The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-25
BEST CHRISTMAS
TALES BY WORLDS
LEADING AUTHORS
Continued from Page one.

in Wailace's depletion OF the nrst Christ
mas Every one has his little worries
and troubles now, as all had their ankle
ties thenS and it takes the Christmas
spirit to gloss them over into cheer and
hopefulneSs. His undertone of satire,
never gentler or more friendly. brings
US all the closer to the joys as well as
the small worries that surround the
Christmas tree.
The kindly Christmas tree, from which
i trust every gentle reader has pulled q
bonbon or two is yet all afiame while 1
am writing, and sparlles with the sweet
fruits of its season. You young ladies,
may you have plueked pretty Cuttings
from it; and out of the cracked sugar
plum which you have split with the
captain or the the sweet young
curate may have read one of those
delicious conundrums which the con
feetioners introduce into the sweet
meats, and which apply TO the cum
ming passion OF love. Those riddles are 10
be read NJ your age. when I dare say they
are amusing As for Dolly, Merry, and
Bell, who are standing at the tree, they
don't care about the love riddle part, but
understand the sweet almond portion very
we'll They are four, five and six years
old Patience. little people! dozen
merry Christmases more, and YOU Will be
reading those wonderful conundrums. too.
Dickens Converted ScrO"ge.
Dickens if sou recall. did much Of the
same thing with old Scrooge, but he ala
not whisk him off into a doubtful eter-
nifty, but "a probable perdiuon. After
Scrooge had his scare with al his ghost
r., visitors. he became a converted
Scrooge. a transformed Scrooge, a
Scrooge so human that poor Bob Cratchit
thought he must have gone stark mad.
For this is how the altered Scrooge be-
haved:
Scrooge was early at the office next
morning. Oh, he was early there. II he
could only be there first and catch Bob
Cratchit coming late! That was the
thing he had set his heart upon.
And he did it. yes, he did, The clock
struck g. No Bob. A quarter past No
Bob. He was full eighteen minutes and
a half behind his time. ScrOOge sat with
his door wide open that he might see
him come into the tank
"HallOr' growled ScrOoge. in his ac-
customed voice as near as he could feign
il What do you mean by coming here
al this time of day.?
q am very sorry, sir said Bob Il
am behind my time
You are" repeated Scrooge. Yes: !
think you are. Step this way, sir. If you
please"
It's only once a year. sir" pleaded
Bob, appearing from the tank. 1T shall
not be repeated. 7 was making rather
merry yesterday, sir"
NOW. I'll tell you what, my friend, q"
said ScrOOge. I am not going 20 stand
this sort of thing any longer. and there
fore he continued. leaping from his
stool and giving Bob such a dig in the
waistcoat that he staggered back into the
tank again-"and therefore / am about to
raise your salary"
"A merry Christmas. BObr' said
ScrOoge with an. eaTnestness that could
not be mistaken as he clapped him on
the back. a merrier Christmas Bob. my
good fellow. than 1 have given you for
many a year, I'll raise your salary and
endeavor 10 assist your struggling fam
ily, and We will discuss your affairs this
very afternoon over a Christmas bowl OF
smoking bishop. Bob, Make up the fires
and buy another coal scuttle before you
dot another j. Bob Cratchit"'
Scrooge was better than his word He
did it All. and infinitely more; and TO
kindly Tim, who did not die. he was
second father. He became as good a
friend, as good a master, and as good a
man as the good old city knew, OF any
other good old city, town, OF borough In
the good old world. Some people laughed
10 see the alteration in him. but he let
them laugh and little needed them, for
he was wise enough 20 know that moth
ing ever happened on this globe for
good. at which some people did not have
their MI of laughter in the outset. and
knowing that such as these would DO
blind anyway, he thought it quite as well
that they should wrinkle up their ewes In
grins as have the malady In less attrac-
tive forms His own heart laughed, and
that was quite enough for him.
He had no further intercourse with
spirits hut lived upon the total absti-
nence principle ever afterward
Irving'S Bears Head.
sOur own Washington Irving. in his
sketch Book has described an English
Christmas dinner perhaps better and
more provocatively of a longing for its
enjoyment than any of the English writ
ers themselves. How much there is in
the dinner and how much in the writer II
exchanged for the boar's head and the
ancient sirloin" OF old England the
glorious brown turkey of his native land;
but this Is the way irving describes It:
The dinner was served up in the great
hall where the squire always held his
Christmas banquet. a blazing, cracking
fire OF logs had been heaped on 10 warm
the spacious apartment. and the flames
went sparkling and wreathing up the
Wide-mOuthed chimney. The great pic
ture of the crusader and his white horse
mad been prOfusely decorated with green's
for the occasion, and holly and ivy had
likewise been wTeathed round the helmet
and weapons on the opposite wall. which
/ understood were the arms of the same
warrior
We were ushered into this banqUeting
scene with the sound of minsTeisy, the
old harper being seated on a stool beside
the fireplace. and twanging his insuu-
Tnent with a vast deal more power than
melody.
The parson said grace. which was not
a short, familiar one such as IS com
monty addressed TO the Diety in these
unceremonious days, but long. courtly.
well-worded one of the ancient school
There was now a pause, as if something
was eNpecleui When suddenly the DuueF
entered the hall with some degree of
hustle He was attened by a servant on
each side with a large waxlight, and
bore a silver dish on which was an
enormous pigs head, decorated with
rosemary, with a lemon in its mouth,
which was placed with great formality at
the head of the table The moment this
pageant made its appearance the harper
struck up a flourish, at the conclusion of
which the young OXonian on receiving a
hint from the squire. gave. with an air or
the most comic gravity, an old carol, the
nrst verse of which was as follows:
Caput apri defero