The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1911-01-05

stroke of /.
He felt that he was restored to con
seriousness in the right nick Of time for
the especial purpose of holding a con
ference with the second messenger dis
patched to him through Jacob Marley's
Intervention. But, finding that he turn
ed uncomfortably cold when he began
to wonder which of his curtains this
new specter would draw back, he pul
them every one aside with his own
hands and, lying down again, estab
lished a sharp lookout all round the
bed, for b" wished to challenge the
spirit moment of its appearance
and did 1T wish to be taken by sur
prise and made nervous.
Gentlemen Of the free and easy sort
who plume themselves on being &C
quainted with q move or two and be
.ng usually equal to the time of day eX
| lress the wide range Of their capacity
| for adventure by observing that they
Aare good for anything from pitch and
TOSS to manslaughter, between which
| tpposite extremes no doubt there lies
| Il tolerably wide and comprehensive
| range of subjects. Without venturing
| fok Scrooge quite as hardly as this !
| don't mind calling on you to believe
that he was ready for a good broad
field Of strange appearances and that
nothing between baby and rhinoc-
eros would have aStOuisheG him very
much.
| Now, being prepared for almost any
thing, (he was not by any meaus pre-
| pared for nothing. and consequently
when rhe bell struck l and no shape
appearesl he was taken with violent
fit OF Il embling. Five minutes, ten
minutes, a quarter of an hour, went
by, yet nothing came. All this time he
lay upon his bed, the very core and
center Of d blaze of ruddy light which
streamel Upon 1t when the clock pro-
claimed tile hour and which. being
only ngN was more alarming than a
dozen ghbsts. as he was powerless to
make oul what it meant or would be
at, and vast sometimes apprehensive
that he might be at that very moment
an interesting case of spontaneous
combustion Without having the con-
ISOLATION of kIkwing it. At last, how
ever. he bega to think, as you or
would have NlAght at first. for it is
always the re:S& not in the predica-
ment who knowS what ought to have
been done III It land would unques
tionably have DOME 1t too. At last, ]
say, he began to think that the source
and secret of tbs tghostly light might
be In the adjoining Room. from whence
on further TRACING it. 1t seemed tC
shine. This idea Viking full posses
sion of his mind, &. not I'D softly and
shuffled in his slip,erQk to the door.
The moment SerNgA's hand was or
the lock strange he called him by
his name and bad Shim enter. He
opeyed. M
1t was his own NCRnl-there was
no doubt about that~bIcet 1t had I'M
dergone a surprising Transformation
The walls and ceiline kere so huns
with living green tina, ssooked a per
feet grove. from ever? M RI of which
bright cleaning berries I'll stened. The
crisp leaves Of holly, nisue Toe and Ivy
reflected back the light as Il SO many
little mirrors had been scau red there
and such a mighty blaze went roaring
up the chimney as that duh petrifac
ton Of hearth had never known IL
Scrooge's time or Marley's or for many
and many a winter season gomez Heap
esl up upon the floor to form sind o,
throne were turkeys, geese, sgame
poultry, Drawn, great joints of {meat
sucking pigs, long wreaths Of sausages
mince pies, plum puddings. barrels O.
oysters. redhot chestnuts. cherry cheek
ed apples. juicy oranges, lusciou!
pears. immense Twelfth cakes ant
seething bowls Of punch that made til,