Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1910-12-22

tuG unuertaker 9no tne c0le1 m0ufnef.
Scrooge signed II, and Scrooge's name
was good upon change for anything
he chose TO put his hand to- Old Mar
ley was as dead as a doornail
Mind. don't mean to say that I
know Of my own knowledge what there
In particularly desd about a doornail.
! might have been inclined myself to
regard q coffin nail rs the deadest piece
Of iron mongery I'm the trade. But the
wisdom of our ancestors is In the
sinile. ard my unhaliowed hands shall
not disturb Il or the country's done for
You will therefore permit me to re-
peat emPhaticaily that Marley was as
dead as a doOrnalL
Scrooge knew be was dead7 or
course he did How could II be 9TH
erwise? Scrosge and be were part
ners for I don't know how many
years. Scrooge was his sole executor,
his sole administrator. his sole assign.
his sole residunry legates. his sole
friend and sole mouruer.
Scrooge never painted out old Mar
ley's name. There Il stood years aft
erwHrd above the warehouse door
ScrOoge Il Marley. The firm waa
known as Scrooge q Marley. Some
times people new to tee business cali.
ed Scrooge Scrooge and sometimes
Marley. but he answered to both
names. 1t was all the same TO him.
oh. but be was a tight fisted hand
at the grindstone. Scrooge-a squeex-
Ing. wrenching. grasping. scraping.
and sharp as flint, from which no
steel had ever struck out generous
IRE: secret aud self contained and
solitary as an oyster. The cold within
him froze bis old features, nipped his
pointed nose. shriveled his cheek, stiff
ened his gait. made his eyes red. his
thin lips blue and spoke out shrewdly
In his grating voice. A frosty rime
was on his head and on his eyebrows
and his wiry chin. he carried his own
low temperature always about with
him He iced bis Office In the dog days
and didn't thaw It one degree ut
Christmas
Once upoh q time-of all the sood
days In the year. on Christmas eve
old Scrooge Sat busy In his counting
house. 1t was cold, bleak, biting
weather. foggy withal. and be could
hear the people In the court outside
20 wheeling up and dr~n, beating
their hands upon their breasts and
stamping their feet upon the pavement
stones TO warm them. The city clocks
had only just gone 8. but 10 was quite
dark already
The door of ScroOge's counting house
was open that be might keep his eye
upon his clerk, who in q dismal little
cell beyond. sort Of tank. was copy.
ing letters. ScruOge had q very small
nre. but the clerks fire was So very
much smaller that II looked like one
coal. But he couldn't replenish IL. for
Scrooge kept the coal boz In his own
room. and SO surely as the clerk came
I'm with the shovel the master predict
Cd that II would be necessary for them
TO part, wherefore the clerk put on
his white comforter and tried TO warm
e1A@&&@CbA ~ thS S8101Bs III =
net being @ man Of q strong imagina-
don, be failed
"a merry Christmas. uncle! God
save your cried O cheerful voice. It
was the voice Of scrooge's nephew,
who came upon him 30 quickly that
this was the nrst intimation hs had
Of his approach.
BAH said Scrooge. "Humbugr'
He had 30 heated himself with rapid
walking In the fog and frost. this
nephew or scrooge's. that he was all
In a glow. His face was ruddy and
handsome
Christmas q humbug. uncler' said
scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean
that. ! am sure"
II DO" said Scrooge- Merry Christ
mas! What right have you to be mer-
ryf What reason have you to be mer.
yT
''Come, then" returned the nephew
gayly. What right have you to be
dismaIY'
Scrooge, having no better answer
ready. on the spur Of the moment said
"Bah~ again and followed IL up With
"Humbugv
"Uncler pleaded the nephew.
Nephew" returned the uncle stern
V. keep Christmas ip your own way
and let me keep IL in mine"
Keep itT" repeated Scrooge's neph
ew. But you DON'T keep IL"
LET me leave Il alone. then" said
ecrooga Mach good may Il DO youi
-ARmeh aasA A haa ~yar Amna vauP