Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-12-06
CHAPTER V.
The End of 1t.

CHAPTER V.
| The End of It,.
| Yes, and the bedpost was his own,
the bed was his own, the room was
his own. Best and happiest or all,
| the time before him was his own 10
make amends in.
II will live in the past, the present
and the future!" Scrooge repeated as
he scrambled out of bed.
He was so fluttered and so glowing
with his good intentions that his bro
ken voice would scarcely answer 10
his call He had been sobbing violent
ly in his conflict with the spirit. and
his face was wet with tears.
| THE spirits of all three shall strive
within me. o Jacob Marley! Heaven
and the Christmas time be pralsed
for this! l say it on my knees, OLD
Jacob; on my knees!
| They are not torn down. cried
Scrooge, folding one of his bed cur
tains in his arms; they are not torn
down. rings and all. They are here!
l am here! The shadows of the things
that would have been may be dis
PEELED. They will be. l know they
will"
His hands were busy with his gar
ments all this time, turning them In
side out, putting them on UPSIDE
down, tearing them, mislaying them
making them parties to every klnd OF
extravaganza.
Il don't know what to do!' cried
Scrooge, laughing and crying in the
same breath and making a perfect
| LAGOON of himself with his stockings
| Il am as light as feather, L am as
happy as an angel, l am as merry as
schoolboy, 1 am as giddy as
drunken man. A merry Christmas 10
everybody! A happy New Year TO all
the world. Hello here! Whoop!
Hello!"
He was checked in his transports
by the churches ringing out the Iustl-
est peals he had ever heard. Clash
clang, hammer, dingdong, bell! Bell,
dongding, hammer, clang, clash! Oh
glorious. glorious!
Running to the window, he opened
it and put out his head-no fog, no
mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring,
cold, cold piping for the blood to dance
| to; golden sunlight, heavenly SKY;
sweet, fresh air; merry bells. Oh,
glorious, glorious!
whats today?" cried Scrooge call
ing downward to a boy In SUNDAY
clothes who perhaps had loitered In
to look about him. .,
| "Eh?" returned the boy, with all
his might of wonder. -,
Whats today. my fine fellow!
said Scrooge.
To-day" replied the boy "Why,
Christmas day"
| "Do YOU know the poulterer's in the
next street but one, at the corner!
Scrooge inquired
Il should hope 1 did," replied the
lad.
IAN intelligent boy" said Scrooge,
| "a remarkable boy. Do you know
whether they've sold the prize turkey
that was hanging up there? Not the
| little prize turkey-the big one!"
"What-the one as big as me- re-
turned the boy.
What a delightful boy" said
Scrooge It's a pleasure to talk to
him. Yes, my buck"
ITS hanging there now" replied
rs it?" said scrooge. Go and buy
.'Walk-er." exclaimed the boy
NO. no." said Scrooge; Il am in
earnest Go and buy it and tell EN-
to bring it here that / may give
them the direction where to take 1t.
Come back with the man and Ill give
you a shilling! Come back with him
in less than five minutes and Ill give
you half a crown!"
The boy was off like a snot.
"I'll send it to Bob Cratchit's," whis-
pered Scrooge rubbing his hands and
splitting with a laugh. He shant
know who sends it. It's twice the size
OF Tiny Tim"
The hand in which he wrote the ad-
dress was not a steady one, but write
| il he did somehow and went down.
stairs to open the street door, ready
for the coming of the poulterer's man.
/ AS he stood there waiting his arrival
the knocker caught his eye. go.
Il shall love it as long as l live!,
cried Scrooge, patting 1t with his hand
Il scarcely ever looked at it before
What an honest expression IT has IN lts
face, It's a wonderful knocker! Here's
the turkey. Hello! Whoop! How are
you? Merry Christmas!"
1t was a turkey He never could have
stood upon his legs, that bird. He
would have snapped 'em short off in
minute. like sticks of sealing wax.
why, it's impossible to carry that
to Camden Town." said Scrooge. You
must have a cab
The chuckle with which he said this
and the chuckle with which he PAID
for the turkey, and the chuckle with
which he paid for the cab. and the
chuckle with which he recompensed
the boy, were only to be exceeded by
the chuckle with which he sat down
breathless in his chair again and
chuckled till he cried.
| He dressed himself "all in his best
and at last got out into the streets.
He had not gone far when coming
| on toward him he beheld the portly
! gentleman who had walked into his
counting house the day before and
said. "Scrooge & Marley's, l believe.
1t sent a pang across his heart to
think how this old gentleman would
look upon him when they met, but he
knew what path lay straight before
him, and he took it,
| MY dear SIR" said Scrooge, quick
ening his pace and taking the old gen
tleman 5y both his nands, "how do
you do? l hope you succeeded ye3ter-
day. 1t was very kind of you. A
merry Christmas to you sir!'
Mr. ScroCge?"
Yes" said Scrooge; that is my
name, and l fear it may not be pleas
ant to you. Allow me to ask your
pardon. And will you have the good
ness Here Scrooge whispered in
| his ear
|
man as if his breath were gone. MY
dear Mr.. Scrooge, are you serious? p
IF you please" said Scrooge-"not
farthing less. A great many back
payments are included in it, l assure
you Will you do me that favor?'
My dear sir" said the other. shak-
ing hands with him. Il don't know
what TO say to such munif"-
Don't say anything, please" retort-
ed Scrooge. Come and see me. Will
you come and see me-
Il will" cried the old gentleman
and it was clear he meant to do 1t.
| "Thank'ee." said Scrooge. Il am
much obliged to you. I thank you
fifty times Bless YOU
| He went to church, and walked
about the Streets and watched the
people hurrying to and fro, and patted
children on the head, and questioned
beggars. ard looked down into the
kitchens of houses and up to the win
dOwS. and found that everything could
Yield MIN pleasure. He had never
dreamed that any walk, that anything
could give him so much happiness.
In the afternoon he turned his steps