Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-12-02
NO. 90.

ed from him that he was thinking Of
an animal, q live animal, rather a dis
agreeable animal, savage animal.
an animal that growled and grunted
sometimes and talked sometimes, and
| lived in London, and walked about
| the streets, and wasn't made show
Of. and wasn't led by anybody, and
| didn't live in a menagerie, and was
never killed in a market, and was not
| a horse, or an ass, or cow, or bull,
| or tiger, or dog or a pig, or cat,
or a bear. At every fresh question
that was put to him this nephew
| burst into a fresh roar Of laughter and
was so inexpressibly tickled that he
was obliged to get up off the sofa and
stamp. At last the plump sister, fall
ing into a similar state. cried out:
] II have found 1t out! l know what
| it Is, Fred. | know what 1t Isl"
| What Is It ?" cried Fred.
| Its your Uncle Scro-o-o-o-o-oge!
! Which 1t certainly was. Admiration
was the universal sentiment, though
some objected that the reply to "Is 1t
bear?" ought to have been Yes
| inasmuch as an answer In the mega
tive was sufficient from Mr.. Scrooge,
| supposing they had ever had any ten
dency that way.
He has given us plenty Of merri-
ment, l am sure" said Fred, and II
would be ungrateful not to drink his
health. Here Is glass OF mulled wine
| ready to our hand at the moment, ana
l say Uncle Scrooge"'
well, Uncle Scrooge!" they cried
"A merry. Christmas and happy
New Year to the old man, whatever
he is," said Scrooge's nephew. He
wouldn't take 1t from me, but may ne
have ii nevertheless. Uncle Scrooge!
Uncle Scrooge had imperceptibly be-
come so gay and light Of heart that
he would have pledged the unconscious
company in return and thanked them
in an inaudible speech IL the ghost
had given him time. But the whole
scene passed off in the breath OF the
last word spoken by his nephew, and
he and the spirit were again upon
their travels.
Much they saw, and far they went,
and many homes they visited, but al
ways with a happy end. The spirit
stood beside sickbeds, and they were
cheerful; on foreign lands, and they
were close at home; by struggling
men, and they were patient In their
greater hope; by poverty, and 1t was
rich. In almshouse, hospital and jail,
in misery's every refuge, where vain
man in his little brief authority had
not made fast the door and barred
the spirit out, he left his blessing ana
taught Scrooge his precepts.
1t was a long night IL 1t were only
a night, but Scrooge had his doubts OF
this because the Christmas holidays
appeared to be condensed into the
space of time they passed together. Ii
was strange, too, that while Scrooge
remained uraltered in. the outward
form the ghost grew older, clearly old
er, Scrooge had observed this change,
but never spoke of it until they left
children's Twelfth Night party, when,
looking at the spirit as they stood to,
gether In an open place, ne nouced
that its hair was gray.
Are spirits lives so short?" asked
Scrooge. ),
my life upon this globe Is very
BRIEF" replied the ghost. 1T ends TO-
night"
"Tonight!" cried Scrooge.
Tonight at midnight Hark! the
time Is drawing near"
The bell struck IL.
Scrooge looked about him for the
ghost and saw 1t not. AS the last
stroke ceased to vibrate he remember
ed the prediction of old Jacob Marley
and. lifting up his eyes, beheld a
solemn phantom, draped and hooded,
coming like a mist along the ground
toward him.
(To be Continued)