The Washington herald., 1920-12-25
8y Charles Dickens

pretty we'll that we were helping
ourselves. before me met here,
believe. It's no sin. Open the bum
die. joe"
But" the gsIlantry Of her friends
would not allow of this: and the
man in faded black. mounting the
breach first, produced his piunder.
1t was not extensive. A seal or
two, q pencil case. a pair Of sleeve
buttons and q brooch of no great
value. were all. They were several
ly examined and appraised by old
Joe, who chalked the sums he was
disposed to give for each, upon the
wall. and added them up Into
total when he found there was
nothing more to come.
what do you call this?' said
Joe. "Bed-curtains?
"Ah!" returned the woman. laugh
ing and leaning forward on her
crossed arms. bed curtains.
You don't mean to say you took
'em down. rings and all. with him
lying there7" said Joe.
yes ] do" replied the woman.
why not?'
You were born to make your
fortune" said Joe, "and you'll GER
tainly do it,"
II certainly shan't hold my hand
when ! can get anything In II by
reaching II out, for the sake Of such
a man as he was. I promise you.
joe" returned the woman 'cooliy.
Don't drop that oil upon the blan-
kets. now"
His blankets" asked Joe.
Whose else's do you think? ?" re-
piled the woman. He isn't likely
to take cold without'em, / dare say
81 hope he didn't die of anything
catching? Eh?" said old Joe. stop
ping in his work and looking up.
Don't you be afraid OF that" re-
turned the woman. srRn't SO fond
of his company that I'd loiter about
him for such things, IL he did. All!
you may look through that shirt
till your eyes ache, but you won't
find a hole in Ii, nor a threadbare
place. It's the best he had and a
fine one too. They'd have wasted
it, IL it hadn't been for me-"
What do you call wasting OF it?"
asked old Joe.
Putting it on him to be buried
| in. to- be sure" replied the woman
| with a laugh. Somebody. was fool
enough to do it but ! took IL off
again. II calico amt good enough
to do for such a purpose. II isn't
! good enough for anything. It's
quite as becoming to the body. He
can't look uglier than he did in
| that one"
Scrooge listened to this dialogue
| in horror. AS they sat grouped
about their spoil, in the scanty light
afforded by the old mans lamp. he
viewed them with a detestation
and disgust. which could hardly
have been greater. though they had
| been obscene demons. marketing
the corpse itself.
| 'Ha, ha" laughed the same wom-
an. when old Joe. producing a flan-
mel bag with money in il. told out
their several gains upon the ground
This is the end of it, you see, He
frightened every one away from
him when he was alive. to profit
US when he was dead! Ha, ha, ha"'
Spirit" said Scrooge, shudder-
ing from head to foot. Il see, see.
The case OF this unhappy man might
be my own. My life tends that way.
now. Merciful Heaven. what is
thisI"
1 Ilc ECCollCu IN lHC
scene had changed and now he al
most touched a bed; a bare. uncur-
tanned bed, on which, beneath a
ragged sheet, there lay a some
thing covered up, which. though IL
was dumb, announced itself in aw-
fuf language.
The room was very dark, too
dark to be observed with any ac-
| thnnDh r1o
round IL in obedience to a secret
impulse, anxious to know what kind
of room it was. A pale light. rising
in the outer air. fell straight upon
the bed. and on 1t, plundered and
bereft, unmatched, unwept, uncared
for. was the body of this man.
| Let me see some tenderness con-
nected with a DEATH" said Scrooge:
''or that dark chamber. Spirit.
which We just left, will be forever
present to me-"
| The Ghost conducted him through
several streets familiar to his feet
, and as they went along. Scrooge
looked here and there to find him
self, but nowhere was he to be
seen. They sentered poor Bob
Cratchits house; the dwelling he
had visited before and found the
mother and the children seated
round the. fire.
Quiet. Very. quiet. The noisy lit .
| tie 'Cratchits were as still as stat
ues in one corner and sat looking
up at Peter, who had a book before
him. The mother and her daugh-
ter were engaged in sewing. But
surely they were very quiet,
| And He took a child and set
him in the midst of them"
Where had Scrooge heard those
words? He had not dreamed them.
The boy must have read them out.
as he and the Spirit crossed the
threshold. Why did he not go on?
The mother laid her work upon
the table and put her hand up to
her face.
The color hurts my eyes" she
said.
The color? All, poor Tiny Tim,
| They're better now again." said
ICratchit's wife. at makes them
weak by canelelight; and I wouldn't
show weak eyes to your father
when he comes home, for the world.
It must be near his time"
| Past II rather" Peter answer
ed, shutting up his book. But /
think he's walked a little slower
than he used, these few last even
ings. mother"
| They were very quiet again. At
last she said. and in steady cheer
full voice. that only faltered once:
| i have known him walk with
have known him walk with Tiny
Tim upon his shoulder, very fast
indeed"
| And so have l." cried Peter.