1920-12-11 — Page 8

*BE HAPPY.

and having read all the newspapers, and beguiled the rest of the evening with his banker's book, went home (Continued from Page 50 to bed. He lived in chambers which had once belonged to his deceased bousehold should; and even the little partnes. They were a gloomy suite ibor, whom he had Fined five shillings of rooms, in a lowering pile of build on the previous Monday for being ing up a yard, where it had so little drunk and blood-thirsty in the streets, business to be, that one could scarce. Estirred up to-morrow's pudding in his ly help tanging it must have en garret, while his lean wile and the there when it was a young house, playing at hide-and-seek with other baby sallied out to buy the beel.

Foggier yet, and calder! Piercing houses, and have forgotten the war searching, biting cold. If the good again. It was old enough now, St. Dunstan bad but nipped the evil spirit's pose with a touch of such weather as that, instead of using his familiar weapons, then indeed he would have roared to lusty purpose. The owner of one start young nose.

and dreary enough, for nobody lived in it but Scrooge, the other rooms being all ler out as offices. The yard was so dark that even Scrooge, who krew its every store, was fair to grepe with his hands. The log and gnawed and mumbled by the hungry frost so hung about the black old gate cold as bones are grawed by dogs way of the house, that it seemed as the genius of the weather sat in Estooped down at Scrooge's keyhole tä

regale him with a Christmas carol:cintel meditation on the thes- bat at the first sound of-

THE CHINA MATE.

it sturdily, walked in, and fighted his candle.

He did pause, with a moment's ir resolution, belore he shut the door;; and he dit look cautiously behind it first, as if he hall expected to be ter red, with the sight of Marley's pig tail sticking out into the hall. But there was nothing on the back of the door, except the screws and outs that held the knocker on, so he said, "Pooh, pooh!" and closed it with a bang.

SATURDAY. DECEMBER 11, 1920

of my own free will I wore it. Is its pattern strange to yon?"

Scrooge trembled more and more. **Or would you know," pursued.

brood over it, before he could ex-fang, and wound about him like a wail: as a means of distracting his own at mast the least sensation of warmth and it was made for Scrooge observtention, and keeping down his terror; from such a handful of fuel. The ed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, for the spectre's voice disturbed the fireplace was an old one, built by some padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy very, marrow in his bones.

To sit, staring at those fixed glazed the ghost, the weight and length of Dutch merchant long ago, and paved purses wrought in steel. His body all round with quant Dutch tiles, do was transparent; so that Scrooge, eyes, in silence for a moment, would the strong coil you hear yoursel!? signed to illustrate the Scriptures, observing him, and looking through play. Scrooge teh, the very deace with It was fall as heavy and loog as this, were Cains and Abels, his waistcoat, could see the two but him. There was something very aw-seven Christmas Eves ago. You have There

daughters, Queens of tons on his coat behind.

ful, too, in the spectre's being pro- laboured on it, since. It is a ponder Pharaoh's

Scrooge had often heard it said vided with an infernal atmosphere of ous chain: " Sheba, angelic messengers descend-

Scrooge could not feel it Scrooge glanced about him on the ing through the air on clouds like that Marley had no bowels, bat he is own.

himself, but this was clearly the case: Toor, in the expectation of finding feather-beds, Abrahams, Belshazzars, had never believed it until now. Apostles patting off to sea in botter- No, nor did he believe it even now, for though the ghost sat perfectly himself surrounded by some flity of The sound resounded through the boats, hundreds of figures to attract Though he looked the phantom motionless, its hair, and skirts, and sixty fathoms of iron cable: but he

Every room his thoughts; and yet that face of through and through, and saw tassels were still agitated as by the could see nothing.

**Jacobs," he said Imploringly. house like thonder. above, and every cask in the wine- Marley seven years dead, came like standing before him. though he felt bot vapour from an oven.

"You see this toothpick?" said Jacob Marley, tell me more. merchant's cellars below, appeared to the ancient prophet's rod, and swal- the chilling influence of its death-cold have a separate pest of echoes of its owed up the whole. If each smooth eyes and marked the very texture of Scrooge. returning quickly to the Speak comfort to me, Jacob!"

"I have none to give," the ghost own. Scrooge was not a man to be tile had been a blank at first, with the folded kerchief bound about his charge, for the resson just assigned; frightened by echoes. He fastened power to shape some picture on its head and chin, which wrapper he had

a second, to divert the vision's stony veyed by other ministers, to other gions, "Ebenezer Scrooge, and is'con- the door, and walked across the hall, surface from the disjointed fragments at observed before the was hat and wishing, though it were only for replied. It comes from other re-

gaze from himself.

kinds of men. Nor can I tell you and up the stairs: slowly, too: trim of his thoughts, there would have incredulous, and fought against his

been a copy of old Marley's head on senses. ming his candle as he went.

**How now!" said Scrooge, caus

What do you You may talk vaguely about driv- every oce ing a coach-and-six up a good old "Humbug?" said Scrooge; and tic and cold as ever. bad walked across the room.

want with me?” Now, it is a lact that there was Blight of stairs. or through &

After several turns, he sat down **Much: "Marley's rothing at all particular about the young Act of Parliament; but I mean

As he threw his bead back doubt about it. krocker on the door, except that it to say you might have got a hearse again.

"Who are you? 1 was very large. It is also a tret up that staircase, and taken it broad-in the chair, his glance happened to

"Ask me who I was." that Scrooge had seen it, right and wise, with the splinter-bar towards rest upon a bell, a disused bell, that

"Who weit morning, during his whole residence the wall and the door towards the hung in the room, and communicated, in that place: also that Scrooge bad beiustrades; and done it easy. There for some purpose now forgotten, Scrooge, raising his voice. At length the hour of shutting up hittle of what is called fancy about was plenty of width for that, and room with a chamber in the highest storey particular, for a shade." He was

At this the spirit raised a frighten he became thoughtful, to gut his the counting-house arrived. With him as a man in the city of Lonto spare, which is perhaps the reason of the building. It was with great going to say "to a shade," but sub-

ful cry, and shook its chara with such hands in his breeches pockets. Potr ill-will Scrooge dismounted from his don, even including--which is a bold why Scrooge thought he saw a locomo astonishment, and with a strange, instituted this, as more appropriate. stool, and racitly simited the fact tord the corporation, aldermen.tive hearse going on before him in explicable dread, that as he looked, In life I was your partner, Jacob a dismal and appalling noise, that ring on what the ghost had said, Scrooge held on tight to his chair, to he did so now, but without lifting up the expectant clerk in the task, who and livery. Let it also be borne in the glooms. Half a dozen gas-lamps he saw this bell, begin to swing. It Marley.

"Can you can you sir down? " save himself from falling in a swood. his eyes, or getting off his krees. instantly staffed his candle out, and mind that Scrooge had not bestowed out of the street wouldn't have light-swarg so softly in the outset that it

one thought a Marley, since his lasted the entry too well, so you may scarcely made a sound: but soon asked Scrooge, booking doubtfully at But how much greater was his hour about it. Jacob," Scrooge observed, in put on his hai.

when the phantom taking of the bar- You want all day to-morrow, mention of his seven-years dead part suppose that it was pretty dark with rang out loudly, and so did every bell him.

a business-like mammer, though with ** I cats.

dage round its head, as if it were -1 suppose?” said Scrooge.

ner that afternoon. And then let any Scrooge's dip.

"Do it, then.”

100 warm to wear indoors, its lowe humility and deference." "it quite convenient, sir.”

Slow! man explain to me, if he can, boar

the ghost repeated. Scrooge asked the question. be-jaw dropped down upon its breast!

**Seven ** It's not convenient

: years desc." mused he didn't know whether a cause

Scrooge. And travelling all the time=""

"God bless you, merry gentleman May nothing you dismay: “ Scrooge seized the ruler with soch energy of action, that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the log and even more congenial frost.

said

The clerk smiled faintly. "And yet." said Scrooge don't think me ilused, when I pay day's wages for to work."

hold.

in the house.

47

2

voice.

I do," replied the ghost. "You are not looking at it," said what would. A very linte more, is Scrooge.

all permitted to me. I cannot rest, I cannot stay, I cannot linger any- "But I see it," said the ghost where. My spirit never walked be nonotwithstanding."

Well: returned Scrooge." "Pond our counting-house-mark me! have but to swallow this, and be forin life my spirit never roved beyond the tarrow limits of our money-chang- the rest of my days persecuted by a then? said legion of gobins, all of my own creang hole; and weary journeys lie be

fore me!" You're tion. Humbug. I tell you-hum-

It was a habit with Scrooge, when- bug:"

Up Scrooge went, not caring a bot-

This might have lasted, hall It happened that Scrooge, having histon for that. Darkness is cheap, and minute, but it seemed an hour. The Scrooge, and it's not fair. If key f the lock of the door, saw in Scrooge liked it. But before he shut bells ceased as they had begun, to was to stop half a crown for it, you'd, the knocker. without its undergoing his heavy door, he walked through gether. They were succeeded by a ghost so transparent might find him think yourself ill-used, I'll be any intermediate process of change

his rooms to see that all was right clanking noise, deep down below as self in a condition to make a chair: He had just enough recollection of it some person were dragging a heavy and felt that in the event of its being bound?"

not a knocker, but Marley's face.

the face to desire to do that.

chain over the casks in the wine impossible, it might involve the neces- Maricy's lace. It was not in ira

Sitting-room, bedroom. Iumber merchant's cellar. Scrooge then re-sity of an embarassing explanation penetrable shadow as the other ob-

Toom Alt as they should be. No-membered to have heard tha: ghosts But the ghost sat down on the opposite *jects in the yard were, but had a dis-body under the table, nobody under in haunted houses vere described as side of the fireplace, as if he were

mal light about it, like a bad lobster

quite used to it. the sola; a small fire in the grate: dragging chains in a dark cellar. It was not angry or ferocious, bet looked at Scrooge spoon and basin ready: and the litte Is Marley used to look, with ghostly cepan of gruel (Scrooge had a cold in his head) upon the bob. Nobody

nobody in his dressing-gown.. which was hanging up in a suspicious anti- tode against the wall. Lumber-room]"I won't believe it.' as usual. Old fire-guard. old shoes, two fish-baskets, washing-stand on three legs, and a poker.

The clerk observed that it was only once a rest.

"A poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of Decem

forehead. The hair was curiously

The cellar door few open, with a booming sound, and then he heard the noise much louder, on the floors be- coming straight towards his door.

"It's humbug still!" said Scrooge.

ber" said Scrooge, buttocing his spectacles turned up on its ghostly under the bed; nobody in the closet: low; then coming up the stairs; ther steatcoat to the chin." But I supired, as if by breath or hec air; pose you must have the whole day, Be here all the earlier next morning.

The clerk promised that he would: and Scrooge walked out with a growl. The office was closed in a twinkling and the clerk; with the long ends of his white comforter dangling below, his waist (for he busted no great- coat), went down a slide on Cornhill, at the end of a lane of boys, twenty times, in honour of its being Christ- mas Eve, and then ran home to Cam- den Town as hard as he could pelt. to play at blindman's-buff.

Scrooge took his melancholy din ner in his usual melancholy mavern:

and, though the eyes were wide open. they were perfectly motionless. That, and its livid colour, made it horrible; but its horror seemed to be in spite of the face and beyond its commol, rather than a part of its own expres-

sion.

As Scrooge looked fixedly at this phenomenon, it was a knocker again. To say that he was not startled, or that his blood was not conscious of a to which it had terrible sensation been a stranger from infancy, would be untrue. But he put his hand upon the key he had relinquished, turned

Quite satisfied, he closed his door, and locked himself in-double-locked himself in, which was not his cus rom. Thus secured against surprise, he took off his craval; put on his dress ing-gown and slippers, and his right- cap; and sat down before the fire to take his gruel.

It was a very low fire indeed: nothing on such a biter night. He was obliged to sit close to it, and

His colour changed, though, when. without a pause; it came on through the heavy door, and passed into the room before his eyes. Upon its com- ing in, the dying flame leaped up, as though it cried, "I know him! Mar- ley's ghost: and fell again.

The same face: the very same. Marley in his pigtail, usual" waist- coat, tights, and boots: the tassels on the latter bristling. like his pigtail, and his coat-skirts, and the hair upon his head. The chain he dreg was clasped about his middle.

**You don't believe in me,” observ ed the ghost.

יו

**I don't," said Sercoge. "What evidence would you have of my reality beyond that of your senses?"

Scrooge fell upon his knees, and clasped his hands before his face.

You must have been very slow

"Mercy!" he said. "Dreadful

**The whole time," said the ghost. spparition, why do you trouble mes-No rest, no peace, Incessant for

Man of the worldly mind," re- plied the ghost, "do you believe in me or not?"

"I do." said Scrooge. "I must But why do spirits walk the earth, and why do they come to me?'

"It is required of every man," the ghost returned, "that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth "I don't know," said Scrooge." in life. It is condemned to do so after 'Why do you doubt your senses?" death. It is doomed to wander "Because," said Scrooge, a through the world-oh, woe is me!— A slight and witness what it camot share, but linle thing affects them. disorder of the stomach makes them-might-have shared on earth, and cheats. You may be an undigested turned to happiness!"

bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb Again the spectre raised a cry, and of cheese, a fragment of an under-shook its chain and wrong its sha- dode potaso. There's more of gravy dowy hands.

You are lettered." said Scrooge. thas of grave about you. whatever

trambling. Tell me why! you are!'

Scrooge was not much is the habit of. cracking jokes, nor did he feel in his heart, by any means waggish then. It was The truth is, that he wied to be smart,

WI

wear the chain I forged in tile," replied the ghost. "I made it link by link. and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and

ture of remorse."

**You travel fast?" said Scrooge. "On the wings of the wind," re- plied the ghost.

"You might have got over a great quantity of ground in seven years." said Scrooge.

The ghost, on hearing this set up another cry, and clanked is thein so hideously in the dead silence of the aight, that the ward would have been justified in indicting it for a nuisance.

"Oh: captive, bound, and double. ironed," tried the phantom, “not 10 know, that ages of incessant fabour, by immortal creatures, for pass into eternity this earth must

before the good of which it is sus

Not to ceptible is all developed. ing kindly in its little sphere, what- know that any Carissian spirit, work-

ever it may be. will find its mortal life too short for its vast means of usefulness.

Not to know that no

(Continued on Page 10.)

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