“I’m sorry!” said McNason, humbly—“I don’t want to make any more mistakes——”
“You’d better not!” said the Goblin, and its form began to grow more vague and indistinct—“You’ve got the chance you asked for—but if you lose it now——”
“I won’t!”
“What you would like to think was only a Dream, is a Supernatural Reality!” went on the Goblin; “It has all happened, or it will happen if you don’t take care! If your mind breeds disease, so will your body,—and Sir Slasher will have to be called in! And if he’s once called in, YOU will be called OUT!”
McNason shuddered,—but was silent.
“You’ve begun to keep Christmas in the proper way for the first time in your life,”—and the Goblin’s voice grew fainter and fainter—“But if you don’t go on keeping it!——”
“I will!” cried Josiah, eagerly—“I will!”
“In the spirit of One Timothy Two?”
“I will!”
“Grace—mercy—peace!”