The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1940-12-27
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Hght-fsted Scrooge. who didn't believe In
Christmas. was visited by his dead part
ner one Christmas night and warned that ne
wa forging his own chains with his selfish
ness. He was told that three spirits would
visit him. The first spirit showed ScrooRe
MS former self and the opportunities for
NsTALLMENT FOUR
1t was a great surprise to Scrooge
to hear familiar, hearty laugh.
Scrooge recognized it as his own
nephew's and to find himself in a
bright, dry, cleaning room.
1t is fair, even-handed, noble ad-
tustment Of things, that while there
Is injection in disease and sorrow,
there is nothing in the world SO IL
resistibly contagious as laughter and
good humour. Scrooge's niece, by
marriage, laughed as heartily as he.
And their assembled friends roared.
He said that Christmas was
humbug, as Ive!" cried Scrooge's
nephew. HE believed it tool"
Hes a comical old fellow" said
Scrooge's nephew, that's the
truth; and not so pleasant.
However, believe his offenses
carry their own punishment, and I
have nothing to say against him."
"Pm sure he is very rich, Fred"
limited Scrooge's niece.
what of that, my dear!" said
Scrooge's nephew. ellis wealth is
OF no use to him."
Il have no patience with him."
observed Scrooge's niece.
"Oh, have!" said Scrooge's
nephew. 81 am sorry for him;
couldn't be angry with him if I
tried. Who suffers by his ill whimsi
Himself, always. Here, he takes it
into his head to dislike us, and he
won't come and dine with us. What's
the consequence? He don't lose
much Of a dinner"
Indeed, I think he loses a very
good dinner" said Scrooge's niece.
''Welli I'm very glad to hear it,"
said Scrooge's nephew, because I
haven't great faith in these young
housekeepers. What say you, Topper?
Topper had clearly got his eye
upon one Of Scrooge's niece's SIS
tiers, for he answered that a bache-
lor had no right to an opinion
on the subject. Whereat Scrooge's
niece's sister-the plump one with
the lace tucker: not the one with the
roses-blushed.
After a while they played at for
feits; for it is good to be children
sometimes, and never better than
at Christmas, when its mighty
Founder was child himself. Stop!
There was first a game at blind
mans buff. OF course there was.
And I no-more believe Topper was
really blind than I believe he had
eyes in his boots. My opinion is,
that 1t was a done thing between
him and Scrooge's nephew: and that
the Ghost of Christmas Present
knew it. The way he went after
that plump sister in the lace tucker,
He always knew where the plump
sister was. He wouldn't catch any
body else. If you had fallen I'D
against him Gas some of them did).
on purpose, he would have made q
feint Of endeavouring to seize you,
which would have been an affront
to your understanding, and would
instantly have sidled off in the di-
rection of the plump sister. She.
often cried out that it wasn't fair;
and it really was not. But when
at last he caught her; when, in spite
of all her silken rustlings, and her
rapid fiutterings past him, he got
her into corner, whence there WAS
no escape; then his conduct was the
most execrable. For his pretending
not to know her; his pretending that
1t was necessary to touch her head
dress, and further to assure him.
self of her identity by pressing a
certain ring upon her finger, and
certain chain about her neck; was
vile, monstrousl No doubt she told
him her opinion of it, when, anoth-
er blind man being in office, they
were SO very confidential together,
behind the curtains.
There might have been twenty
people there, young and old.
Here is a new game" said
Scrooge. Zone half-hour, Spirit,
only onel"
1t is a Game called Yes and No,
where Scrooge's nephew had to
think of something, and the rest
must find out what; he only an
swering to their questions yes or no,
as the case was. The brisk fire
of questioning TO which he was ex-
posed, elected from him that he
was thinking of an animal, a live
animal, rather a disagreeable ami
NAL, a savage animal, an animal,
that growled and grunted some
times, 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 a menagerie, and
was not horse, or an ass, or a
COW, or a bull, or tiger, or a dog,
or a pig, or cat, or a bear.
At every fresh question that was
put to him, this nephew burst into
a fresh roar of laughter; and was so
inexpressibly tickled, that he was
obliged to get up off the sofa and
stamp. At last the plump sister,
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