Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1911-01-12


they must be allowed 70 have ben
competent Judges becasze they nmd
Just he'd dinner sne. with the dessert
upon the table. were clustered rounk
the fire BY lampiight.
sweiL I am very glad 20 hear ~
said Scrooge's nephew. because I
haven't any great faith IN these youna
housekeepers. What do you say. ToD-
PERI
Topper had clearly rot his eye upon
enc Of scrooge's niece's sisters. fcr ~
answered that q bachelor was .
wrefched outcast who had No rtmhs
90 express an opinion on the snbject.
wheraat Ecroagass uieee'@ sister fha
es<s.sxs.s <-<s ~.Sasxaa lace tdckef. no&
she one with the roses-bIushed.
After tea they hsd some music. for
they were a musical family and knew
what they were about when they sang
q glee or catch, I can assure you, espe-
cially Topper. who could growl away
In the bass like good one and never
swell the large veins In his forehead
or get red In the face over C.
Scrooge's niece played well upon the
harp and. among other tunes, q simple
little air "a mere nothing-you might
learn TO whistle Il IN two minutesl
which had been familiar 10 the chtld
who fetched scrooge from the board.
ing school. as he had been reminded
by the Ghost Of Christmas Past
when the strain Of music sounded all
the things that ghost had shown him
came upon bis mind. He softened
more and more and thought that II no
could have listened to Il often years
ago he might have cultivated the kind
nesses OF life for his own happiness
with his own hands without resorting
10 the sexton's spade that buried ia
cob Marley.
But they didn't devote the whole
evening 20 music. After awhile they
played at forfeits. for It is good 60 be
children sometimes and pever better
than at Christmas. wher It's mighty
Founder was a child himself. stopi
There was first a game at blind mans
bun. OF course there was. And I no
more believe Topper was really blind
than believe he had eyes In biz
boots. My opinion In that II was q
done thing between him and Scrooge'a
nephew and that the Ghost OF Christ
mas Present knew II. The way he
went after that plump sister In the
lace tucker was an outrage on the
credulity Of human n"ture-knockinR
down the fire irons. tumbling over the
chairs, humping up against the piano.
smothering himself among the curl
tains. Wherever she went. there went
he. He always knew where the plum
sister was. He wouldn't catch any
body else. II you had fallen up
against him. as some Of them did. and
stood there he would have made O
feint OF endeavoring TO seize you,
which would have been an affront 60
your understanding and would Instant
ly have sidled or In the direction Of
the plump sister. She often cried QUE
that It wasn't fair. and Il really was
not But when at last he caught her
when. I'm spite OF all her silken rus
things and her rapid nutterings past
him. he got her into a corner whence
there was no escape-then his con.
duct was the most execrable. for his
pretending not TO know her. his pre-
tending that IL was necessary 20 touch
her headdress and. further, TO assure
himself Of her identity BY pressing q
certain ring upon her 6nger and q
certain chain about her neck. was vile.
monstrousi No doubt she told him her
opinion OF IL when. another blind man
heinz fn nffina thav mara aa wnww nnw~
hdential together behind the curtains.
Then they played a game called yes
and no, where Scrooge's nephew had
to think OF something and the rest
must find out what. he only answer
Ing to their questions yes or no. as
the case was. The brisk fire Of uues-
tioning TO which he was exposed elicit
ed from him that he was thinking Of
an animal. live animal, rather a dis
agreeable animal. a savage animal,
an animal that growIed and grunted
sometimes and talked sometimes, and
lived In London. and walked about
the streets. and wasn't made a show
Of, and wasn't led by anybody, and
didn't live In q menagerie. and was
never killed I'm a market, and was not
horse. or an ass. or q COW. or a bah.
or q tiger. or a dog. or a pig. or q cat.
or a bear. At every fresh question
that was put TO him this nephew
burst into fresh roar Of laughter and
was 20 inexpressibIy tickled that hs
was obliged to get up of the sofa and
stamp. At last the plump sister. fall
ing into similar state. cried out:
II have found II out! I know what
It Is, Fred! I know what II isr'
"what Is itT' crted Fred.
"Tt's your Uncle Scro-o-o-o-ogeg'
Which II certainly was Admiration
was the universal sentiment. though
some objected that the reply 70 "Is II O
bearr ought 10 have been "Yes." in
asmuch as an answer in the negative
was sufficient to have. diverted theis
thoughts from Mr.. Scrooge. supposing
they had ever had any tendency that
way.
He has given US plenty Of merrf-
ment, ! am sure" said Fred. land 20
would be un-
W. grateful not 70
!. ! |: ! ! J. . !: !: :. :: :: :: : :
~ drink bis health.
A&- AxS6 Here II q glass
SHS Of muIled wine
ready 20 our hand
Il| st the moment,
and I say Uncle
60 ~ Ecrooge."
7A swell. Uncle
Fl Scrooge- they
zf cried
kE "a merry
- Christmas and O
" happy New Year
WELL UNCLE 20 the old man,
scRooSE! whatever be h."