warning all human sympathy to keep its distance, was what the knowing ones call "nuts" to Scrooge. Once upon a time-of all the good days in the year, upon a Christmas eve-old Scrooge sat busy in his count5 ing house. It was cold, bleak, biting, foggy weather; and the city clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already it had not been light all day—and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighboring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. 10 The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without that although the court was of the narrowest the houses opposite were mere phantoms. The door of Scrooge's counting-house was open, that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who, in a dismal little 15 cell beyond, a sort of tank, was copying letters. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he could n't replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the 20 shovel the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter and tried to warm himself at the candle, in which effort, not being a man of a strong imagination, he failed. "A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!" cried a 25 cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge's nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation Scrooge had of his approach. "Bah!" said Scrooge; "humbug!" "Christmas a humbug, uncle? You don't mean that, I am sure.' "I do," said Scrooge. "Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be 5 merry? You're poor enough." "Come, then," returned the nephew gayly. "What right have you to be dismal? You're rich enough." Scrooge having no better answer ready, said "Bah!” again and followed it up with " with "Humbug! "Don't be cross, uncle!" said the nephew. 10 "What else can I be," returned the uncle, "when I live in such a world of fools as this? Out upon merry Christmas! What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year 15 older and not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in them through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I had my will, every idiot who goes about with Merry Christmas' on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding and buried 20 with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!" "Uncle!" 6 "Nephew, keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine." 66 Keep it! But you don't keep it." "Let me leave it alone, then. Much good may it do you! Much good it has ever done you!" 25 "There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say, Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round 5 apart from the veneration due to its sacred origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that—as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their 10 shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-travelers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done 15 me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!" The clerk in the tank involuntarily applauded. "Let me hear another sound from you," said Scrooge, "and you'll keep your Christmas by losing your situation!" 'Change: the Exchange, or business headquarters. — exec ́utor: one who carries out another's will. as ́sign: one to whom property is transferred. resid ́uary legatee: the person who receives the personal property of an estate after other claims are settled.nuts: this is a bit of slang which is of classic origin. In the old days of Roman greatness the children were sometimes told to put away their "nuts"; in other words, to leave off their childish pleasures. - pal'pable: capable of being felt or touched. 5 10 MY TRIUMPH JOHN G. WHITTIER O living friends who love me! I leave to you my name. Hide it from idle praises, Save it from evil phrases: Why, when dear lips that spake it Let the thick curtain fall; I better know than all How little I have gained, Sweeter than any sung. My songs that found no tongue; My wish that failed of act. Others shall sing the song, And all I fail of win. EDUCATION THOMAS BABINGTON MACAULAY It was while Macaulay was a member of the House of Commons that his speech on Education was delivered, April 19, 1847. I say, therefore, that the education of the people is not only a means, but the best means, of attaining that which 5 all allow to be a chief end of government; and, if this be it passes my faculties to understand how any man can gravely contend that Government has nothing to do with the education of the people. So, My confidence in my opinion is strengthened when I 10 recollect that I hold that opinion in common with all the greatest lawgivers, statesmen, and political philosophers of all nations and ages, and with all the most illustrious champions of civil and spiritual freedom. . . . I might cite many of the most venerable names of the Old World; 15 but I would rather cite the example of that country which the supporters of the Voluntary system here are always recommending to us as a pattern. Go back to the days when the little society which has expanded into the opulent and enlightened commonwealth 20 of Massachusetts began to exist. Our modern Dissenters will scarcely, I think, venture to speak contumeliously of those Puritans whose spirit Laud and his High Commission Court could not subdue, of those Puritans who were |