Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-11-29

til the broad fields were so full OF
merry music that the crisp air laugh.
ed to hear it.
"The school is not quite deserted,
said the ghost. "A solitary child, neg.
lected by his friends, is left there
still"
They left the highroad by a we'll re-
membered lane and soon approached
mansion of dull red brick, with g
little weathercOck surmounted cupola
on the roof and bell hanging in it
1t was a large house. but one OF
broken fortunes, for the spacious Off.
ces were little used, their walls were
damp and mossy, their windows
broken and their gates decayed.
They went, the ghost and Scrooge
across the hall to door at the back
of the house. 1t opened before them
and disclosed long, bare, melancholy
room, made barer still by lines OF
plain deal forms and desks. At one
of these a lonely boy was reading neal
feeble fire, and Scrooge sat down
upon a form and wept to see his poor
forgotten self as he had used to be.
Il WISH" ScrOoge muttered, putting
his hand in his pocket and looking
about him. drying his eyes with his
cuff. But it's too late now,"
What is the matter?" asked the
spirit.
Nothing" said Scrooge, nothing
There was a boy singing a Christmas
carol at my door last night. 1 should
have liked to give him something
that's ALL"
The ghost smiled thoughtfully and
waived it's hand, saying as it did so,
Let us see another Christmas"
Scrooges former self grew larger at
the words. and the room became lit
tie darker and more dirty. The pan
els shrunk, the windows cracked, frag-
ments of plaster fell out Of the cell
ing, and the naked laths were shown
instead but how all this was brought
about Scrooge knew no more than you
do. He only knew that it was quite
correct; that every thing had happen
ed so; that there he was alone again
when all the other boys had gone
home for the jolly holidays.
He was not reading now, but walk
ing up and down despairingly.
Scrooge looked at the ghost and with
a mournful shake of his head glanced
anxiously toward the door.
1t opened, and little girl, much
younger than the boy, came darting
in and, putting her arms about his
neck and often kissing him, addressed
him as her dear dear brother"
II have come to bring you home,
dear brother" said the child clap
ping her tiny hands and bending down
to laugh-"to bring you home, home,
home!"
Home, little FAM" returned the
boy.
YES" said the child, brimful of
1la for poo6 anI oil homo
forever and ever. Father Is so much
kinder than he used to be that homes
like heaven. He spoke so gently to
me one dear night when l 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, land 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 a woman, little
Fam" 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
eagerness. 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,
land had, as l think, children"
zone child" Scrooge returned.
True" said the ghost-'your neph-
ew."
Scrooge seemed uneasy in his mind,
and answered briefly, Yes"
Although they had but that moment
left the school behind them, they were
now in the busy thoroughfares of a
city 1t 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 certain ware
house door and asked Scrooge If he
knew it.
Know it," said scrooge. WAS I
here?"
They went in. At sight Of an old
gentleman in a Welsh wig sitting be-
hind such a 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 I. He rubbed his
hands, adjusted his capacious waist
coat, laughed all over himself from
his shoes to mis- organ of benevolence
n1 IN, fnf ~f1I Il all
rich, fat, jovial voice:
"Yo no, there! Ebenezer! Dick!"
Scrooge's former self, now grown a
young man, came briskly in, accom-
panied 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
tached 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 clap Of his hands,
before a man can say Jack Robin
SOM"
In came a fiddler with music book
and went to the lofty desk and made
an orchestra of it and tuned 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 housemaid with her
cousin, the baker. In came the cook
with her brothers particular friend,
the milkman. In came the boy from
over the way, who was suspected of
not having board enough from his
trying to hide himself behind
the girl from next door but one, who
was proved to have had her ears
pulled by her mistress. In they all
came, one after another, some shy,
some boldly, some gracefully, some
some pushing, some pull
ing-in they all came, anyhow and
everyhow. Away they all went, twen-
~ couples at once, hand half round
and back again the other way, down
the middle and up again, round and
round in various stages Of affection
ate 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 bottom one to help
them. When this result was brought
about old FeZziwig, clapping his hands