Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-11-29
CHAPTER II.
The First of the Three Spirits.

The First of the Three Spirits.
When Scrooge awoke it was so dark
that, looking out of bed, he could
scarcely distinguish the transparent
window from the Opaque walls of his
chamber He was endeavoring TO
pierce the darkness with his ferret
eyes when the chimes Of a neighbor-
| ing church struck the four quarters.
So he listened for the hour.
To his great establishment, the heavy
bell went on from 6 to Z and from
to s and regularly up to II, then stop
ped. Twelve! 1t was past 2 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 preposter-
Gus clock It's rapid little pulse beat
II and stopped.
"Why, it isn't possible" said
Scrooge, that l can have slept through
whole day and far into another
night. 1t isn't possible that anything
has happened to the sun and this is
IL at noon"
The idea being an alarming one,
he scrambled out of bed and groped
his way to the window. He was
obliged to rub the frost off with the
could see anything, and he 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 running to and
fro and making a great stir, as there
unquestionably would have been If
night had beaten off bright day and
taken possession Of the world.
Scrooge went to bed again and
thought and thought and thought it
over and over and over and could
make nothing of it. WAS it dream
or not?"
Scrooge lay in this state until the
chimes had gone three-quarters more,
when he remembered on a sudden that
the ghost had warned him of a visi-
tation when the bell tolled l. He
resolved to lie awake until the hour
was past.
The quarter was so long that he was
more than once convinced he must
have sunk into a doZe unconsciouSly
and missed the clock. At length it
broke upon his listening ear.
"Dingdong!"
"A quarter past" said Scrooge,
counting.
Half past" said Scrooge.
"A quarter to it," said Scrooge.
"Dingdong."
THE hour ITSELF" said Scrooge tri-
umphantly, ''and nothing else"
He spoke before the hour bell
sounded, which it now did with
deep, dull. hollow, melancholy ONE!
Light flashed up in the room upon
the instant, and the curtains of his
bed were drawn, and Scrooge, starting
up into a half recumbent attitude,
found himself face to face with the
unearthly visitor who drew them.
1t was a strange figure, like a child,
yet not so like a child as like an old
man viewed through some supernat-
ural medium. which gave him the ap-
pearance of having receded from the
view and being diminished to 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 q wrinkle in ii. and the
tenderest bloom was on the skin. The
arms were very long and muscular,
the hands the same as if its hold were
of uncommon strength. It's legs and
feet. most delicately formed, were,
like those upper members, bare. 1t
wore a tunic of the purest white. and
round its waist was bound a lustrous
belt. the sheen of which was beautiful.
1t held a branch of fresh green holly
in its hand and in singular contradic-
ton of that wintry emblem had its
dress trimmed with summer flowers.
But the Strangest thing about it was
that from the crown of its head there
sprang a bright, clear jet of light by
which all this was visible and which
was doubtless the occasion of its using
in its duller moments a great eXtin-
guisher for a cap, which it now held
under its arm.
Are you the spirit, sir, whose COM
ing was fOretold to me?" asked
Scrooge.
II am"
The voice was soft and gentle,
singularly low. as if. instead of being
so close beside him, it We're at dis
tance.
who and what are you?" Scrooge
demanded.
II am the Ghost of Christmas Past.
1t put out it's strong hand as it
spoke and clasped him gently by the
arm.
Rise and walk with me-"
The grasp, though gentle as a wo-
mans hand, was not to be resisted.
Scrooge rose. but, finding that the
spirit made toward the window
clasped its robe in supplication.
They passed through the wall and
stood upon an open country road with
fields on either side. The city had
entirely vanished Not a vestige of it
was to be seen. The darkness and the
mist had vanished with it. for it was
a clear, cold winter day. with snow
upon the ground.
Good heaven" said Scrooge, clasp
ing his hands together as he looked
about him. Il was bred in this place.
was a boy here"
You recollect the way?" inquired
the spirit.
Remember it," cried ScrOoge with
fervor. Il could walk it blindfold"
Strange to have forgotten it for so
many years" observed the ghost. Let
us go on"
They walked along the road. Scrooge
recognizing every gate and post and
tree, until a little market town APP
peared in the distance. with its bridge,
its church and winding river. Some
shaggy ponies now were seen trotting
toward them with boys upon their
backs. who called to other boys in
country gigs and carts driven by
farmers. All these boys were in great
spirits and shouted TO each other un-