Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-12-15

her tiny hands and bending DOWN 10
! laugh-''to bring you home, home,
home!"
Home, little Fan?' returned the
boy.
Yes said the child, brimful OF
glee-"home for good and all. home
forever and ever. Father is 50 much
kinder than he used to be that homes
like heaven. He spoke SO gently to me
one dear night when I was going to
bed that | was not afraid to ask him
once more if you might come home,
and he said yes you should and sent
me in a coach to bring you. AND
you're to be a man. said the child,
opening her eyes, "and are never to
come back here, but first we're to be
together all the Christmas long and
have the merriest time in all the
world"
"You are quite woman, little Fan"
exclaimed the boy.
She clapped her hands and laughed
and tried to touch his head, but, being
too little, laughed again and stood on
tiptoe to embrace him. Then she be-
gan to drag him, in her childish eager
ness, toward the door, and he, nothing
loath to go, accompanied her.
always a delicate creature whom
a breath might have withered," said
the ghost, "but she had a large heart"
$50 she had" cried ScroOge. "You
are right I'll not gainsay it, spirit.
God Forbid
"She died a woman" said the ghost,
"and had, as | think, children"
zone child" Scrooge returned.
"True," said the ghost-''your neph-
ew.''
Scrooge seemed uneasy in his mind,
and answered briefly, Eyes"
Although they had but that moment
left the school behind them, they were
now in the busy thoroughfares of
city. It was made plain enough by
the dressing of the shops that here,
too, it was Christmas time again, but
it was evening, and the streets were
lighted up.
The ghost stopped at a certain ware
house door and asked ScrOOge if he
knew it.
"Know itr' said Scrooge 'Was l
apprenticed here?
They went in. At sight of an old
gentleman in Welsh wig sitting be.
hind such q high desk that if he had
been two inches taller he must have
knocked his head against the ceiling
Scrooge cried in great excitement:
"Why, it's old Fezziwig"
Old Fezziwig laid down his pen and
looked up at the clock, which point
ed to the hour of T. He rubbed his
hands, adjusted his capaciOus waist
coat, laughed all over himself from his
shoes to his organ of benevolence and
called out in a comfortable, oily, rich,
fat, jovial voice:
'Yo no, there Ebenezer. Dick!'
Scrooge's former self, now grown
Young man, came brisl1ly in, accompa-
MED by his fellow prentice.
''Dick Wilkins. to be sure" said
.Scrooge to the ghost. "Bless me, yes.
There he is. He was very much at
,ached to me, was Dick. Poor Dick!
Dear, dear"'
"Yo no. my boys" said Fezziwig,
mo more work tonight. Christmas
eve, Dick. Christmas, Ebenezer! Let's
have the shutters up" cried old Fezzi-
wig, with a sharp chap Of his hands,
before man can say Jack Robin
SOM
In came a fiddler with a music book
and went up to the lofty desk and
like fifty stomach aches. In came Mrs.
Fezziwig, one vast substantial smile.
In came the three Miss Fezziwigs.
beaming and lovable. In came the six
young followers whose hearts they
broke. In came all the young men and
women employed in the business. In
came the h0uSemaid with her cousin,
the baker. In came the cook with her
brothers particular friend, the milk
man. In came the boy from over the
way, who was suspected of not having
board enough from his master, trying
to hide himself behind the girl from
next door but one, who was proved to
have had her ears pulled by her mis-
tress. In they all came, one after
another, some shyly, some boldly,
some gracefully, some awkwardly,
some pushing, some pulling-in they
all came, anyhow and everyhow Away
they all went, twenty couples at once,
hands half round and back again the
other way, down the middle and up
again, round and round in various
stages of affectiOnate grouping, old top
couple always turning up in the wrong
place, new top couple starting off
again as soon as they got there, all
top couples at last and not a bottom
one to help them. When this result
was brought about old Fezziwig, clap
ping his hands to stop the dance, cried
out, "Wen done.' and the fiddler
plunged his hot face into a pot of por-
ter especially provided for that pur-
pose. But, scorning rest upon his re-
appearance, he instantly began again,