the wisest resolu-
ton in his power.
The quarter was so long. that he
was more than once convinced he
must have sunk into doze uncon-
sc'ously, and missed the clock. At
length it broe kupon his listening
ear.
Ding. dong"
"A quarter past" said Scrooge,
counting.
Ding, dong"
Half past" said Scrooge.
Ding, dong,"
eo;,l
Ding, dong"
"The hour itself" said Scrooge,
triumphantly, land nothing else!'
He spoke before the hour bell
sounded, which it now did with a
deem, dull, hollow. melancholy one.
Light flashed up in the room upon
the instant. and the curtains of his
bed We're drawn.
The curtains of his bed were
drawn aside. | tell you, by hand.
Not the curtains at his feet, nor
the curtains at his back, but those
to which his face was addressed.
The curtains of his bed were drawn
aside; and Scrooge, starting up in
to half-recumhent attitude. found
himself face to face with the un-
earthly visitor who drew them: as
close to it as ! am now to you. and
am standing in the spirit at your
elbow
II was a strange figure-like a
child: yet not SO like a child as
like an old man, viewed through
some supernatural medium which
gave him the appearance of having
receded from the view, and being
diminished to a child's proportions.
It's hair. which hung about its neck
and down its back, was white as If
with age: and yet the face had not
wrinkle in it. and the tenderest
bloom was on the skin. The arms
were very long and muscular; the
hands the same. as if it's hold were
of uncommon strength It's legs
and feet. most delicately formed,
were, like those upper members.
bare. 1t wore tunic of the purest
=