1920-12-11 — Page 28

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BE HAPPY.

(Continued from Page 27.)

"Spirit!" he said, "this is a fear full place. In leaving it, I shall not leave its lessen, trust me. Let us

2019

"To whom will our debt transferred?"

Yes. Soften it as they would, Still, the ghost pointed with an

their hearts. were lighter. The unmoved finger to the head.

Scrooge children's faces, bushed and clustered "I understand you," returned, and I would do it, if I round to hear what they so hitle could. But I have not the power, understood, were brighter; and it was a happier house for this man's spirit. I have not the power."

Again it seemed to look at him.death! The only emotion that the "If there is any person in the town ghost could show him, caused by the who feels emotion caused by this event, was one of pleasure.

Let me see some tenderness cor- man's death," said Scrooge, quite agenised, "show that person to me, pected with a death," said Scrooge

or that dark chamber, spirit, which spirit, I beseech you!

The phantom spread its dark robe we left just now, will be for ever before him for a moment, like a wing Present to me." and withdrawing it, revealed a room

children were.

THE CHINA MAIL.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1920,

Really, for a man who had been out of practice for so many years, it was a splendid laugh, a most has trious laugh. The father of a long. long line of brilliant laughs!

I don't know how long I've been among the spirits. I don't know Holding up his bands in a last anything. I'm quite a baby. Never... prayer to have his fate reversed, he mind. I don't care. I'd rather be a saw an alteration in the phantom's; baby. Hello! Whoop! Hollo, here!" hood and dress. It shrank, collapsed,! He was checked in his transports

lustiest peals he had ever heard. and dwindled down into a bedpost by the churches ringing out the

Clash, clang, hammer; ding, dong, ding: hammer, clang, clash! Oh, | glorious, glorious!

STAVE FIYE.

The inexorable finger underwent | Oh, tell me I may sponge away the! be" and his father loved him so, that it come to me. Now, it wasn't," cried

writing on this stone!' was no trouble: no trouble. And Bob, "for the sake of anything he was no change.

able to do for us, so much as for his Scrooge hastened to the window of

In his agony, he caught the spectral "I don't know. But before that there is your father at the door!"

She burried out to meet him; and kind way, that this was quite delight-his office, and looked in. It was an hand. It sought to free itself, but time we shall be ready with the money; and even though we were little Bob in his comforter he hadful. It really seemed as if he had office still, but not his. The furniture he was strong in his entreaty, and not, it would be bad fortune indeed need of it, poor fellow-came in, known our Tiny Tim, and felt with was not the same, and the figure in detained it. The spirit, stronger yet,

the chair was not himself. The repulsed him. to find so merciless a creditor in his His tea was ready for him on the us."

"I'm sure he's a good soul!" said phantom pointed as before. successor. We may sleep to-night! bob, and they all tried who should

He joined it once again, and wonder- with light hearts, Caroline"

help him to it most. Then the two Mrs. Cratchit.

"You would be surer of it, mying why and whither he had gone, roung Cratchits got upon his knees, and laid, each child a little check, dear," returred Bob, "if you saw and accompanied it until they reached an against his face, as if they said spoke to him. I shouldn't be at all iron gate. He paused to look round

Don't mind it, father. Don't be surprised mark what I say it be before entering.

got Peter a better situation."

Only hear that, Peter," said Mrs. grieved?"

Bob was very cheerful with them,

all the Cratchit.

"And then,” cried one of the girls, and spoke pleasantly "to family. He looked at the work upon the table, and praised the industryFeter will be keeping company with and speed of Mrs. Cratchit and the some one, and setting up for "Get along with you!" retarted girls. They would be done long himself." before Sunday, he said.

"Sunday! You went to-day, then, Peter, grinning

"It's just as likely as not," said Robert? said his wife.

one of these days;" though "Yes, my dear," returned Bob. Bob,

But however and whenever we part from one another, I am sure we shall none of us forget poor Tiny Tim shall we or this first parting "Never, father!" cried they all that there was among us?

"And I know," said Bob, "I know, my dears, that when we recollect how patient and how mild he was, although he was a little, little child, we shall not quarrel easily among ourselves, and forget poor Tiny Tim in doing it."

-

The ghost conducted him through

A churchyard. Here, then, the Aretched man whose name he had now to learn lay underneath the ground. It was a worthy place. Walled in by houses; overrun by grass and weeds, the growth of vegetation's death, not life; chaked up with too much burying; fat with repleted appetite. A worthy place? The spirit stood among the graves, and pointed down to one. He advanced

was exactly as it had been, but he dreaded that he saw new meaning in its solemn shape...

.

THE END OF IT.

Running to the window, he opened Yes! and the bedpost was his own. it, and put out his head. No fog, The bed was his own, the room was no mist; clear, bright, jovial, a stirr his own. Best and happiest of all, ing, cold; cold, piping for the blood the time before him was his own, toto dance to: golden sunlight; hea- yenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry "I will live in the past, the bells. Oh, glorious. Glorious!

"What's today?" cried Scrooge. and present,

future! the

make amends in!

by daylight, where a mother and her several streets familiar to his feet;"I wish you could have gone. It there's plenty of time for that, my towards it, trembling. The phantom Scrooge repeated, as be scrambled ¦ Calling downward to a boy in Sun-

and as they went along. Scrooge would have done you good to see 'dear. She was expecting some one, and looked here and there to himself, how green a place it is. But you'll with anxions eagerness; for she but nowhere was be to be seen. see it often. I promised him walked up and down the room; They entered poor Bob Cratchit's that I would walk there on Surday. started at every sound; looked out house the dwelling he had visited My little, Ettle child!" cried Bob from the window; glanced at the before and found the mother and "My little child!" clock; tried, but in vain, to work the children seated round the fire.

with her needle; and could hardly bear the voices of the children in

their play.

At length the long-expected knock was heard. She burried to the door and met her husband; a man whose face was careworn and depressed. though he was young. There was a remarkable expression in it now; a kind of serious delight of which he felr ashamed, and which he struggled

to repress

He sat down to the dinner that had been boarding for him by the fire; and when she asked him faintly what news (which was not until after a long silence). be appeared embarr assed how to answer.

"Is it good," she said, "or bad?"! -to help him.

"Bad," he answered.

We are quite ruined?" No. There is hope yet, Caroline." "If he relerits," she said, amazed, there is. Nothing is past hope, if such a miracle bas happened."

"Hr is past relenting, sald her husband. He is dead."

She was a mild and patient creature if her face spoke truth; but she was thankful in her soul to hear it, and she said so, with clasped hands. She prayed forgiveness the next moment. and was sorry; but the first, was the! emotion of her heart.

What the half-drunken woman whom I told you of last night, said to me, when I tried see him obtain a week's delay, and what I thought a mere excuse to avoid me, turns out to have been quite true. He was not only very ill, but dying, then."

Quiet. Very quiet. The noisy little Cratchits were as still as statues in one corner, and sat looking u? at Peter, who had a book before hint. The mother and her daughters 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 these 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 table, and put her hand up to her The motaer laid her work upon face.

"The colour hurts my eyes," she

said

The colour? Ah, poor Tiny Tim!

They're better now again," said "It makes them Cratchit's wife. weak by candle-light: and I wouldn't show weak eyes to your father when he comes home, for the world. It must be near bis time"

"Past it rather," Peter answered, shutting up his book. But I think he has walked a little slower than he used, these few last evenings, mother."

He broke down all at once. He

couldn't help it. If he could have helped it, he and his child would have been farther apart, perhaps, than they were.

He left the room, and went upstairs into the room above, which was lighted cheerfully, and hung with Christmas. There was a chair set close beside the child, and there were signs of same one having been there lately. Poor Bob sat down in it, and when he had thought a little and composed himself, he kissed the little face. He was reconciled to what had quite happy- happened, and went down again

No, never, father!" they all cried again,

"I am very happy," said little Bob, I am very happy!**

Mrs. Cratchit kissed him his daughters kissed him, the two young Cratchits kissed him, and Peter and himself shook hands. Spirit of Tiny Tum, thy childish essence was from God!

"Spectre," said Scrooge. some- thing informs me that our parting moment is at hand. I know it, but I know not how. Tell me what man that was whom we saw lying dead?"

in to a look about him.

"Ehreturned the boy, with all day clothes who perhaps had loitered

his might of wonder.

"What's today, my fine fellow?". said Scrooge.

the boy.

shall strice within me. 0. Jacob Martes! Heaven, and the Christmas out of bed. The spirits of all three

"Before I draw nearer to that time be praised for this! I say it on stone to which you point," said my knees, old Jacob; on my knees' Stooge, answer me one question.

He was so fluttered and so glowing Are these the shadows of the things with his godd intentions, that his that will be, or are they the shadows broken voice would scarcely answer

to his call. He had been sobbing "It's Christmas Day!" said Scrooge of things that may be, only

Still the ghost pointed downward violently in his conflict with the to himself. "I haven't missed it.

tears.

To-day !" "replied

"Why, Christmas Day.

to the grave by which it stood.

"Men's courses will foreshadow Spirit, and his face was wet with The spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they certain ends, to which, if persevered

They are not torn down," cried like. Of course they can. Of in, they must lead." said Scrooge-Scrooge, folding one of his bed-car-course they can. Hello, my fine.. "But if the courses be departed from,tains in his arms, they are not tora | fellow. the ends will change. Say It is thus down, rings and all. They are here "Hollo returned the boy. with what you show me!”

-I am here the shadows of the "Do you know the poulterer's in thing that would have been, may be the next street but one, at the dispelled. They will be. I know corner?" Scrooge inquired.

"I should hope I did,” replied the fad. they will!”

Dame,

Ebenezer

The spirit was immovable as ever. Scrooge crept towards it, trembling as he went; and following the finger,

OWN grave his read upon the stone of the neglected Scrooge.

Am I that man who lay upon the bed?" he cried, upon his knees.

The Enger pointed from the grave

"No, spirit! Oh no, no!” to him, and back again.

The finger, stii was there.

They drew about the fire, and talked; the girls and mother working stil Bob told them of the extra- ordinary kindness of Mr. Scrooge's nephew, whom he had scarcely seen

The Ghost of Christmas Yet To but once, and who, meeting him in

"Spirit!" he cried, tight clutching the street that day, and seeing that Come conveyed him, as before he looked a little just a little though at a different time, be down, you know," said Bob, inquired thought: indeed, there seemed no at its robe, "hear me. I am not the what had happened to distress him. order in these latter visions, save man I was. I will not be the man

"On which," said Bab, "for he is that they were in the future-into must have been but for this inter- the pleasantest-spoken gentleman you the resorts of business men, but course. Why show me this, if 1 am

"I am showed him not himself. Indeed, past all hope?"

For the first time the hand appear ever beard, I told him. beartily sorry for it, Mr. Cratchit, the spirit did not stay for anything. be said, and heartily sorry for your but went straight on, as to the ended to shake They were very quiet again. At good wife. By the bye, how he ever just now desired, until besought by

by Scrooge to tarry for a moment.

"This last she said, and in a steady, cheer-knew that, I don't know."

said court,"

Scrooge, "Knew what, my dear?" ful voice, that on faltered once-

"Why, that you were a good wife," "through which we burry now, is where my place of occupation is, and replied Bob.

"Everybody knows that!" said has been for a length of time.. I see the house. Let me bahold what Ii "Very well observed, my boy!" shall be, in days to come!" cried Bob. "I hope they do. The spirit stopped; the hand was "Often."

"And so hare 1," exclaimed an-Heartily sorry,' he said, for your pointed elsewhere.

good wife. If I can be of service to "The house is yonder," Scrooge other. So had ail

"Why do you point you in any way,' he said, giving me exclaimed his card, "that's where I live. Pray away?"

"I have known him walk with-I have known him walk with Tiny Tim upon his shoulder, very fast indeed."

And so have I cried Peter.

"But he was very light to carry," (she resumed, intent upon her work,

Peter

"Good spirit," be pursued, as down upon the ground he fell before it, "your nature intercedes for me, and pities me. Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me, by an altered life!"

His hands were busy with his garments all this time turning them inside out, putting them on upside down, tearing them, mislaying them making them parties to every kind of extravagance.

"An intelligent boy!" said Scrooge. "A remarkable boy! Do you know whether they've sold the prize turkey that was hanging up there? Not the little prize turkey: the big one?”

"What, the one as big as me?" returned the boy.

"I don't know what to do!” cried Scrooge, laughing and crying in the same breath, and making a perfect

"What a "delightful boy!" said Laocoon of himself with his stock Scrooge. It's a pleasure to talk to

"It's hanging there now," replied ings. "I am a light as a feather, Yes, my buck!"

am as happy as an angel, I am as

Is it?" said Scrooge. "Go and merry as a schoolboy. I am as Rid the bay. Christmas to everybody! A Happy boy it." dy as a drunken man. A Mary New Year to all the world." Hollo,

"Walker!" exclaimed the boy. here! Whoop! Hollo !"

I

He had frisked into the sitting- room, and was now standing there. perfectly winded.

"There's the saucepan that the gruel was in cried Scrooge, starting off agam, and going round the fire place. There's the door, by which "I will honour Christmas in my the Ghost of Jacob Marley entered! heart, and try to keep it all the year. There's the corner where the ghost of

The kind hand trembled.

"No no," said Scrooge, "I am in tarnest. Go and bey it, and tell 'em to bring it here, that I may give them the direction where to take it. Come back with the man, and I'l give you a shilling. Come back with him in less than five minutes, and I'll give you half a crown!”

The boy was off like a shot. He

trigger who could have got a shot off

I will Eve in the past, the present, and Christmas Present sat! There's the must have had a steady hand at a the future. The spirits of all three window where I saw the wandering shall strive within me. I will not spirits! It's all right, it's all true, if half so fast. shut out the lessons that they teach. all happend. Ha, ha, ha

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