The Oregon daily journal., December 21, 1907, Page 17, Image 17

11 " '( ia
ens o "tones
( CHRISTMAS
GAROL
G
Ola.
(1WPTEDrailfiiS.DICKEN5
row
1.
Tliea-t Nexjer
r
51
kNE Christmas Ere Scrooge, art olJ man, still
(At busy In his office. Th weather was cold.
and he could hear the people 'n the street outside
ing their hands upon their breasts and stamping
their feet upon tlie pavement to keep warm.
"A merry Christmas Uncle I" cried a cheerful
voice. It waa Scrooge 'a nephew.
"Hah!" aaid Scrooge. "Humbug!"
"Christmas a humbug, Onclc" cried his nephew;
"you do not mean that, I am sure."
"I do." aaid Scrooge. "What right have you to
be merry f You arc poorl"
"Come, then," returned hit nephew, "whnl right
have you to be so dismal You are rich."
"Bah! Humbug!'' Scrooge returned.
"Do not be so erou," said hia nephew
I . m ij
2,
yATelw can I be." said Scrooge, "when
I live in such a world of fools'"
"Well," Uncle. Christmas has never' done much
for me. but it makej me happy to fcep jt and I say
again, a nvrrv Christmas to yoii,,Cit'-lc."
The clerk in the office said: "Same here!"
"Let me hear another sound from yon," said
Scrooge, "and you will keep iour Christmas by losing
your job."
"Well. god-lnc and merry Christmas. I'nc'e, ami
a happy New Year," said his nephew, and" left the room.
"My cl rk makes fifteen dollars a week, and has
a, wife and children, and ho is thinking about merry
Christmas. Well, I will give nothing to any one. . I
wish to be left alone," muttered Scrooge.
.y' - y a 'iuwp
Mm
3.
SCROOGE called his clerk and (old him it wd
time to shut up the office, and with a growl be
walked out.
It was dark and cold when Scrooge got to his
home, but he did not care; darkness is cheap. He
closed hia door, locked himself in, and sat down before
the lire to eat his niu.sh. It waa a very low fire for
inch a cold night, so he sat very close to it. Scrooge
spent little money on coal and light; in fact', he was a
miserable miaer.
"Hamhug!" said Scrooge. He took several turns
around the room and then ant down again, resting
hh head back in his chair. His glance rested upon
the bell that hung in the room, lsy and by this bell
began to ring, at first softly, and then very loudly,
and so did all the bells in the house. Sounds like the
rattling of many chmns readied hia ears Jjm the
cellar door, which just then flew open. Scroogv fell
upon hi' krtees in fear and trembling and clasped hi,
hands before His face.
"Mercy I" he tried, fearing some terrible tiling was
to happen.
TT7HERE is your father and your -brother,
Tiny Tim, and wlicre is' Martha?" said
Mr. Cratchet.
"Here is Martha, mother," said one of the girls.
"Hurrah! There's such a goose, Martha," they
All called.
"Here comes father." ,
In came Bob Cratchet with Tiny Tim upon his
shoulder. Alas, for Tiny Tim! He was lame and
could not walk. And now such a bustle began yon
might have thought that a roast goose was the rarest
bird in the world. Mrs. Cratchet made the gravy,
jfetcr mashed the potatoes, Belinda sweetened the ap
ple sauce, and Martha wiped the hot plate.
Tiny Tim satjbesidc Bob at one corner of the ta
ble, and the younger Cratchet. put chairs up for
everybody. Tiny Tim beat the table with the handle
of his knife and cried "Hurrah!" And Bob said be
did not believe there ever was such a goose cooked.
i . ,, , ,
4: L-
I : "3 1
V:V::- S 5
'3111m 1
v
I 6.
V
4.
AM the Ghoat of Chrisrmai Present," aaid
voice, and Scrooge looked and saw a figure all
clothed in a simple grrcn robe trimmed with white fur.
"Touch my robe," said the ghost, and Scrooge did
as lie wm told. . His room, the fire,v everything van
ished instantly, and he fgund himself in the citj streets'
on Christmas morning. Tha people were scraping
snow from th pavements, but on they -vent until they
came to Uia four-roomed house of Scrooge s clerk. Bob
Cratchet. This Ghost of Christmas Present and
Scrooge were invisible, but they could see everything.
There was Mrs. Cratchet, all dressed up in her best,
laying the table, helped by Belinda, her daughter,
while Peter plunged a fork into the saucepan of po
tatoes Two smaller C ratchets, boy and girl, ctme
running in, calling out that they smelt roast goosey
and all the small Cratcliets danced about the table.
T
1 HEX came the pudding, which looked like il
speckled cannonball blazing from the liyhted
alcohol, and decked with Christinas holly .stuck in the
top.
"0 wonderful pudding." Bob Cratchet called. "A
merry Christmas to us all, my dears, and God bless us."
"God bless every one," said Tiny Tim.
Then they had chestnuts, apples, cake and candy,
and by and by they had a song, and they were all happy.
By this time it was,getting dark and snowing
heavily. The spint took Scrooge along the street, mid.
the brightness in all the houses was wonderful.
"Spirit," cried Scrooge, "I am not the man I was.
Hear mc! I will honor Christinas in my heart and try
to keep it."
Holding up his hands in one last prayer he saw"'
the spirit's hood and dress .shrink and dwindle away,
and he found himself in his own bed and in his own
room.
7.
44 T DON'T know what to do," cried Scrooge,
JL laughing and crying in the same breath. "I
am as happy as a schoolboy. A merry Christmas to
everybody I A happy New Year to all the world!
Hello here! Whoop I Hello 1"
Running to the window he opened it and put out
his head.
"What day it- is, my fine fellow r he called to a
boy.
"Today f Why, Christmas Day!"
"It is Christmas Day," ftict Scrooge to himself.
"I hsfven't missed it'. The spirits have done it in one
night. They can d anything they like. Of courses
tbey can.
'Hello; my fine fellow!"
"Hello," returned the boy.
"Do you know the market down the next street?"
said Scrooge.
"I should hope I did." replied the boy..
"Go and buy the biggest turkey you can get down
there," said Scrooge.
7 -
v
"sw M
11 , . f.
' 0 V arc fooling." called hack the boy.
"Xo. no," said Scrooge, "1 am hi earnest,
I will give you fifty cents if you get it for me. ;
The boy was off like a shot for. the turkey, and in
a short time was back witfr the very biggest turkey
you ever saw. r
"Take it to Bob Crotchet's.", whispered Scrooge,
rubbing his hands and UiiHihg.-H.aItMkniiw
who sens it It ft twice the siw of Tiny Tim."
The boy took the turkey ana off he started fo
Bab's. Scrooge dressed himself aft ia his best and
went to- chureh and walked? about th street and
watched the people. He patted the little children, oq
the head as he passed, and? wished every one merry
Christmas!! raised Bob, Cratchet safcry;and "
gave .many presents; and promised many tnorei. N '
He never; saw, the spirit again; but he lived
liappy useful thereafter'and..ie wa alwayrtaid
of him that he laer how to eej Christnua well.
Iay that be truly said of all 0.and so, as Tmy
Tm aaid; God )&' everonef , , . ' ,
mm