The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1910-12-08

SlSnSu w lhS N+SA
~S~-~0 gyman. the clerk.
the undertaken and the chief mourner.
Scrooge signed II. and Scrooge's name
was good upon change for anything
he chose to put his hand to- Old Mar
lev was as dead as a doornail.
Mind. don't mean TO say that !
know OF my own knowledge what there
is particularly dead about doornail.
] might have been inclined myself to
regard coffin nail as the deadest piece
of iron .mongery in the trade. But the
wisdom of our ancestors is IN the
simile, and my unhallowed hands shall
not disturb il or the country's done Tor
You will therefore permit me to re-
peat emphatically that Marley was as
dead as q doornail.
Scrooge knew he was dead? or
course he did How could it be 9TH
erwise? Scrooge and he were part
ners for | don't know how many
years Scrooge was his sole executor.
his sole administrator. his sole assign.
his sole residuary legatee. his sole
friend and sole mourner.
Scrooge never painted out o!d Mar
Iey's name There II stood years aft
erward above the warehouse door
Scrooge & Marley. The firm was
known as Scrooge & Marley. Some
times people new TO the business call.
cd Scrooge Scrooge and sometimes
Marley. but he answered to both
names. 1t was all the same to him.
Oh, but he was tight iSted hand
at the grindS;one. Scrooge-a sQueez-
ing. wrenching. grasping, scraping.
cutching. covetous old sinner, hard
and sharp as flint. from which no
steel had ever struck out generous
fire; secret and self contained and
solitary as an oyster. The cold within
him rroze his old features. nipped his
pointed nose, shriveled his cheek. stiff
ened his gait, made his eyes red. his
thin fps blue and spoke out shrewdly
in his grating voice. A frosty rime
was on his head and on his eyebrows
and his wiry chin. He carried his own
low temperature always about with
him. He iced his Office in the dog days
and didn't thaw 1t one degree at
Christmas.
Once upon q time-of all the good
days in the year. on Christmas eve
old Scrooge sat busy in his counting
house. 1t was cold, bleak. biting
weather. foggy withal. and he could
hear the people in the court outside
60 wheeling up and down. beating
their hands upon their breasts and
stamping their feet upon the pavement
stones to warm them. The city clocks
had only just gone 3. but 1t was quite
dark already.
The door Of Scrooge's counting house
was open that be might keep his eye
upon his clerk. who In dismal little
cell beyond. sort Of tank, was copy
ing letters. Scrooge had very small
fire. but the clerks fire was so very
much smaller that 1t looked like one
coal. But he couldn't replenish 1t, for
Scrooge kept the coal box in his own
roons. and so surely as the clerk came
in With the shovel the master predict
ed that 1t would be necessary for them
to part, wherefore the clerk put on
his white comforter and tried to warm
himself ut the candle. In which effort.
not being a man Of strong imagina-
don. he failed.
"a merry Christmas, uncle! God
save you" cried cheerful voice. 1t
was the voice of .Scrooge's nephew.
who came upon him so quickly that
this was the first intimation he had
Of his approach.
"Bahw said Scrooge. "Humbug"
He had 80 heated himself with rapid
walking In the fog and frost. this
nephew Of Srrooge's. that he was all
In glow His face was ruddy and
handsome.
Christmas a humbug. uncle! said
Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean
that, l am sure"
81 do" said Scrooge. Merry Christ
mas! What right have you to be mer-
~? What reason have you to be mer-
ryT
Come. then" returned the nephew
gayly. What right have you to be
dismal%'
Scrooge, having no better answer
ready. on the spur Of the moment said
Bah again and followed it up with
"Humbug"'
Uncle" pleaded the nephew.
Nephew" returned the uncle stern,
~. keep Christmas in your own way
and let me keep it in mine"
Keep it," repeated Scrooge's neph-
ew. But you don't keep It"
"T.et me leave it alone. then" said
Scrooge. Much good may it do you!
Much good it has ever done your