The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-12-18
A Christmas Carol
II WORLDS GREATEST YULETIDE THE
II PRESS-IDEAL HOLIDAY READING
BY Charles Dickens

coach houses and sheds were over
run with grass. Nor was it more
retentive of its ancient state with
in; for entering the dreary, hall, and
Slanclng through the open doors of
many rooms, they found them Door
ly furnished, cold and vast. There
was an earthly SAVIOR in the ain. a
chilly baroness in the place, which
associated itself somehow it'll too
much getting up by sandle light,
and not too much to eat
They went, the Ghost and
Scrooge, across the hall, to a door
at the back of the house 1t open
ed before them, and disclosed a
long, bare, melancholy room, made
barer still by lines of plain deal
forms and desks. At one of these
lonely boy was reading near a.
feeble fire; and Scrooge sat down
upon a form, and wept to see his
poor forgotten self as he had used
to be.
Not a latent echo in the house.
not a squeak and scuffle from the
mice behind the paneling, not
, drip. from the halfthawed water
spout IN the dull yard behind, not a
sigh among the leafless boughs of
one Respondent poplar not the idle
swinging on an empty stOrehouse
door, no, not clicking in the fire,
but fell upon the heart of Scrooge
with softening Influence, and gave
freer passage to his tears.
The Spirit touched him on the
arm, and pointed to his younger
self, intent upon his reading. Sud
denly man in foreign garments:
wonderfully real and distinct to look
at, stood outside the window, with
an axe stuck in his belt, and lead
ing by the bride an ass laden with
wood
why, IDS Ali Baba!"' Scrooge
exclaimed in ecstasy. It's dear
old honest Ali Baba! Yes, yes,
know. One Christmas time, when
yonder solitary child was left here
all alone. he did come for the first
time, Just like that. Poor boy,
And Valentine said Scrooge, "and
his Wild brother Orson; there they
GO And what's his name, who was
put down in his drawers, asleep, at
the gate of Damascus; don't you
see him! And the sultan's groom
turned upside down by the genii:
there he is upon his head Serve
him right. I'm glad of it. What
business had he to be married to
the princess,"
TO hear. Scrooge expanding all
the earneStncss of his nature on
such subjects, in most eXtraordi-
nary voice between laughing and
crying; and to see his heightened
and excited face; would have been
surprise TO his business friends
N the city, indeed
There's the parrot" cried
Scrooge. Green body and yellow
tail, with thing like lettuce grow
ing ont Of the top of his head; there
he is, Poor Robin Crusoe, he called
! him, when he came home again
after sailing round the island. Poor
ROBIN Crusoe, where have you been,
Rob IL Crusoe?' The man thought
| he was dreaming, but he wasn't.
! 1t was the parrot, you know. There
goes Friday, running for his life to
the little creek. Halo! Hoop,
| Halloo!"
Then, with a rapidity of transi-
ton very foreign to his usual char
acter, he said, in pity of his former
self, Poor boy" and cried again.
Il WISH Scrooge .muttered, pat
ting his hand in his pocket, and
/ looking about him, after drying his
eyes with his cuff; butts too late
! now"
What is the matter?" asked the
/ spirit.
Nothing said Scrooge. Moth
4 ing. There was a boy singing a
/ Christmas carol at my door last
night, | should like to have given
him something; that's all"
The ghost smiled thoughtfully,
I and waved its hand saying as it
+, did so. Let us see another Christ
mas"
Scrooge's former salt grew large
at the words, and tho room a little
darker and more dirty. The panels
| shrunk, the windows cracked : frag-
ments Of plaster fell out of the cell
ing, and the naked laths were
shown instead; but how all this was
brought about. Scrooge knew no