The gold leaf. [volume], January 05, 1911, Image 3

About The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911

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Ba5"jj
.1
I
A BUSINESS l
Be Sore
You are richt bv
If Yea Wilt
A0YERTISIK8
I II AT IS
Worth Having
. first writing an
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? netting forth the
To reach the
people of lien
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rounding conn
try, let them
know the induce
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oat to get their
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18 THE
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fer, and in Bert it
in the GOLD
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prepared for bus
iness, yon can
IS
Wort; Advertising
r Yl.HY HAY
iN THE YEAR.
Then So Ahead.
ae mi uvamtdd
Til SOLD LEAF
mo R. HNNING, Publisher.
" O-ajroztota, Carolina, HjEAVEw's "BLEssiisras -A-Ttzehstic Her.
SDBSCRIPTIOI $1.60 Cash.
VOL. XXX.
HENDERSON, N. C., THURSDAY. JANUARY 5, 1911.
NO. 3.
v
X.
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K
(TrlRISTMAS
Oh
BY
Charles Dickens
Che famous Yulettdt tale which,
with Its story of Clny Om, has
touched millions of hearts and
wrought for human hlndltncss.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK
THE SECOND OF THE THREE SPIRITS.
WAKING In the mid
dle of a prodi
giously tough snore
and sitting up in
bed to get his
thoughts together.
Scrooge had no oc
casion to be told
that the bell was again upon the
stroke of 1.
lie felt that he was restored to con
sclousncss In the right nick of time for
the especial purpose of holding a con
ference with the second messenger dis
patched to him through Jacob Marley's
Intervention. But, finding that he turn
ed uncomfortably cold when he began
to wonder which of his curtains this
new specter would draw back, he put
them every one aside with his own
hands and, lying down again, estab
lished a sharp lookout all round the
bed, foe b" wished to challenge the
spirit c moment of its appearance
and did ..t wish to be taken by sur
prise and made nervous.
Gentlemen of the free and easy sort
who plume themselves on being ac
Qualnted with a move or two and be
.ng usually equal to the time of day ex
iress the wide range of their capacity
fur adventure by observing that they
re good for anything from pitch and
oss to manslaughter, between which
Vposite extremes no doubt there lies
tolerably wide and comprehensive
range of subjects. Witnout venturing
foV Scrooge quite as hardily as this I
doVt mind calling on you to believe
that he was ready for a good broad
flel of strange appearances and that
notaisg between a baby and a rhinoc
eros would have nstouished him very
mu'U.
Now, being prepared for almost any
thlng.he was not by any menus pre
pared "for nothing, and consequently
when r.he bell struck 1 and no shape
appoarAl he was taken with a violent
fit of trembling. Five minutes, ten
minutes, a quarter of an hour, went
by, yet nothing came. All this time he
lay upon tils bed, the very core and
center of aj blaze of ruddy light which
streamed (,p0n it -when the clock pro
claimed itue hour and which, being
only llglw, was more alarming than a
dozen glist, as he was powerless to
make ou what it meant or would be I
at, and fas' sometimes apprehensive
tnat ne m?h t be at that very moment
an intereVinu? case of spontaneous
combustion uithout having the con
solation of V.wing it. At last, how
ever, he bepa to think, as you or I
would have U.-gbt at first, for it is
always the i e.u not In the predica
ment who kii what ought to have
been done In u and would unques
tionably have (!urV it too. At last, I
6ay. he began to tlilnk that the source
and secret of tt.sl ghostly light might
be In the adjolnilroom, from whence,
on further tract it, it seemed to
shine. This idci Veking full posses
sion of his mind, i ot up softly and
shuffled In his sliiviM to the door.
The moment Screws hand was on
the lock a strange t'e called him by
his name and ba ini enter. He
ooeyed.
It was his own Tyn there was
no doubt about tbatVjt it had un
dergone a surpri9lE; Ifesformation.
The walls and ecllin; ' Wre so hung
with living green that ; Vooked a per
fect grove, from every Art of which
bright gleaming berrie? guwteaed, .The
crisp leaves of holly, ajv.tftoe and Ivy
reflected back the light as rf go many
little mirrors had been K.red there,
and such a mighty blazW wont roaring
up the chimney as that dull petrifac
tion of a hearth had never known in
Scrooge's time or Marley's or ibr many
and many a winter season go:ie Heap
ed up upon the floor to form a find of
throne were turkeys. ge-e, tgame,
poultry, brawn, great Joints of meat,
sucking pigs, long wreaths of sausages,
mince pies, plum puddings, barrels of
oysters, redbot chestnuts, cherry cheek
ed apples. Juicy oranges, "luscious
pears, immense Twelfth cakes and
seething bowls of punch that tiade the
chamber dim with
their delicious
steam. In easy
state upon this
couch there sat a
Jolly giant, glori
ous to see, who
bore a glowing
torch, in shape
not unlike Plen
ty's horn, and
held it up. high
up. to shed its
light on Scrooge
as he came peep
ing round the
door.
"Come luT ev
claimed the
ghost. "Come in
and know me
better, manT'
"COME IN AND KNOW
WE BETTER. MAN!"
Scrooge entered timidly and hung
his head before this spirit.
"I am the Ghost of Christmas Pres
ent," said the spirit "Look upon nie!"
.Scrooge rsvertntly aid so. it was
MM
rr x
Three 111
clothed "in one simple deep green robe
or mantle bordered with white fur.
This garment hung so loosely on the
figure that its capacious breast was
bare, as if disdaining to be warded or
concealed by any artifice. Its feet,
observable beneath the ample folds of
the garment, were also bare, aud on
its head It wore no other covering than
a holly wreath set here and there with
shining Icicles. Its dark brown curls
were long and free free as Its genial
face. Its sparkling eye. its open hand.
Its cheery voice. Its unconstrained de
meanor and Its joyful air. Girded
round its middle was an antique scab
bard, but no sword was In it, and the
ancient sheath was eaten up with rust.
The Ghost of Christmas rresent rose.
Spirit," said Scrooge submissively.
, ' . .,, T I
"conduct me where you will. I went
forth last night on compulsion, and I
learned a lesson which is working
now. Tonight. If you have aught to
teach me. let me profit by It."
"Touch my robe!"
Scrooge did as he was told and held
it fast
Holly, mistletoe, red berries, Ivy, tur
keys, geese, game, poultry, brawn,
meat, pigs, sausages, oysters, pies, pud-
dings fruit and punch, all vanished in- j
stantly. So did the room, the fire, the
ruddy glow, the hour of night, and
they stood in the city streets on Chris
mas morning, where (for the weather
was severe) the people made a rough
but brisk and not unpleasant kind of
music in scraping the snow from the
pavement in front of their dwellings
and from the tops of their houses,
whence it was mad delight to the boys
to see it come plumping down into the
road below and splitting into artificial
little snowstorms.
It was a remarkable quality of the
ghost (which Scrooge had observed at
the baker's) that, notwithstanding his
gigantic size, he could accommodate
himself to any place with ease and
that he stood beneath a low roof quite
as gracefully and like a supernatural
creature as it was possible he could
have done in any lofty hall.
And perhaps it was the pleasure the
good spirit had in showing off this
power of his or else It was his own
kind, generous, hearty nature and his
sympathy with all poor men that led
him straight to Scrooge's clerk, for
there he went and took Scrooge with
him, holding to his robe.
Then up rose Mrs. Cratchit, wife of
the clerk, dressed out but poorly In a
twice turned gown, but brave in rib
bons which are cheap and make a
eoodly show for sixpence, and she laid
the cloth, assisted by Belinda Cratchit.
second of her daughters, also brave in
ribbons, while Master Peter Cratchit
plunged a fork into the saucepan of
potatoes and. getting the corners of
his monstrous shirt collar (Bob's pri
vate property, conferred upon his son
and heir in honor of the day) into bis
mouth, rejoiced to find himself so
gallantly attired and yearned to show
his linen In the fashionable parks.
And now two smaller Cratchits, boy
and girl, came tearing In, screaming
that outside the baker's they had
smelt the goose and known It for their
own, and. basking in luxurious
thoughts of sage and onion, these
young Cratchlt3 danced about the ta
ble and exalted Master Peter Cratchit
to the skies, while he (not proud, al
though his collars nearly choked himi
blew the Are until the slow potatoes,
bubbling up, knocked loudly at the
saucepan lid to be let out and peeled.
"IVhat has ever got your precious
father, then?" said Mrs. Cratchit
"And your brother. Tiny Tim. and
Martha warn't as late last Christmas
day by half an hour."
"Here's Martha, mother!" said a girl,
appearing as 6he spoke.
'Here's Martha, mother!" cried the
two young Cratchits. "Hurrah! There's
such a goose, Martha!"
"Why, bless your heart allre, my
dar. how late you are!" said Mrs.
Cratchit. kissing her a dozen times
and taking off her shawl and bonnet
for her with officious zeal.
"We'd a deal of -work to finish up
last night." replied the girl, "and had
to clear away this morning, mother."
"Well, never mind so long as you
are come." said Mrs. Cratchit. "Sit ye
down before the fire, my dear, and
have a warm. Lord bless ye!"
"No. no! There's father coming!"
cried the two young Cratchits. who
were everywhere at once. "Hide, Mar
tha, hide!"
So Martha hid herself, and in came
little Bob, the father, with at least
three feet of comforter, exclusive ol
the fringe, hanging down before him
and his threadbare clothes darned up
and brushed to look seasonable and
Tiny Tim upon his shoulder. Ala
for Tiny Tim. He bore a little crutch
and had his limbs support eu uy u
iron frame.
"Why. there's our Martha?" cried
Bob Cratchit, looking round.
-Not coming." said Mrs. Cratchit
-Not coming r said Bob. with a sud
den declension In bis high spirit, for
he had been Tim's blood horse all the
rhnrrh and had come home
rampant "Not coming upon Christ
mas lay!"
in't like to see him disap
pointed, if it were only In Joke, so she
came out prematurely from behind the
. . - tn hi- arms,!
Tiny Tim and bore him off into the
washhouse that he might hear the
pudding singing In the copper.
"And how did little Tim behave?"
asked Mrs. Cratchit when she had
rallied Bob on his credulity and Bob ;
had hugged his daughter to his heart's:
content.
"As good as gold,
said Bob, "and
better. Somehow he gets thoughtful
sltting by himself so much and thinks
the strangest things you ever beard.
He told me coming homethat be
nopea me people saw mnr in tne
church because he was a cripple and
It might be pleasant to them to re-
member upon Christmas day who !
made lame beggars walk .and blind
men see."
Bob's voice was tremulous when he
told them this and trembled more
when he said that Tiny Tim was grow
ing strong and hearty.
Ills active little crutch was heard
upon the floor, and back came Tiny
Tim before another word was spoken,
escorted by his brother and sister to!
his stool beside the fire, and while)
Bob, turning up his cuffs as if, poor
fellow, they were capable of being
made more shabby compounded some
hot mixture In a Jug with gin and
lemons and stirred it round and round
and put it on the hob to simmer Mas
ter Peter and the two ubiquitous
young Cratchits went to fetch the
goose, with which they soon returned
In high procession.
Such a bustle ensued that you might
have thought a goose the rarest of all
Vvl t1 a a fan f-Vi nftannmonnn tn
. . . ... " .. .
which a black swan was a matter of
course and in truth It was something
very like it In that house. Mrs. Cratch
it made the gravy (ready before
hand In a little saucepan) hissing hot.
Master Peter mashed the potatoes
with incredible vigor. Miss Belinda
sweetened up the apple sauce, Martha
dusted the hot plates. Bob took Tiny
Tim beside him in a tiny corner at
the table, and the two young Cratchits
Rft phnlrn for prprvhndr. not fnr?fr-
themselves, and. mounting guard
upon their posts, crammed spoons into
their mouths lest they should shriek
for goose before their turn came to
be helped. At last the dishes were
set on. and grace was said. It was
succeeded by a breathless pause as
Mrs. Cratchit, looking slowly all along
the carving knife, prepared to plunge
it in the breast, but when she did and
when the long expected gush of stuff
ing Issued forth one murmur of de
light arose all round the board, and
even Tiny Tim, excited by the two
young Cratchits, beat on the table
with the handle of his knife and fee
bly cried "Hurrah!"
There never was such a goose. Bob
said he didn't believe there ever was
such a goose cooked. Its tenderness
and flavor, size and cheapness were
the themes of universal admiration.
Eked out by the apple sauce and
taashed potatoes, it was a sufficient
fdnner for the whole family. Indeed,
a Mrs. Cratchit said, with great de
light, surveying one small atom of a
bone upon the dish, they hadn't eaten
It all at last. Yet every one had had
enough, and the youngest Cratchits in
particular were steeped in sage and
onion to the eyebrows. But now, the
plates being changed by Miss Belinda,
Mrs. Cratchit left the room alone too
nervous to bear witness to take the
pudding up and bring it in.
Suppose it should not be done
enough! Suppose It should break in
turning out! Suppose somebody
should have got over the wall of the
back yard and stolen it while they
were merry with the goose, a suppo
sition at which the two young Cratch
its became livid. All sorts of horrors
were supposed.
Hello! A great deal of steam. The
pudding was out of the copper. A
smell like a washing day! That was
the cloth. A smell like an eating
house and a pastry cook's next door
to each other, with a laundress' next
door to that! That was the pudding
In half a minute Mrs. Cratchit enter
ed, flushed, but smiling proudly, with
the pudding, like a speckled cannon
ball, so hard and firm, blazing In half
a quartern of ignited brandy and be
dlght with Christmas hoily stuck Into
the top.
"Oh, a wonderful pudding V Bob
Cratchit said, and calmly, too. that he
regarded it as the greatest success
achieved by Mrs. Cratchit since their
marriage. Mrs. Cratchit said that now
the weight was off her mind she
would confess she had had Aer doubts
about the quantity of Hour. Every
body had something to say about it.
but nobody said or thought It was at
all a small pudding for a large family.
It would have been flat heresy to lo
wo. Any Cratchit would have blushed
to hint at such a thing.
At last the dinner was all done, the
cloth was cleared, the hearth swept
and the fire made up. The compound
In the Jug being tasted and consider
ed perfect apples and oranges were
put upon the table and a shovelful of
chestnuts on the fire. Then all the
Cratchit family drew round the heart b
in what Bob Cratchit called a circle,
meaning half a one. and at Bob Crate fa
It's elbow stood the family display of
glass two tumblers and a custard cup
without a handle.
These held the hot stuff from the'
Jug, however, as well as golden gob
lets would have done, and Bob served
It out with beaming looks, while the
chestnuts on the fire sputtered and
crackled noisily. Then Bob proposed:
A merry Christmas to us all, my
dears! God bless us 7"
Which all the family re-echoed.
"God bless every one!" said Tiny
Tim. the last of all.
He sat very close to his father's
side upon his little stool. Bob held
his withered little hand in his as If he
loved the child and wished to keep
him by his aide and dreaded that he
might be taken from him.
"Mr. Scrooge." said Bob "111 give
you Mr. Scrooge, the founder of the
feast"
"The founder of the feast Indeed H
cried Mrs. Cratchit reddening. "1
With I aao sua sere.
trlib I bad alia here. I'd glTe him a
tope he'd have a good appetite for It"
"My dear," said Bob. "the children.
Christmas day."
"It should be Christmas day, 1 am
SUre," Bald She. "on which nn drinks
the health of such an odious, stingy,
hard, nnfeeiw man Mr Rer-
You know he is, Robert. Nobody
knows it better than you do, poor fel-
9 - "
low."
"My dear,"- was Bob's mild answer,
"Christmas day."
T1! drink his health for your sake
and the day's," said Mrs. Cratchit.
"not for his. Long life to him. A
merry Christmas and a happy New
Year. Hell be very merry and very
happy, I have no doubt."
The children drank the toast after
her. . It was the first of their proceed
ings which had no heartiness in it.
Tiny Tim drank It last of all. but he
didn't care twopence for it. Scrooge
"GOD BLESS EVERY ONE!" SAID TINT TIM.
was the ogre of the family. The men
tion of his name cast a dark shadow
on .the party which was not dispelled
for full five minutes.
And now, without a word of warn
ing from the ghost, they stood upon
a bleak and desert mocr. where mon
strous masses of rude stone were cast
about as though It were the burial
place of giants, and water spread it
self wheresoever It listed or it would
have done so but for the frost that
held It prisoner and nothing grew but
moss and furze and coarse, rank grass. 1
Down in the west the setting sun had
left a streak of fiery red. which glared
upon the desolation for an instant like
a sullen eye and, frowning lower, low
er, lower yet, was lost in the thick
gloom of darkest night.
It was a great surprise to Scrooge
while listening to the moaning of the
wind and thinking what a solemn
thing it was to move on through the
lonely darkness over an unknown
abyss j whose depths were secrets as
profound as death. It was a great
surprise to Scrooge while thus engag
ed to hear a hearty laugh. It was a
much greater surprise to Scrooge to
recognize it as his own nephew's and
to find himself in a bright, dry, gleam
ing room,, with the spirit standing
smiling by his side and looking at that
same nephew with approving affabil
ity. "He said that Christmas was a hum
bug, as I live!" cried Scrooge's neph
ew. "He believed It too!"
"More shame for him. Fred!" said
Scrooge's niece indignantly. Bless
those women. They never do any
thing by halves. They are always in
earnest
She was very pretty, exceedingly
pretty, with a dimpled, surprised look
lng, capital face, a ripe little mouth
that seemed made to be kissed--::s
no doubt it was all kinds of good
little dots about her chin that melted
Into one another when she laughed
and the sunniest pair of eyes you ever
saw! In any little creature's head Al
together she was what you would have
called provoking, you know, but satis
factory, too oh, perfectly satisfnetory'
"He's a comical old fellow." paid
Scrooge's nephew "that's the iru-;
and not so pleasant as he might br
However, his offenses carry their own
punishment and I have nothing to say
against him."
"I have no patience with him." ob
served Scrooge's niece. Scrooge's
niece's sisters and all the other ladies
expressed the same opinion.
"Oh, -I 'have!" said Scrooge's neph
ew. "I am sorry for him. I couldn't
be angry with him if I tried. Who
suffers by his ill whims? Himself
always. Here he takes it into his
head to dislike us. and he won't come
and dine with us. What's the t-onse
quence? He doesn't lose much of n
dinner."
"Indeed. I think be loses a very srood
dinner," interrupted " Scrooge's niece.
Everybody else said the same, and
they must be allowed to have been
competent Judges because they bad
Just had dinner and, with the dessert
figon tlrfe table, were clustered round
h fire by lamplight
' "Well, I am very glad to hear If
said Scrooge's nephew, "because I
haven't any great faith In these young
housekeepers.1 What do you say. Top
per?" i Topper had clearly got his eye upon
( one of Scrooge's niece's sisters, for be
answered that a bachelor was a
wretched outcast who bad no right
to express 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 tea they had some music, for
they were a musical family and knew
"Jt ""
Kflf 4t4w vvava ahhrtt wriAn tViav aantv
B glee or caico, l can auure j uu, cepe-
clally Topper, who could growl away
la the bass like a good one and never
swell the large veins In his forehead
or get red la the face over it
Scrooge's niece played well upon the
harp and, among other tunes, a simple
little air (a mere nothing you might
learn to whistle it In two minutes)
which had been familiar to the child
who fetched Scrooge from the board
ing school, as he had been reminded
by the Ghost of Christmas Past
When the strain of music sounded all
the things that ghost had shown him
came upon bis mind. He softened
more and more and thought that if be
could have listened to It often years
ago he might have cultivated the kind
nesses of life for bis own happiness
with his own hands without resorting
to the sexton's spade that burled Ja
cob Marley.
" ILI
But they didn't devote the whole
evening to music. After awhile thv
played at forfeits, for it is good to be
children sometimes ami never tetter
than at Christmas, when its mighty
Founder was a child h!nic!f. Stop!
There was first a game at blind man's
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 Jt was a
done thing between him ami jre's
nephew and that the Ghos of Christ
mas Present knew It. The way he
went after that plump sistr lu the
lace tucker was an outrage on the
credulity of human nature -Unocklnu j
down the firo irons. tum!!inir over the i
chairs, bumping up against the piano, j
smothering himself among the cur- !
tains. Wherever she went, there went
he. He always knew where the i lump .
Gisrer was. lie woman t catch any
body else. If you had fallen up
against him. as some of them did, and
stood there he would have made a
feint of endeavoring to seize you.
which would have been an affront to
your understanding, and would Instant
ly have sidled off in the direction 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 rus
tlings and her rapid Bufferings past
him, he got her into a corner whence
there was no escape then his con
duct was the most execrable, for his
pretending not to know her, his pre
tending that it was necessary to touch
her headdress and, further, to assure
himself of her identity by pressing a
certain ring upon hf- finger and a
certain chain about her ne:'!;, was viie,
monstrous! No doubt she told him h?r
opinion of it when, another blind man
being in office, they were so very con
fidential together behind the curtains.
Then they played a game called yes
and no, where Scrooge's nephew had
to tnint o" something and thu rest
must find out what, he only answer
ing to their oueytioiis yes or no. :;s
the case was. The brisk lire of ques
tioning to which he was exposed elicit
ed from him that he was thinking of
an animal, a live animal, rather a dis
agreeable animal, a savace animal.
an animal that growled and grunted
sometimes and talked sometimes, and
lived in London, and walked about j
the streets, and wasn't made a show j
of, and wasn't led by anybody, and
didn't live in a menagerie, and was i
never killed in a market, and was not
a horse, or an ass. or a cow, or a bull,
or a tiger, or a dog, or a pig, or a 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, fall
ing into a similar state, cried out:
"I have found It out! I know what
it is, Fred! I know what it is!"
"What ts It?" cried Fred.
"It's your Uncle Scro-o-o-o-oge!"
Which It certainly was. Admiration
was the universal sentiment, though
some objected that the reply to "Is it a
bear?" ought to have been "Yes," in
asmuch as an answer In the negative
was sufficient to have diverted their
thoughts from Mr. Scrooge, supposing
they had ever had any tendency that
way.
"He has given us plenty of merri
ment, I am sure," said Fred, "and it
would be un
grateful not to
drink his health.
Here U a glass
of mulled wi:n
ready to our hnr.i
at the moment,
and I say 'Uncle
Scrooge!' "
"Well, Uncle
Scrooge!" they
cried.
"A merry
Christmas and a
happy New Year
well, uncle to the old man.
SCROOGE!
whatever he is,"
said Scrooge's nephew. "He wouldn't
take it from me, but may he have it
nevertheless. Uncle Scrooge !"
Uncle Scrooge had Imperceptibly be
come so gay and light of heart that be
company In return and thanked tbem
, . , . . i
speech if the ghost
given him time. But the whole scene
passed off in the breath of the last
word spoken by his nephew, and he
and the spirit were again upon their
travels.
Much they 6aw, and far tbey went
and many homes they visited, but a!-
j.t. - js n-t. t (
ways wiui a unvvy euu. juc biihi
stood beside sickbeds, and they were
cheerful; on foreign lands, and tbey
were close at home; by struggling men.
and they were patient In their greater
hope; by poverty, end it was rich. In
almshouse, hospital and Jail. In mis
ery's every refuge, where vain man In
bis little brief authority had not mad
fast the door and barred the spirit out,
he left his blessing and taught Scrooge
bis precepts.
It was a long night If It were only
a night but Scrooge had hL doubts of
this, because the Christmas holidays
appeared to be condensed Into tbo
space of time tbey passed together. It
was strange, too. that' while Scrooge
remained unaltered In bis outward
form tbe ghost grew older, clearly old
er. Scrooge bad observed thl change,
but never spoke of it until tbey left a
children's Twelfth Nljsbt party. vbfn.
looking at the spirit as they stood to
gether la an open place, he noticed that
its hair was gray.
"Are spirits' lives no short? asked
&CI??S'. . .
"My life upon this globe is very
brief. replied the ghost "It ends to-
night
"Tonight." cried Scrooge.
"Tonight at midnight
Uark! The
time 1 drawing near.
The bell struck 12.
Scrooge looked about him for tbe
ghost and saw It not As tbe last
stroke ceased to vibrate be remember
ed tbe prediction of old Jacob Marley
and. lifting up bis eyes, beheld a solemn
phantom, draped and hooded, cooing
like a mist along the ground toward
him.
11 Your "srS
THE LAST OK T11K Bl'IKl I S.
UK phantom Mlowly,
gravely. i It ally
approached. When
It came near him
Scrooge bout down
mon his kuee. for
in the very ulr
through which this
spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom
and mystery.
it was shrouded lu a det-p black gar
ment, which concealed ltd head, its
face, its form, and left uothlug of It
visible save one outstretched hand.
But for this it would have beeu diffi
cult to detach its figure from the ulght
and separate It from the darkness by
which It was surrounded
He felt that it was tall aud stately
when it came beside him and that Its
mysterious presence filled hlui with a
solemn dread. He knew no more, for
the spirit neither spoke nor moved
"I am in the presence of the CJhost of
Christmas Yet to Come?" said Scrooge.
The spirit answered not, but pointed
downward with Its hand.
"You are about to show me shadows
of the thiDgs that have not happened,
but will happen in the time before us,"
Scrooge pursued. "la that so. spirit?"
ine upper portion of the garment
was contracted for an Instant in its
folds, as if the spirit had inclined its
head. That was the only answer he
received.
Although well used to ghostly com
pauy by this time, Scrooge feared the
silent shape so much that his legs
trembled beneath him. and he found
that he could hardly stand when he
prepared to follow It. The spirit
paused a moment, as observing his
condition and giving him time to re
cover.
But Scrooge was all the worse for
this, it thrilled him with a vague,
nncertalu horror to know that behind
the dusky shroud there were ghostly
eyes latently fixed upon him. while he,
though be stretched his own to the ut
most, could see nothing but a spectral
hand and one great heap of black.
"Ghost of the Future." he exclaimed,
"1 fear you more than any specter I
have seen. But, as I kuow your pur
pose is to do me good and as I hope
to be another man from what I was, I
am prepared to bear you company and
do it with a thankful heart. Will you
not speak to me?"
It gave him no reply. The hand was
pointed straight before them.
"Lead on," said Scrooge, "lead on
The night is waning fast, and It is pre
cious time to me. I know. Lead on
spirit"
The phantom moved away ut it had
come toward him Scrooge followed in
the shadow of Its dress, whii h lore him
up, h-? thought, and carried him along
They scarcely seemed to cuter the
city, for Hie city rather viDf(l to
spring up a!M)ut idem and encompass
them of Its own i-t. Hut there they
were la the heart of It. on 'change,
anion" the merchants, wii-. imrried
p and down and chinked the money
In their twkets. and conversed Id
crrouos. and loot-d at theit watrhes,
and trifled thocghtfuliy with their
.great gold seals, and so forth, ai
fjcrooge had seen :hem often
The Bplrit stopped rwtdde on llttto
knot of business men. Observing that
one hand was pointed to them. Scrooge
advanced to listen to their talk.
"No," said a great fat man with a
monstrous chin; "I den't know much
about It either way. I only know he's
dead."
"When did he die?" inquired anotb-
fT.
Last night I believe."
Why, what was the matter with
. . ,,,,,, .
him" asked a third, taking a vast
quanmy oi snuu oui vl h larisr
snuffbox. "I thought be d never die."
"God knows." said the first with a
yawn.
"What has be done with bis money?
asked a red faced gentleman wltb a
pendulous excrescence on the end of his
nose that shook like tbe gills of a tur
key cock.
"I haven't heard." said the man wltb
the large chin, yawning again. "Left
It to his company, perhaps. He hasn't
left it to me. That's all I know."
This pleasantry was received with a
general laugh.
"It's likely to be a very cheap funer
al," said the same speaker, "for upon
my life 1 don't kDow of anybody to go
to It Suppose we make up a party
and volunteer "
"I don't mind going If a luncb l
provided." berved tbe gentleman
with the excrescence on his nose. "But
I must be fed. If 1 make one."
Another laughed.
"Well, I am tbe most disinterested
among you. after all." said tbe first
speaker, "for I never wear black
glove, and 1 never eat lunch. But III
offer to go If anybody "liL wben
I come to think of It I'm not at all
sure that I wasn't els most particular
(Continued on fourth page)
' ProhaWy the jrreatest m2 SBbrtimt
. tirttdn im tht BOW known to
;T(.rj where as Dr. Khoop's Health Cotfe. It
i - -a-a.a-M.
actua-iy goes a tnirq ianwr loan an oiorv,
abd tidea it U "mad in a minute." So 20
to 30 minute tediooa boiling is all aeeea-
ary. for toaate-J graina, malt, nets, etc.
have been so elderly blended a to gte a
wonderfully aatisfyiog, true genuine eoffe
Bar or aad taate. And not a (Train ol real
coffee is used 100 rupa, Hold by Geo.
E. Perry.
The data on your address label In
dicates the time to which your sub
scription Is paid.
IT GROWS HAIR.
Here Are Facts We Went
You to Prove at Our Risk.
Marvelous aa It roav seem. Ilexall
"Oil" Hair Tonic has jjrown hair on
heads that were once bald. Of course,
in none of these cases were the hair
roots dead, nor had the scalp taken
on a glared, shiny appearance.
Uexall "1)3" Hair Tonic acts scien
tifically, destroying the perms which
are usually responsible for baldness.
in penetrate to the roots of the hair,
stimulating and nouriMhing thera. It
is a most pleasant toilet necessity, i
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gum or permanently stain the hair.
e want yon to get a bottle of
Uexall "93" Hair Tonic and use it as
directed. If it does uot relieve scalp
irritation, remove dandruff, prevent
the hair from falling out and pro
mote an increased growth of hair,
and In e?ery way give entire satisfac
tion, simnly come bock and tell us,
and without question or formality
we will hand bock to yoxi every pen
ny you paid us for it. Two sizes, 50,
and f 1.00. Sold only at our store
-The Rexall Store. V. W. Parker.
If you will carefully count your ex
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to ask the bank to discount your
note.
GOOD NEWS
Erery Sufferer from Catarrh,
Coughs, Golds and Sore Throat
Should Read It.
So many hundreds of catarrh victim
who have taken the IIYOMM treat
ment, have written us letters thanking
us for publishing our method of taking
the HYOMKI vapor treatment In con
nection with the inhaler that wo gladly
publish it again.
The vapor treatment Is especially rec
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catarrh of long standing, but remember
that the inhaler should be used dally as
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This is the simple vapor treatment
and only takes five minutes of your time
before going to lied. Pour a tenipoon
ful of liVOMKl into a bowl of boiling
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and breathe for several minutes the
vapor that arises.
You will be surprised at the result of
this treatment; it makes the head feel
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that stuffed up feelinng in the head will
gradually dissappear.
The same method will break up the
worst cold in the head or chest In one
night.
A bottle of IIYOMEI costs r,0 cents at
W. W. Parker's, who guarantees It. If
you want the complete outfit, which in
eludes the little hard rubber pocket inha
ler, the price is $1.00.
No stomach dosing; just breathe IIY
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of the breathing organs.
There la always room on theunny
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Klectric Bitters cured ma 1 regained tha
40 pounds lost snd now atu well sod
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t?f ?VVV?Tf TTf f VTTf TVTTf Vf
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t Contractors and Builders.
We are now located la Hender
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