The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-12-30

wing, and withdrawing 1t, reveal
ed "a room by daylight, where a
mother and her children were.
She was expecting someone, and
with anxious eagerness, for she
walked up and down the room.
started at every sound, looked out
from the window, glanced 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, a
man whose face was careworn and
depressed, though he was young
There was remarkable expression
in 1t nova kind of serious delight
of which he felt ashamed, and
which he struggled to repress.
He sat down to the dinner that
had been boarding for him by the
fire, and when she asked him faint
ly what news (Which was not un
til after long silence), he appear
ed embarrassed how to answer
as it good she said, cor bad?"--
to help him
Bad" he answered.
I'VE are quite ruined?"
mo. There is hope yet
Caroline
''If he relents,' she said, amazed
there is. Nothing is past hope
if such a miracle has happened"
He is past reienting," said her
husband "He is dead"
She was a mild and patient crea
ture, if her face spoke truth; but
she was thankful in her soul tC
hear it, and she did SO, with clasp
ed hands. She prayed forgiveness
the next moment, and was sorry
but the first was the emotion OF
her heart.
what the half drunken woman
whom l told you of last night, said
to me when tried to see him and
obtain a weeks delay; and what
| | thought was a mere excuse tC
avoid me, turns out to have been
quite true. He was not only very
III, uuI uylHS, tneu.
"To whom will our debt be
transferred"
81 don't know. But before that
time we shall be ready with the
money, and even though we were
not, it would be bad fortune indeed
to find so merciless a creditor in
| his successor. We may sleep to
night with light hearts, Carolinen
Yes. Soften it as they would
their hearts were lighter. The chill
dren's faces, hushed and clustered
round to hear what they so littl.
understood, were brighter; and il
was a happier house for this mans
death! The only emotion that thu
Ghost could show HIM, caused by
the event, was one of pleasure.
LET me see some tenderness
connected with a DEATH" SAID
Scrooge; cor that dark chamber
Spirit, which we left just now, will
be forever present to me-"
The Chest conducted him
through several streets familiar
to his feet and as they went along
Scrooge looked here and there t.
find himself, but nowhere was HI
to be seen. They entered poor BOB
Cratchit's house, the dwelling he
had visited before; and found the
mother and the children seated
round the fire.
Quiet. Very quiet. The nois,
little Cratchits were as still al
statues in one corner. and sat look
ing up at Peter, who had bool
before him. The mother and he
daughters were engaged in sewing
But surely they We're very quiet!
And he took child, and Sc
him in the midst of them.
Where had Scroose heard these
words? He had not dreamed them
The boy must have read them out
rs he and the Spirit crossed thu
threshold. Why did he not go on
The mother laid her work upor
the table. and put her hand up t.
her face.
THE color hurts my eyes she
| said
The color? All. poor Tiny Tim