Christmas Carol, A - Charles Dickens

7/27/2019 Christmas Carol, A - Charles Dickens

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Christmas Carolby Charles Dickens, is part

of the Pennsylvania State University,

Electronic Classics Series, Jim Manis, Faculty

Editor. Neither the Pennsylvania StateUniversity, Jim Manis, anyone associated with

he Pennsylvania State University, nor Sony

Connect Inc. or its affiliates assumes any

esponsibility for the material contained within

he document or for the file as an electronic

ransmission, in any way.

Copyright 2007 Sony Connect Inc. Al

rights reserved. Copyright 1998 ThPennsylvania State University (for th

source electronic book file version)

SBN 978-1-4340-0056-9


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A CHRISTMAS CAROL

by

Charles Dickens


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have endeavoured in this Ghostly littl

book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea

which shall not put my readers out o

humour with themselves, with eacother, with the season, or with me. May

t haunt their houses pleasantly, and no

one wish to lay it. Their faithful Frien

and Servant, C. D. December, 1843.


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Stave 1: Marley's Ghost

Marley was dead: to begin with. Ther

s no doubt whatever about that. Thregister of his burial was signed by th

clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and

he chief mourner. Scrooge signed it

And Scrooge's name was good upoChange, for anything he chose to put hi

hand to. Old Marley was as dead as

door-nail. Mind! I don't mean to say thaknow, of my own knowledge, wha

here is particularly dead about a door

nail. I might have been inclined, myself

o regard a coffin-nail as the deadespiece of ironmongery in the trade. Bu

he wisdom of our ancestors is in th

simile; and my unhallowed hands shal


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not disturb it, or the Country's done for

You will therefore permit me to repeat

emphatically, that Marley was as dead

as a door-nail. Scrooge knew he wadead? Of course he did. How could it b

otherwise? Scrooge and he wer

partners for I don't know how man

ears. Scrooge was his sole executor

his sole administrator, his sole assign

his sole residuary legatee, his sol

friend, and sole mourner. And evenScrooge was not so dreadfully cut up b

he sad event, but that he was a

excellent man of business on the ver

day of the funeral, and solemnised with an undoubted bargain. The mentio

of Marley's funeral brings me back to th

point I started from. There is no doub


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hat Marley was dead. This must b

distinctly understood, or nothin

wonderful can come of the story I a

going to relate. If we were not perfectlconvinced that Hamlet's Father die

before the play began, there would b

nothing more remarkable in his taking

stroll at night, in an easterly wind, upo

his own ramparts, than there would be i

any other middle-aged gentleman rashl

urning out after dark in a breezy spot say Saint Paul's Churchyard for instanc

literally to astonish his son's wea

mind. Scrooge never painted out Ol

Marley's name. There it stood, yearafterwards, above the warehouse door

Scrooge and Marley. The firm wa

known as Scrooge and Marley


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Sometimes people new to the busines

called Scrooge Scrooge, and sometime

Marley, but he answered to both names

t was all the same to him. Oh! But hwas a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone

Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching

grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous

old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, fro

which no steel had ever struck ou

generous fire; secret, and self-contained

and solitary as an oyster. The coldwithin him froze his old features, nippe

his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek

stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, hi

hin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly ihis grating voice. A frosty rime was on

his head, and on his eyebrows, and hi

wiry chin. He carried his own low


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emperature always about with him; h

ced his office in the dogdays; and didn

haw it one degree at Christmas

External heat and cold had littlnfluence on Scrooge. No warmth coul

warm, no wintry weather chill him. N

wind that blew was bitterer than he, n

falling snow was more intent upon it

purpose, no pelting rain less open t

entreaty. Foul weather didn't know

where to have him. The heaviest rainand snow, and hail, and sleet, could

boast of the advantage over him in onl

one respect. They often 'came down

handsomely, and Scrooge never didobody ever stopped him in the street t

say, with gladsome looks, 'My dea

Scrooge, how are you? When will yo


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come to see me?' No beggars implore

him to bestow a trifle, no children aske

him what it was o'clock, no man o

woman ever once in all his life inquirehe way to such and such a place, o

Scrooge. Even the blind men's dog

appeared to know him; and when the

saw him coming on, would tug thei

owners into doorways and up courts

and then would wag their tails as thoug

hey said, 'No eye at all is better than aevil eye, dark master!' But what di

Scrooge care! It was the very thing h

iked. To edge his way along th

crowded paths of life, warning alhuman sympathy to keep its distance

was what the knowing ones call 'nuts' t

Scrooge. Once upon a time of all th


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good days in the year, on Christmas Ev

old Scrooge sat busy in his counting

house. It was cold, bleak, bitin

weather: foggy withal: and he could heahe people in the court outside, g

wheezing up and down, beating thei

hands upon their breasts, and stampin

heir feet upon the pavement stones t

warm them. The city clocks had only jus

gone three, but it was quite dark alread

it had not been light all day ancandles were flaring in the windows o

he neighbouring offices, like rudd

smears upon the palpable brown air. Th

fog came pouring in at every chink ankeyhole, and was so dense without, tha

although the court was of the narrowest

he houses opposite were mer


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phantoms. To see the dingy cloud com

drooping down, obscuring everything

one might have thought that Nature live

hard by, and was brewing on a largscale. The door of Scrooge's counting

house was open that he might keep hi

eye upon his clerk, who in a dismal littl

cell beyond, a sort of tank, was copyin

etters. Scrooge had a very small fire

but the clerk's fire was so very muc

smaller that it looked like one coal. Buhe couldn't replenish it, for Scrooge kep

he coal-box in his own room; and s

surely as the clerk came in with th

shovel, the master predicted that would be necessary for them to part

Wherefore the clerk put on his whit

comforter, and tried to warm himself a


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he candle; in which effort, not being

man of a strong imagination, he failed

A merry Christmas, uncle! God sav

ou!' cried a cheerful voice. It was thvoice of Scrooge's nephew, who cam

upon him so quickly that this was th

first intimation he had of his approach

Bah!' said Scrooge, 'Humbug!' He ha

so heated himself with rapid walking i

he fog and frost, this nephew o

Scrooge's, that he was all in a glow; hiface was ruddy and handsome; his eye

sparkled, and his breath smoked again

Christmas a humbug, uncle!' sai

Scrooge's nephew. 'You don't mean that am sure?' 'I do,' said Scrooge. 'Merr

Christmas! What right have you to b

merry? What reason have you to b


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merry? You're poor enough.' 'Come

hen,' returned the nephew gaily. 'Wha

right have you to be dismal? Wha

reason have you to be morose? You'rerich enough.' Scrooge having no bette

answer ready on the spur of the moment

said 'Bah!' again; and followed it u

with 'Humbug.' 'Don't be cross, uncle

said the nephew. 'What else can I be

returned the uncle, 'when I live in such

world of fools as this? Merry ChristmasOut upon merry Christmas! What'

Christmas time to you but a time fo

paying bills without money; a time fo

finding yourself a year older, but not ahour richer; a time for balancing you

books and having every item in 'e

hrough a round dozen of month


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presented dead against you? If I coul

work my will,' said Scrooge indignantly

every idiot who goes about with "Merr

Christmas" on his lips, should be boilewith his own pudding, and buried with

stake of holly through his heart. H

should!' 'Uncle!' pleaded the nephew

Nephew!' returned the uncle sternly

keep Christmas in your own way, and

et me keep it in mine.' 'Keep it

repeated Scrooge's nephew. 'But yodon't keep it.' 'Let me leave it alone

hen,' said Scrooge. 'Much good may

do you! Much good it has ever don

ou!' 'There are many things from whic might have derived good, by which

have not profited, I dare say,' returned

he nephew. 'Christmas among the rest


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But I am sure I have always thought o

Christmas time, when it has come roun

apart from the veneration due to it

sacred name and origin, if anythinbelonging to it can be apart from that

as a good time; a kind, forgiving

charitable, pleasant time: the only time

know of, in the long calendar of the year

when men and women seem by on

consent to open their shut-up heart

freely, and to think of people belowhem as if they really were fellow

passengers to the grave, and not anothe

race of creatures bound on othe

ourneys. And therefore, uncle, though ihas never put a scrap of gold or silver i

my pocket, I believe that it has done m

good, and will do me good; and I say


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God bless it!' The clerk in the Tan

nvoluntarily applauded. Becomin

mmediately sensible of the impropriety

he poked the fire, and extinguished thast frail spark for ever. 'Let me hea

another sound from you,' said Scrooge

and you'll keep your Christmas b

osing your situation! You're quite a

powerful speaker, sir,' he added, turning

o his nephew. 'I wonder you don't go

nto Parliament.' 'Don't be angry, uncleCome! Dine with us tomorrow.' Scroog

said that he would see him yes

ndeed he did. He went the whole lengt

of the expression, and said that he woulsee him in that extremity first. 'But why?

cried Scrooge's nephew. 'Why?' 'Wh

did you get married?' said Scrooge


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Because I fell in love.' 'Because you fel

n love!' growled Scrooge, as if tha

were the only one thing in the worl

more ridiculous than a merry ChristmasGood afternoon!' 'Nay, uncle, but you

never came to see me beforehappened

Why give it as a reason for not comin

now?' 'Good afternoon,' said Scrooge.

want nothing from you; I ask nothing o

ou; why cannot we be friends?' 'Goo

afternoon,' said Scrooge. 'I am sorrywith all my heart, to find you so resolute

We have never had any quarrel, to whic

have been a party. But I have made th

rial in homage to Christmas, and I'lkeep my Christmas humour to the last

So A Merry Christmas, uncle!' 'Goo

afternoon,' said Scrooge. 'And A Happy


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ew Year!' 'Good afternoon,' sai

Scrooge. His nephew left the roo

without an angry word, notwithstanding

He stopped at the outer door to bestowhe greetings of the season on the clerk

who cold as he was, was warmer tha

Scrooge; for he returned them cordially

There's another fellow,' muttered

Scrooge; who overheard him: 'my clerk

with fifteen shillings a week, and a wif

and family, talking about a merrChristmas. I'll retire to Bedlam.' Thi

unatic, in letting Scrooge's nephew out

had let two other people in. They wer

portly gentlemen, pleasant to behold, annow stood, with their hats off, i

Scrooge's office. They had books an

papers in their hands, and bowed to him


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Scrooge and Marley's, I believe,' sai

one of the gentlemen, referring to his list

Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr

Scrooge, or Mr. Marley?' 'Mr. Marlehas been dead these seven years

Scrooge replied. 'He died seven year

ago, this very night.' 'We have no doub

his liberality is well represented by hi

surviving partner,' said the gentleman

presenting his credentials. It certainl

was; for they had been two kindrespirits. At the ominous word 'liberality

Scrooge frowned, and shook his head

and handed the credentials back. 'At thi

festive season of the year, Mr. Scroogesaid the gentleman, taking up a pen, 'it i

more than usually desirable that w

should make some slight provision fo


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he Poor and Destitute, who suffe

greatly at the present time. Man

housands are in want of commo

necessaries; hundreds of thousands arn want of common comforts, sir.' 'Ar

here no prisons?' asked Scrooge. 'Plent

of prisons,' said the gentleman, layin

down the pen again. 'And the Unio

workhouses?' demanded Scrooge. 'Ar

hey still in operation?' 'They are. Still

returned the gentleman, 'I wish I coulsay they were not.' 'The Treadmill and

he Poor Law are in full vigour, then?

said Scrooge. 'Both very busy, sir.' 'Oh

was afraid, from what you said at firsthat something had occurred to stop the

n their useful course,' said Scrooge. 'I'

very glad to hear it.' 'Under th


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mpression that they scarcely furnis

Christian cheer of mind or body to th

multitude,' returned the gentleman, 'a few

of us are endeavouring to raise a fund tbuy the Poor some meat and drink, an

means of warmth. We choose this time

because it is a time, of all others, whe

Want is keenly felt, and Abundance

rejoices. What shall I put you down for?

Nothing!' Scrooge replied. 'You wish to

be anonymous?' 'I wish to be left alonesaid Scrooge. 'Since you ask me what

wish, gentlemen, that is my answer.

don't make merry myself at Christma

and I can't afford to make idle peoplmerry. I help to support th

establishments I have mentioned the

cost enough; and those who are badly of


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must go there.' 'Many can't go there; an

many would rather die.' 'If they woul

rather die,' said Scrooge, 'they had bette

do it, and decrease the surplupopulation. Besides excuse me

don't know that.' 'But you might know it

observed the gentleman. 'It's not m

business,' Scrooge returned. 'It's enoug

for a man to understand his ow

business, and not to interfere with othe

people's. Mine occupies me constantlyGood afternoon, gentlemen!' Seein

clearly that it would be useless to pursu

heir point, the gentlemen withdrew

Scrooge returned his labours with amproved opinion of himself, and in

more facetious temper than was usua

with him. Meanwhile the fog an


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darkness thickened so, that people ra

about with flaring links, proffering thei

services to go before horses i

carriages, and conduct them on theiway. The ancient tower of a church

whose gruff old bell was alway

peeping slily down at Scrooge out of

Gothic window in the wall, becam

nvisible, and struck the hours an

quarters in the clouds, with tremulou

vibrations afterwards as if its teeth werchattering in its frozen head up there

The cold became intense. In the mai

street at the corner of the court, som

abourers were repairing the gas-pipesand had lighted a great fire in a brazier

round which a party of ragged men an

boys were gathered: warming thei


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hands and winking their eyes before th

blaze in rapture. The water-plug bein

eft in solitude, its overflowing sullenl

congealed, and turned to misanthropice. The brightness of the shops wher

holly sprigs and berries crackled in th

amp heat of the windows, made pal

faces ruddy as they passed. Poulterers

and grocers' trades became a splendi

oke; a glorious pageant, with which

was next to impossible to believe thasuch dull principles as bargain and sal

had anything to do. The Lord Mayor, i

he stronghold of the mighty Mansio

House, gave orders to his fifty cooks anbutlers to keep Christmas as a Lor

Mayor's household should; and even th

ittle tailor, whom he had fined fiv


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shillings on the previous Monday fo

being drunk and bloodthirsty in th

streets, stirred up to-morrow's puddin

n his garret, while his lean wife and thbaby sallied out to buy the beef. Foggie

et, and colder! Piercing, searching

biting cold. If the good Saint Dunsta

had but nipped the Evil Spirit's nos

with a touch of such weather as that

nstead of using his familiar weapons

hen indeed he would have roared tusty purpose. The owner of one scan

oung nose, gnawed and mumbled by th

hungry cold as bones are gnawed b

dogs, stooped down at Scrooge'keyhole to regale him with a Christma

carol: but at the first sound of 'God bles

ou, merry gentleman! May nothing yo


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dismay!' Scrooge seized the ruler wit

such energy of action, that the singer fle

n terror, leaving the keyhole to the fo

and even more congenial frost. At lengthe hour of shutting up the counting

house arrived. With an ill-will Scroog

dismounted from his stool, and tacitl

admitted the fact to the expectant clerk i

he Tank,who instantly snuffed hi

candle out, and put on his hat. 'You'l

want all day to-morrow, I suppose?' saiScrooge. 'If quite convenient, sir.' 'It'

not convenient,' said Scrooge, 'and it'

not fair. If I was to stop half-a-crown fo

t, you'd think yourself ill-used, I'll bbound?' The clerk smiled faintly. 'An

et,' said Scrooge, 'you don't think m

ll-used, when I pay a day's wages for n


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his melancholy dinner in his usua

melancholy tavern; and having read al

he newspapers, and beguiled the rest o

he evening with his banker's-book, wenhome to bed. He lived in chamber

which had once belonged to hi

deceased partner. They were a gloom

suite of rooms, in a lowering pile o

building up a yard, where it had so littl

business to be, that one could scarcel

help fancying it must have run therwhen it was a young house, playing a

hide-and-seek with other houses, an

forgotten the way out again. It was ol

enough now, and dreary enough, fonobody lived in it but Scrooge, the othe

rooms being all let out as offices. Th

ard was so dark that even Scrooge


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who knew its every stone, was fain t

grope with his hands. The fog and fros

so hung about the black old gateway o

he house, that it seemed as if the Geniuof the Weather sat in mournfu

meditation on the threshold. Now, it is

fact, that there was nothing at al

particular about the knocker on the door

except that it was very large. It is also

fact, that Scrooge had seen it, night an

morning, during his whole residence ihat place; also that Scrooge had as littl

of what is called fancy about him as an

man in the city of London, eve

ncluding which is a bold word he corporation, aldermen, and livery

Let it also be borne in mind that Scroog

had not bestowed one thought on Marley


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since his last mention of his seven years

dead partner that afternoon. And then le

any man explain to me, if he can, how

happened that Scrooge, having his key ihe lock of the door, saw in the knocker

without its undergoing any intermediat

process of change not a knocker, bu

Marley's face. Marley's face. It was no

n impenetrable shadow as the othe

objects in the yard were, but had

dismal light about it, like a bad lobsten a dark cellar. It was not angry o

ferocious, but looked at Scrooge a

Marley used to look: with ghostl

spectacles turned up on its ghostlforehead. The hair was curiously stirred

as if by breath or hot air; and, though th

eyes were wide open, they wer


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perfectly motionless. That, and its livi

colour, made it horrible; but its horro

seemed to be in spite of the face an

beyond its control, rather than a part ots own expression. As Scrooge looke

fixedly at this phenomenon, it was

knocker again. To say that he was no

startled, or that his blood was no

conscious of a terrible sensation t

which it had been a stranger fro

nfancy, would be untrue. But he put hihand upon the key he had relinquished

urned it sturdily, walked in, and lighted

his candle. He did pause, with

moment's irresolution, before he shut thdoor; and he did look cautiously behin

t first, as if he half-expected to b

errified with the sight of Marley'


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pigtail sticking out into the hall. Bu

here was nothing on the back of th

door, except the screws and nuts tha

held the knocker on, so he said 'Poohpooh!' and closed it with a bang. Th

sound resounded through the house lik

hunder. Every room above, and ever

cask in the wine-merchant's cellar

below, appeared to have a separate pea

of echoes of its own. Scrooge was not

man to be frightened by echoes. Hfastened the door, and walked across th

hall, and up the stairs; slowly too

rimming his candle as he went. You ma

alk vaguely about driving a coach-andsix up a good old flight of stairs, o

hrough a bad young Act of Parliament

but I mean to say you might have got


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hearse up that staircase, and taken

broadwise, with the splinter-ba

owards the wall and the door toward

he balustrades: and done it easy. Therwas plenty of width for that, and room t

spare; which is perhaps the reason wh

Scrooge thought he saw a locomotiv

hearse going on before him in the gloom

Half a dozen gas-lamps out of the stree

wouldn't have lighted the entry too wel

so you may suppose that it was prettdark with Scrooge's dip. Up Scroog

went, not caring a button for tha

Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it

But before he shut his heavy door, hwalked through his rooms to see that al

was right. He had just enoug

recollection of the face to desire to d


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ha t . Sitting-room, bedroom, lumber

room. All as they should be. Nobod

under the table, nobody under the sofa;

small fire in the grate; spoon and basiready; and the little saucepan of grue

Scrooge had a cold in his head) upo

he hob. Nobody under the bed; nobod

n the closet; nobody in his dressing

gown, which was hanging up in

suspicious attitude against the wal

Lumber-room as usual. Old fire-guardsold shoes, two fish-baskets, washing

stand on three legs, and a poker. Quit

satisfied, he closed his door, and locked

himself in; double-locked himself inwhich was not his custom. Thus secure

against surprise, he took off his cravat

put on his dressing-gown and slippers


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and his nightcap; and sat down befor

he fire to take his gruel. It was a ver

ow fire indeed; nothing on such a bitte

night. He was obliged to sit close to itand brood over it, before he coul

extract the least sensation of warmt

from such a handful of fuel. Th

fireplace was an old one, built by som

Dutch merchant long ago, and paved al

round with quaint Dutch tiles, designe

o illustrate the Scriptures. There werCains and Abels, Pharaohs' daughters

Queens of Sheba, Angelic messenger

descending through the air on clouds lik

feather-beds, Abrahams, BelshazzarsApostles putting off to sea in butter

boats, hundreds of figures to attract hi

houghts and yet that face of Marley


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seven years dead, came like the ancien

Prophet's rod, and swallowed up th

whole. If each smooth tile had been

blank at first, with power to shape sompicture on its surface from the disjointe

fragments of his thoughts, there woul

have been a copy of old Marley's hea

on every one. 'Humbug!' said Scrooge

and walked across the room. Afte

several turns, he sat down again. As h

hrew his head back in the chair, higlance happened to rest upon a bell,

disused bell, that hung in the room, an

communicated for some purpose now

forgotten with a chamber in the highesstory of the building. It was with grea

astonishment, and with a strange

nexplicable dread, that as he looked, h


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saw this bell begin to swing. It swung s

softly in the outset that it scarcely mad

a sound; but soon it rang out loudly, and

so did every bell in the house. Thimight have lasted half a minute, or

minute, but it seemed an hour. The bell

ceased as they had begun, together. The

were succeeded by a clanking noise

deep down below; as if some perso

were dragging a heavy chain over th

casks in the wine merchant's cellarScrooge then remembered to have hear

hat ghosts in haunted houses wer

described as dragging chains. Th

cellar-door flew open with a boominsound, and then he heard the noise muc

ouder, on the floors below; then comin

up the stairs; then coming straigh


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owards his door. 'It's humbug still!' sai

Scrooge. 'I won't believe it.' His colou

changed though, when, without a pause

t came on through the heavy door, andpassed into the room before his eyes

Upon its coming in, the dying flam

eaped up, as though it cried 'I know

him; Marley's Ghost!' and fell again. Th

same face: the very same. Marley in hi

pigtail, usual waistcoat, tights and boots

he tassels on the latter bristling, like hipigtail, and his coat-skirts, and the hai

upon his head. The chain he drew wa

clasped about his middle. It was long

and wound about him like a tail; and was made (for Scrooge observed

closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks

edgers, deeds, and heavy purse


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wrought in steel. His body wa

ransparent; so that Scrooge, observin

him, and looking through his waistcoa

could see the two buttons on his coabehind. Scrooge had often heard it sai

hat Marley had no bowels, but he ha

never believed it until now. No, nor di

he believe it even now. Though h

ooked the phantom through and through

and saw it standing before him; thoug

he felt the chilling influence of its deathcold eyes; and marked the very texture o

he folded kerchief bound about its hea

and chin, which wrapper he had no

observed before; he was stilncredulous, and fought against hi

s ens es . 'How now!' said Scrooge

caustic and cold as ever. 'What do yo


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want with me?' 'Much!' Marley's voice

no doubt about it. 'Who are you?' 'As

me who I was.' 'Who were you then?

said Scrooge, raising his voice. 'You'reparticular, for a shade.' He was going to

say 'to a shade,' but substituted this, a

more appropriate. 'In life I was you

partner, Jacob Marley.' 'Can you, ca

ou sit down?' asked Scrooge, lookin

doubtfully at him. 'I can.' 'Do it, then

Scrooge asked the question, because hdidn't know whether a ghost s

ransparent might find himself in

condition to take a chair; and felt that i

he event of its being impossible, might involve the necessity of a

embarrassing explanation. But the ghos

sat down on the opposite side of th


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fireplace, as if he were quite used to it

You don't believe in me,' observed the

Ghost. 'I don't.' said Scrooge. 'Wha

evidence would you have of my realitbeyond that of your senses?' 'I don

know,' said Scrooge. 'Why do you doub

our senses?' 'Because,' said Scrooge, '

ittle thing affects them. A slight disorde

of the stomach makes them cheats. You

may be an undigested bit of beef, a blo

of mustard, a crumb of cheese, fragment of an underdone potato. There'

more of gravy than of grave about you

whatever you are!' Scrooge was no

much in the habit of cracking jokes, nodid he feel, in his heart, by any mean

waggish then. The truth is, that he trie

o be smart, as a means of distracting hi


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own attention, and keeping down hi

error; for the spectre's voice disturbe

he very marrow in his bones. To sit

staring at those fixed glazed eyes, isilence for a moment, would play

Scrooge felt, the very deuce with him

There was something very awful, too, i

he spectre's being provided with a

nfernal atmosphere of its own. Scroog

could not feel it himself, but this wa

clearly the case; for though the Ghost saperfectly motionless, its hair, and skirts

and tassels, were still agitated as by th

hot vapour from an oven. 'You see thi

oothpick?' said Scrooge, returninquickly to the charge, for the reason jus

assigned; and wishing, though it wer

only for a second, to divert the vision'


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stony gaze from himself. 'I do,' replie

he Ghost. 'You are not looking at it

said Scrooge. 'But I see it,' said th

Ghost, 'notwithstanding.' 'Well!' returnedScrooge, 'I have but to swallow this, an

be for the rest of my days persecuted b

a legion of goblins, all of my ow

creation. Humbug, I tell you! humbug

At this the spirit raised a frightful cry

and shook its chain with such a disma

and appalling noise, that Scrooge helon tight to his chair, to save himself from

falling in a swoon. But how muc

greater was his horror, when th

phantom taking off the bandage round ithead, as if it were too warm to wea

ndoors, its lower jaw dropped dow

upon its breast! Scrooge fell upon hi


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knees, and clasped his hands before hi

f a c e . 'Mercy!' he said. 'Dreadfu

apparition, why do you trouble me?

Man of the worldly mind!' replied thGhost, 'do you believe in me or not?'

do,' said Scrooge. 'I must. But why d

spirits walk the earth, and why do the

come to me?' 'It is required of ever

man,' the Ghost returned, 'that the spir

within him should walk abroad amon

his fellowmen, and travel far and wideand if that spirit goes not forth in life, i

s condemned to do so after death. It i

doomed to wander through the world

oh, woe is me! and witness what icannot share, but might have shared o

earth, and turned to happiness!' Agai

he spectre raised a cry, and shook it


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chain and wrung its shadowy hands

You are fettered,' said Scrooge

rembling. 'Tell me why?' 'I wear th

chain I forged in life,' replied the GhostI made it link by link, and yard by yard

girded it on of my own free will, and o

my own free will I wore it. Is its patter

strange to you?' Scrooge trembled mor

and more. 'Or would you know,' pursued

he Ghost, 'the weight and length of th

strong coil you bear yourself? It was fulas heavy and as long as this, seve

Christmas Eves ago. You have laboured

on it, since. It is a ponderous chain

Scrooge glanced about him on the floorn the expectation of finding himsel

surrounded by some fifty or sixt

fathoms of iron cable: but he could se


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nothing. 'Jacob,' he said, imploringly

Old Jacob Marley, tell me more. Spea

comfort to me, Jacob!' 'I have none t

give,' the Ghost replied. 'It comes froother regions, Ebenezer Scrooge, and i

conveyed by other ministers, to othe

kinds of men. Nor can I tell you what

would. A very little more, is al

permitted to me. I cannot rest, I canno

stay, I cannot linger anywhere. My spiri

never walked beyond our counting-hous mark me! in life my spirit neve

roved beyond the narrow limits of ou

money-changing hole; and wear

ourneys lie before me!' It was a habwith Scrooge, whenever he becam

houghtful, to put his hands in hi

breeches pockets. Pondering on what th


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Ghost had said, he did so now, bu

without lifting up his eyes, or getting of

his knees. 'You must have been very

slow about it, Jacob,' Scrooge observedn a business-like manner, though wit

humility and deference. 'Slow!' th

Ghost repeated. 'Seven years dead

mused Scrooge. 'And travelling all th

ime!' 'The whole time,' said the Ghost

No rest, no peace. Incessant torture o

r emor se . ' 'You travel fast?' saidScrooge. 'On the wings of the wind

replied the Ghost. 'You might have go

over a great quantity of ground in seve

ears,' said Scrooge. The Ghost, ohearing this, set up another cry, and

clanked its chain so hideously in th

dead silence of the night, that the Ward


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would have been justified in indicting

for a nuisance. 'Oh! captive, bound, an

double-ironed,' cried the phantom, 'no

o know, that ages of incessant labourby immortal creatures, for this earth mus

pass into eternity before the good o

which it is susceptible is all developed

ot to know that any Christian spir

working kindly in its little sphere

whatever it may be, will find its morta

ife too short for its vast means ousefulness. Not to know that no space o

regret can make amends for one life'

opportunity misused! Yet such was I

Oh! such was I!' 'But you were always good man of business, Jacob,' faltere

Scrooge, who now began to apply this t

himself. 'Business!' cried the Ghos


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wringing its hands again. 'Mankind wa

my business. The common welfare wa

my business; charity, mercy

forbearance, and benevolence, were, almy business. The dealings of my trad

were but a drop of water in th

comprehensive ocean of my business!' I

held up its chain at arm's length, as i

hat were the cause of all its unavailin

grief, and flung it heavily upon th

ground again. 'At this time of the rollinear,' the spectre said 'I suffer most

Why did I walk through crowds o

fellow-beings with my eyes turne

down, and never raise them to thablessed Star which led the Wise Men to

a poor abode! Were there no poor home

o which its light would have conducte


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me!' Scrooge was very much dismaye

o hear the spectre going on at this rate

and began to quake exceedingly. 'Hea

me!' cried the Ghost. 'My time is nearlgone.' 'I will,' said Scrooge. 'But don

be hard upon me! Don't be flowery

Jacob! Pray!' 'How it is that I appea

before you in a shape that you can see,

may not tell. I have sat invisible besid

ou many and many a day.' It was not a

agreeable idea. Scrooge shivered, anwiped the perspiration from his brow

That is no light part of my penance

pursued the Ghost. 'I am here to-night t

warn you, that you have yet a chance anhope of escaping my fate. A chance and

hope of my procuring, Ebenezer.' 'Yo

were always a good friend to me,' sai


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Scrooge. 'Thank 'ee!' 'You will be

haunted,' resumed the Ghost, 'by Thre

Spi r i ts . ' Scrooge's countenance fel

almost as low as the Ghost's had doneIs that the chance and hope yo

mentioned, Jacob?' he demanded, in

faltering voice. 'It is.' 'I I think I'

rather not,' said Scrooge. 'Without thei

visits,' said the Ghost, 'you cannot hop

o shun the path I tread. Expect the firs

omorrow, when the bell tolls OneCouldn't I take 'em all at once, and hav

t over, Jacob?' hinted Scrooge. 'Expec

he second on the next night at the sam

hour. The third upon the next night whehe last stroke of Twelve has ceased to

vibrate. Look to see me no more; an

ook that, for your own sake, yo


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remember what has passed between us

When it had said these words, th

spectre took its wrapper from the table

and bound it round its head, as beforeScrooge knew this, by the smart soun

ts teeth made, when the jaws wer

brought together by the bandage. H

ventured to raise his eyes again, an

found his supernatural visito

confronting him in an erect attitude, wit

ts chain wound over and about its armThe apparition walked backward fro

him; and at every step it took, th

window raised itself a little, so tha

when the spectre reached it, it was widopen. It beckoned Scrooge to approach

which he did. When they were withi

wo paces of each other, Marley's Ghos


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held up its hand, warning him to come n

nearer. Scrooge stopped. Not so much i

obedience, as in surprise and fear: fo

on the raising of the hand, he becamsensible of confused noises in the air

ncoherent sounds of lamentation an

regret; wailings inexpressibly sorrowfu

and self-accusatory. The spectre, afte

istening for a moment, joined in th

mournful dirge; and floated out upon th

bleak, dark night. Scrooge followed the window: desperate in his curiosity

He looked out. The air was filled wit

phantoms, wandering hither and thithe

n restless haste, and moaning as thewent. Every one of them wore chain

ike Marley's Ghost; some few (the

might be guilty governments) wer


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door by which the Ghost had entered. I

was double-locked, as he had locked

with his own hands, and the bolts wer

undisturbed. He tried to say 'Humbugbut stopped at the first syllable. And

being, from the emotion he ha

undergone, or the fatigues of the day, o

his glimpse of the Invisible World, o

he dull onversation of the Ghost, or th

ateness of the hour, much in need o

repose; went straight to bed, withouundressing, and fell asleep upon th

nstant.


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Stave 2: The First of the Three Spirits

When Scrooge awoke, it was so dark

hat looking out of bed, he coulscarcely distinguish the transparen

window from the opaque walls of hi

chamber. He was endeavouring to pierc

he darkness with his ferret eyes, whehe chimes of a neighbouring churc

struck the four quarters. So he listene

for the hour. To his great astonishmenhe heavy bell went on from six to seven

and from seven to eight, and regularly up

o twelve; then stopped. Twelve. It wa

past two when he went to bed. The clocwas wrong. An icicle must have got into

he works. Twelve. He touched th

spring of his repeater, to correct thi


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most preposterous clock. Its rapid littl

pulse beat twelve: and stopped. 'Why, i

sn't possible,' said Scrooge, 'that I ca

have slept through a whole day and fanto another night. It isn't possible tha

anything has happened to the sun, an

his is twelve at noon.' The idea being a

alarming one, he scrambled out of bed

and groped his way to the window. H

was obliged to rub the frost off with th

sleeve of his dressing-gown before hcould see anything; and could see ver

ittle then. All he could make out was

hat it was still very foggy and extremel

cold, and that there was no noise opeople running to and with a deep, dull

hollow, melancholy one. Light flashed

up in the room upon the instant, and th


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curtains of his bed were drawn. Th

curtains of his bed were drawn aside,

ell you, by a hand. Not the curtains a

his feet, nor the curtains at his back, buhose to which his face was addressed

The curtains of his bed were draw

aside; and Scrooge, starting up into

half-recumbent attitude, found himsel

face to face with the unearthly visito

who drew them: as close to it as I a

now to you, and I am standing in thspirit at your elbow. It was a strang

figure like a child: yet not so like

child as like an old man, viewed throug

some supernatural medium, which gavhim the appearance of having recede

from the view, and being diminished to

child's proportions. Its hair, which hun


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about its neck and down its back, wa

white as if with age; and yet the face ha

not a wrinkle in it, and the tenderes

bloom was on the skin. The arms wervery long and muscular; the hands th

same, as if its hold were of uncommo

strength. Its legs and feet, mos

delicately formed, were, like thos

upper members, bare. It wore a tunic o

he purest white, and round its waist wa

bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of whicwas beautiful. It held a branch of fres

green holly in its hand; and, in singula

contradiction of that wintry emblem, ha

ts dress trimmed with summer flowersBut the strangest thing about it was, tha

from the crown of its head there sprung

bright clear jet of light, by which all thi


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was visible; and which was doubtles

he occasion of its using, in its dulle

moments, a great extinguisher for a cap

which it now held under its arm. Evehis, though, when Scrooge looked at

with increasing steadiness, was not it

strangest quality. For as its belt sparkled

and glittered now in one part and now i

another, and what was light one instant

at another time was dark, so the figur

tself fluctuated in its distinctness: beinnow a thing with one arm, now with on

eg, now with twenty legs, now a pair o

egs without a head, now a head withou

a body: of which dissolving parts, noutline would be visible in the dens

gloom wherein they melted away. And i

he very wonder of this, it would b


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tself again; distinct and clear as ever

Are you the Spirit, sir, whose comin

was foretold to me.' asked Scrooge.

am. ' The voice was soft and gentleSingularly low, as if instead of being so

close beside him, it were at a distance

Who, and what are you.' Scroog

demanded. 'I am the Ghost of Christma

Past. ' 'Long Past.' inquired Scrooge

observant of its dwarfish stature. 'No

Your past.' Perhaps, Scrooge could nohave told anybody why, if anybod

could have asked him; but he had

special desire to see the Spirit in hi

cap; and begged him to be coveredWhat.' exclaimed the Ghost,' would yo

so soon put out, with worldly hands, th

ight I give. Is it not enough that you ar


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one of those whose passions made thi

cap, and force me through whole train

of years to wear it low upon my brow

Scrooge reverently disclaimed alntention to offend or any knowledge o

having wilfully bonneted the Spirit a

any period of his life. He then made bol

o inquire what business brought hi

here. 'Your welfare.' said the Ghost

Scrooge expressed himself muc

obliged, but could not help thinking thaa night of unbroken rest would have bee

more conducive to that end. The Spir

must have heard him thinking, for it sai

mmediately: 'Your reclamation, thenTake heed.' It put out its strong hand as

spoke, and clasped him gently by th

arm. 'Rise. and walk with me.' It woul


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and stood upon an open country road

with fields on either hand. The city ha

entirely vanished. Not a vestige of it wa

o be seen. The darkness and the mishad vanished with it, for it was a clear

cold, winter day, with snow upon th

ground. 'Good Heaven!' said Scrooge

clasping his hands together, as he looked

about him. 'I was bred in this place.

was a boy here.' The Spirit gazed upo

him mildly. Its gentle touch, though it habeen light and instantaneous, appeare

still present to the old man's sense o

feeling. He was conscious of a thousan

odours floating in the air, each onconnected with a thousand thoughts, an

hopes, and joys, and cares long, long

forgotten. 'Your lip is trembling,' said


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he Ghost. 'And what is that upon you

cheek. ' Scrooge muttered, with a

unusual catching in his voice, that it wa

a pimple; and begged the Ghost to leahim where he would. 'You recollect th

way.' inquired the Spirit. 'Remember it

cried Scrooge with fervour; 'I coul

walk it blindfold.' 'Strange to hav

forgotten it for so many years.' Observe

he Ghost. 'Let us go on.' They walke

along the road, Scrooge recognisinevery gate, and post, and tree; until

ittle market-town appeared in th

distance, with its bridge, its church, an

winding river. Some shaggy ponies nowwere seen trotting towards them wit

boys upon their backs, who called t

other boys in country gigs and carts


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driven by farmers. All these boys wer

n great spirits, and shouted to eac

other, until the broad fields were so ful

of merry music, that the crisp air laugheo hear it. 'These are but shadows of th

hings that have been,' said the Ghost

They have no consciousness of us.' Th

ocund travellers came on; and as the

came, Scrooge knew and named the

every one. Why was he rejoiced beyon

all bounds to see them. Why did his coleye glisten, and his heart leap up as the

went past. Why was he filled wit

gladness when he heard them give eac

other Merry Christmas, as they parted across-roads and bye-ways, for thei

several homes. What was merr

Christmas to Scrooge. Out upon merr


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Christmas. What good had it ever don

o him. 'The school is not quite deserted

said the Ghost. 'A solitary child

neglected by his friends, is left therstill.' Scrooge said he knew it. And h

sobbed. They left the high-road, by

well-remembered lane, and soo

approached a mansion of dull red brick

with a little weathercock-surmounte

cupola, on the roof, and a bell hanging i

t. It was a large house, but one obroken fortunes; for the spacious office

were little used, their walls were dam

and mossy, their windows broken, and

heir gates decayed. Fowls clucked anstrutted in the stables; and the coach

houses and sheds were over-run wit

grass. Nor was it more retentive of it


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ancient state, within; for entering th

dreary hall, and glancing through th

open doors of many rooms, they foun

hem poorly furnished, cold, and vastThere was an earthy savour in the air,

chilly bareness in the place, whic

associated itself somehow with to

much getting up by candle-light, and no

oo much to eat. They went, the Ghos

and Scrooge, across the hall, to a door a

he back of the house. It opened beforhem, and disclosed a long, bare

melancholy room, made barer still b

ines of plain deal forms and desks. A

one of these a lonely boy was readinnear a feeble fire; and Scrooge sat dow

upon a form, and wept to see his poo

forgotten self as he used to be. Not


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atent echo in the house, not a squeak an

scuffle from the mice behind th

panelling, not a drip from the half

hawed water-spout in the dull yarbehind, not a sigh among the leafles

boughs of one despondent poplar, not th

dle swinging of an empty store-hous

door, no, not a clicking in the fire, bu

fell upon the heart of Scrooge with

softening influence, and gave a free

passage to his tears. The Spirit touchehim on the arm, and pointed to hi

ounger self, intent upon his reading

Suddenly a man, in foreign garments

wonderfully real and distinct to look atstood outside the window, with an ax

stuck in his belt, and leading by th

bridle an ass laden with wood. 'Why, it'


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Ali Baba.' Scrooge exclaimed i

ecstasy. 'It's dear old honest Ali Baba

Yes, yes, I know. One Christmas time

when yonder solitary child was left herall alone, he did come, for the first time

ust like that. Poor boy. And Valentine,

said Scrooge,' and his wild brother

Orson; there they go. And what's hi

name, who was put down in his drawers

asleep, at the Gate of Damascus; don

ou see him. And the Sultan's Groomurned upside down by the Genii; ther

he is upon his head. Serve him right. I'

glad of it. What business had he to b

married to the Princess.' To heaScrooge expending all the earnestness o

his nature on such subjects, in a mos

extraordinary voice between laughin


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and crying; and to see his heightened an

excited face; would have been a surpris

o his business friends in the city

nde e d . 'There's the Parrot.' crieScrooge. 'Green body and yellow tai

with a thing like a lettuce growing out o

he top of his head; there he is. Poo

Robin Crusoe, he called him, when h

came home again after sailing round th

sland. 'Poor Robin Crusoe, where hav

ou been, Robin Crusoe.' The mahought he was dreaming, but he wasn't

t was the Parrot, you know. There goe

Friday, running for his life to the littl

creek. Halloa. Hoop. Hallo.' Then, wita rapidity of transition very foreign t

his usual character, he said, in pity fo

his former self, 'Poor boy.' and cried


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again. 'I wish,' Scrooge muttered, puttin

his hand in his pocket, and looking abou

him, after drying his eyes with his cuff

but it's too late now.' 'What is thmatter.' asked the Spirit. 'Nothing,' sai

Scrooge. 'Nothing. There was a bo

singing a Christmas Carol at my doo

ast night. I should like to have given hi

something: that's all.' The Ghost smile

houghtfully, and waved its hand: sayin

as it did so, 'Let us see anotheChristmas.' Scrooge's former self grew

arger at the words, and the roo

became a little darker and more dirty

The panels shrunk, the windowcracked; fragments of plaster fell out o

he ceiling, and the naked laths wer

shown instead; but how all this wa


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brought about, Scrooge knew no mor

han you do. He only knew that it wa

quite correct; that everything ha

happened so; that there he was, alonagain, when all the other boys had gon

home for the jolly holidays. He was no

reading now, but walking up and dow

despairingly. Scrooge looked at th

Ghost, and with a mournful shaking o

his head, glanced anxiously towards th

door. It opened; and a little girl, mucounger than the boy, came darting in

and putting her arms about his neck, an

often kissing him, addressed him as he

Dear, dear brother.' 'I have come tbring you home, dear brother.' said th

child, clapping her tiny hands, an

bending down to laugh. 'To bring yo


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home, home, home.' 'Home, little Fan

returned the boy. 'Yes.' said the child

brimful of glee. 'Home, for good and all

Home, for ever and ever. Father is somuch kinder than he used to be, tha

home's like Heaven. He spoke so gentl

o me one dear night when I was going t

bed, that I was not afraid to ask him onc

more if you might come home; and h

said Yes, you should; and sent me in a

coach to bring you. And you're to be man.' said the child, opening her eyes

and are never to come back here; bu

first, we're to be together all th

Christmas long, and have the merriesime in all the world.' 'You are quite a

woman, little Fan.' exclaimed the boy

She clapped her hands and laughed, an


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ried to touch his head; but being to

ittle, laughed again, and stood on tipto

o embrace him. Then she began to dra

him, in her childish eagerness, towardhe door; and he, nothing loth to go

accompanied her. A terrible voice in th

hall cried.' Bring down Maste

Scrooge's box, there.' and in the hal

appeared the schoolmaster himself, wh

glared on Master Scrooge with

ferocious condescension, and threw hinto a dreadful state of mind by shakin

hands with him. He then conveyed hi

and his sister into the veriest old well o

a shivering best-parlour that ever waseen, where the maps upon the wall, an

he celestial and terrestrial globes in th

windows, were waxy with cold. Here h


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produced a decanter of curiously ligh

wine, and a block of curiously heav

cake, and administered instalments o

hose dainties to the young people: at thsame time, sending out a meagre servan

o offer a glass of something to th

postboy, who answered that he thanked

he gentleman, but if it was the same tap

as he had tasted before, he had rathe

not. Master Scrooge's trunk being by thi

ime tied on to the top of the chaise, thchildren bade the schoolmaster good

bye right willingly; and getting into i

drove gaily down the garden-sweep: th

quick wheels dashing the hoar-frost ansnow from off the dark leaves of th

evergreens like spray. 'Always

delicate creature, whom a breath migh


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have withered,' said the Ghost. 'But sh

had a large heart.' 'So she had,' crie

Scrooge. 'You're right. I will not gainsay

t, Spirit. God forbid.' 'She died woman,' said the Ghost,' and had, as

hink, children.' 'One child,' Scroog

returned. 'True,' said the Ghost. 'You

nephew.' Scrooge seemed uneasy in hi

mind; and answered briefly, 'Yes.

Although they had but that moment lef

he school behind them, they were nown the busy thoroughfares of a city

where shadowy passengers passed an

repassed; where shadowy carts an

coaches battle for the way, and all thstrife and tumult of a real city were. I

was made plain enough, by the dressin

of the shops, that here too it wa


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Christmas time again; but it was evening

and the streets were lighted up. Th

Ghost stopped at a certain warehous

door, and asked Scrooge if he knew itKnow it.' said Scrooge. 'Was

apprenticed here.' They went in. At sigh

of an old gentleman in a Welsh wig

sitting behind such a high desk, that if h

had been two inches taller he must hav

knocked his head against the ceiling

Scrooge cried in great excitement: 'Whyt's old Fezziwig. Bless his heart; it'

Fezziwig alive again.' Old Fezziwig lai

down his pen, and looked up at th

clock, which pointed to the hour oseven. He rubbed his hands; adjusted hi

capacious waistcoat; laughed all ove

himself, from his shows to his organ o


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benevolence; and called out in

comfortable, oily, rich, fat, jovial voice

Yo ho, there. Ebenezer. Dick.' Scrooge'

former self, now grown a young mancame briskly in, accompanied by hi

fellow-prentice. 'Dick Wilkins, to b

sure.' said Scrooge to the Ghost. 'Bles

me, yes. There he is. He was very muc

attached to me, was Dick. Poor Dick

Dear, dear.' 'Yo ho, my boys.' said

Fezziwig. 'No more work to-nighChristmas Eve, Dick. Christmas

Ebenezer. Let's have the shutters up

cried old Fezziwig, with a sharp clap o

his hands, 'before a man can say JacRobinson.' You wouldn't believe how

hose two fellows went at it. The

charged into the street with the shutter


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one, two, three had them up i

heir places four, five, six barred

hem and pinned then seven, eight

nine and came back before you coulhave got to twelve, panting like race

horses. 'Hilli-ho!' cried old Fezziwig

skipping down from the high desk, wit

wonderful agility. 'Clear away, my lads

and let's have lots of room here. Hilli

ho, Dick. Chirrup, Ebenezer.' Clea

away. There was nothing they wouldnhave cleared away, or couldn't hav

cleared away, with old Fezziwig lookin

on. It was done in a minute. Ever

movable was packed off, as if it werdismissed from public life for evermore

he floor was swept and watered, th

amps were trimmed, fuel was heape


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upon the fire; and the warehouse was a

snug, and warm, and dry, and bright

ball-room, as you would desire to se

upon a winter's night. In came a fiddlewith a music-book, and went up to th

ofty desk, and made an orchestra of it

and tuned like fifty stomach-aches. I

came Mrs Fezziwig, one vast substantia

smile. In came the three Miss Fezziwigs

beaming and lovable. In came the si

oung followers whose hearts thebroke. In came all the young men an

women employed in the business. I

came the housemaid, with her cousin, th

baker. In came the cook, with hebrother's particular friend, the milkman

n came the boy from over the way, who

was suspected of not having boar


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enough from his master; trying to hid

himself behind the girl from next doo

but one, who was proved to have ha

her ears pulled by her mistress. In theall came, one after another; some shyly

some boldly, some gracefully, some

awkwardly, some pushing, some pulling

n they all came, anyhow and everyhow

Away they all went, twenty couple a

once; hands half round and back agai

he other way; down the middle and uagain; round and round in various stage

of affectionate grouping; old top coupl

always turning up in the wrong place

new top couple starting off again, asoon as they got there; all top couples a

ast, and not a bottom one to help them

When this result was brought about, ol


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Fezziwig, clapping his hands to stop th

dance, cried out,' Well done.' and the

fiddler plunged his hot face into a pot o

porter, especially provided for thapurpose. But scorning rest, upon hi

reappearance, he instantly began again

hough there were no dancers yet, as i

he other fiddler had been carried home

exhausted, on a shutter, and he were

bran-new man resolved to beat him ou

of sight, or perish. There were mordances, and there were forfeits, an

more dances, and there was cake, an

here was negus, and there was a grea

piece of Cold Roast, and there was great piece of Cold Boiled, and ther

were mince-pies, and plenty of beer. Bu

he great effect of the evening came afte


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he Roast and Boiled, when the fiddle

an artful dog, mind.The sort of man wh

knew his business better than you or

could have told it him.) struck up SiRoger de Coverley.' Then old Fezziwi

stood out to dance with Mrs Fezziwig

Top couple, too; with a good stiff piec

of work cut out for them; three or fou

and twenty pair of partners; people wh

were not to be trifled with; people wh

would dance, and had no notion owalking. But if they had been twice a

many ah, four times old Fezziwi

would have been a match for them, an

so would Mrs Fezziwig. As to her, shewas worthy to be his partner in ever

sense of the term. If that's not hig

praise, tell me higher, and I'll use it. A


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positive light appeared to issue fro

Fezziwig's calves. They shone in ever

part of the dance like moons. You

couldn't have predicted, at any giveime, what would have become of the

next. And when old Fezziwig and Mr

Fezziwig had gone all through the dance

advance and retire, both hands to you

partner, bow and curtsey, corkscrew

hread-the-needle, and back again t

our place; Fezziwig cut cut sdeftly, that he appeared to wink with hi

egs, and came upon his feet agai

without a stagger. When the clock struc

eleven, this domestic ball broke up. Mand Mrs Fezziwig took their stations

one on either side of the door, and

shaking hands with every perso


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ndividually as he or she went out

wished him or her a Merry Christmas

When everybody had retired but the tw

prentices, they did the same to them; anhus the cheerful voices died away, and

he lads were left to their beds; whic

were under a counter in the back-shop

During the whole of this time, Scroog

had acted like a man out of his wits. Hi

heart and soul were in the scene, an

with his former self. He corroborateeverything, remembered everything

enjoyed everything, and underwent th

strangest agitation. It was not until now

when the bright faces of his former seland Dick were turned from them, that h

remembered the Ghost, and becam

conscious that it was looking full upo


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him, while the light upon its head burn

very clear. 'A small matter,' said th

Ghost,' to make these silly folks so ful

of gratitude.' 'Small.' echoed ScroogeThe Spirit signed to him to listen to th

wo apprentices, who were pouring ou

heir hearts in praise of Fezziwig: an

when he had done so, said, 'Why. Is i

not. He has spent but a few pounds o

our mortal money: three or fou

perhaps. Is that so much that he deservehis praise.' 'It isn't that,' said Scrooge

heated by the remark, and speakin

unconsciously like his former, not hi

atter, self. 'It isn't that, Spirit. He has thpower to render us happy or unhappy; t

make our service light or burdensome;

pleasure or a toil. Say that his powe


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ies in words and looks; in things s

slight and insignificant that it i

mpossible to add and count them up

what then. The happiness he gives, iquite as great as if it cost a fortune.' H

felt the Spirit's glance, and stopped

What is the matter.' asked the Ghost

Nothing in particular,' said Scrooge

Something, I think.' the Ghost insisted

No,' said Scrooge,' No. I should like t

be able to say a word or two to my clerust now. That's all.' His former sel

urned down the lamps as he gav

utterance to the wish; and Scrooge an

he Ghost again stood side by side in thopen air. 'My time grows short

observed the Spirit. 'Quick.' This wa

not addressed to Scrooge, or to any on


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whom he could see, but it produced a

mmediate effect. For again Scrooge saw

himself. He was older now; a man in th

prime of life. His face had not the harsand rigid lines of later years; but it ha

begun to wear the signs of care an

avarice. There was an eager, greedy

restless motion in the eye, which showe

he passion that had taken root, an

where the shadow of the growing tre

would fall. He was not alone, but sat bhe side of a fair young girl in

mourning-dress: in whose eyes ther

were tears, which sparkled in the ligh

hat shone out of the Ghost of ChristmaPast. 'It matters little,' she said, softly

To you, very little. Another idol ha

displaced me; and if it can cheer an


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comfort you in time to come, as I woul

have tried to do, I have no just cause t

grieve.' 'What Idol has displaced you

he rejoined. 'A golden one.' 'This is theven-handed dealing of the world.' h

said. 'There is nothing on which it is s

hard as poverty; and there is nothing

professes to condemn with such severit

as the pursuit of wealth.' 'You fear the

world too much,' she answered, gently

All your other hopes have merged inthe hope of being beyond the chance o

ts sordid reproach. I have seen you

nobler aspirations fall off one by one

until the master-passion, Gain, engrosseou. Have I not.' 'What then.' he retorted

Even if I have grown so much wiser

what then. I am not changed toward


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ou.' She shook her head. 'Am I.' 'Ou

contract is an old one. It was made whe

we were both poor and content to be so

until, in good season, we could improvour worldly fortune by our patien

ndustry. You are changed. When it was

made, you were another man.' 'I was

boy,' he said impatiently. 'Your own

feeling tells you that you were not wha

ou are,' she returned. 'I am. That whic

promised happiness when we were onn heart, is fraught with misery now tha

we are two. How often and how keenly

have thought of this, I will not say. It i

enough that I have thought of it, and carelease you.' 'Have I ever sough

release.' 'In words. No. Never.' 'In what

hen.' 'In a changed nature; in an altere


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who, in your very confidence with her

weigh everything by Gain: or, choosin

her, if for a moment you were fals

enough to your one guiding principle tdo so, do I not know that you

repentance and regret would surel

follow. I do; and I release you. With a

full heart, for the love of him you onc

were.' He was about to speak; but wit

her head turned from him, she resumed

You may the memory of what is pashalf makes me hope you will hav

pain in this. A very, very brief time, and

ou will dismiss the recollection of it

gladly, as an unprofitable dream, fromwhich it happened well that you awoke

May you be happy in the life you hav

chosen.' She left him, and they parted


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agitated state of mind could count; and

unlike the celebrated herd in the poem

hey were not forty children conductin

hemselves like one, but every child waconducting itself like forty. Th

consequences were uproarious beyon

belief; but no one seemed to care; on th

contrary, the mother and daughte

aughed heartily, and enjoyed it ver

much; and the latter, soon beginning to

mingle in the sports, got pillaged by thoung brigands most ruthlessly. Wha

would I not have given to one of them

Though I never could have been so rude

no, no. I wouldn't for the wealth of alhe world have crushed that braide

hair, and torn it down; and for th

precious little shoe, I wouldn't hav


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plucked it off, God bless my soul. To

save my life. As to measuring her wais

n sport, as they did, bold young brood,

couldn't have done it; I should havexpected my arm to have grown round

for a punishment, and never com

straight again. And yet I should hav

dearly liked, I own, to have touched he

ips; to have questioned her, that sh

might have opened them; to have looke

upon the lashes of her downcast eyesand never raised a blush; to have le

oose waves of hair, an inch of whic

would be a keepsake beyond price: i

short, I should have liked, I do confesso have had the lightest licence of

child, and yet to have been man enoug

o know its value. But now a knocking a


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he door was heard, and such a rus

mmediately ensued that she wit

aughing face and plundered dress wa

borne towards it the centre of a flusheand boisterous group, just in time t

greet the father, who came hom

attended by a man laden with Christma

oys and presents. Then the shouting an

he struggling, and the onslaught that wa

made on the defenceless porter. Th

scaling him with chairs for ladders tdive into his pockets, despoil him o

brown-paper parcels, hold on tight b

his cravat, hug him round his neck

pommel his back, and kick his legs irrepressible affection. The shouts o

wonder and delight with which th

development of every package wa


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received. The terrible announcement tha

he baby had been taken in the act o

putting a doll's frying-pan into his mouth

and was more than suspected of havinswallowed a fictitious turkey, glued on

wooden platter. The immense relief o

finding this a false alarm. The joy, and

gratitude, and ecstasy. They are al

ndescribable alike. It is enough that b

degrees the children and their emotion

got out of the parlour, and by one stair aa time, up to the top of the house; wher

hey went to bed, and so subsided. An

now Scrooge looked on more attentivel

han ever, when the master of the househaving his daughter leaning fondly o

him, sat down with her and her mother a

his own fireside; and when he though


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hat such another creature, quite a

graceful and as full of promise, migh

have called him father, and been

spring-time in the haggard winter of hiife, his sight grew very dim indeed

Belle,' said the husband, turning to hi

wife with a smile,' I saw an old friend o

ours this afternoon.' 'Who was it

Guess.' 'How can I. Tut, don't I know

she added in the same breath, laughin

as he laughed. 'Mr Scrooge.' 'MScrooge it was. I passed his offic

window; and as it was not shut up, an

he had a candle inside, I could scarcel

help seeing him. His partner lies upohe point of death, I hear; and there he sa

alone. Quite alone in the world, I d

believe.' 'Spirit.' said Scrooge in


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broken voice,' remove me from thi

place.' 'I told you these were shadows o

he things that have been,' said the Ghost

That they are what they are, do noblame me.' 'Remove me.' Scroog

exclaimed,' I cannot bear it.' He turne

upon the Ghost, and seeing that it looke

upon him with a face, in which in som

strange way there were fragments of al

he faces it had shown him, wrestle

with it. 'Leave me. Take me back. Haunme no longer.' In the struggle, if that ca

be called a struggle in which the Ghos

with no visible resistance on its ow

part was undisturbed by any effort of itadversary, Scrooge observed that it

ight was burning high and bright; an

dimly connecting that with its influenc


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over him, he seized the extinguisher-cap

and by a sudden action pressed it dow

upon its head. The Spirit droppe

beneath it, so that the extinguishecovered its whole form; but thoug

Scrooge pressed it down with all hi

force, he could not hide the light, whic

streamed from under it, in an unbroke

flood upon the ground. He wa

conscious of being exhausted, an

overcome by an irresistible drowsinessand, further, of being in his own

bedroom. He gave the cap a partin

squeeze, in which his hand relaxed; an

had barely time to reel to bed, before hsank into a heavy sleep.


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Stave 3: The Second of the Three Spirit

Awaking in the middle of a prodigiously

ough snore, and sitting up in bed to gehis thoughts together, Scrooge had no

occasion to be told that the bell wa

again upon the stroke of One. He felt tha

he was restored to consciousness in thright nick of time, for the especia

purpose of hold ing a conference wit

he second messenger despatched to hihrough Jacob Marley's intervention

But, finding that he turned uncomfortabl

cold when he began to wonder which o

his curtains this new spectre wouldraw back, he put them every one asid

with his own hands, and lying dow

again, established a sharp look-out al


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round the bed. For, he wished to

challenge the Spirit on the moment of it

appearance, and did not wish to be take

by surprise, and made nervousGentlemen of the free-and-easy sort

who plume themselves on bein

acquainted with a move or two, an

being usually equal to the time-of-day

express the wide range of their capacit

for adventure by observing that they ar

good for anything from pitch-and-toss tmanslaughter; between which opposit

extremes, no doubt, there lies a tolerabl

wide and comprehensive range o

subjects. Without venturing for Scroogquite as hardily as this, I don't min

calling on you to believe that he wa

ready for a good broad field of strang


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might be at that very moment a

nteresting case of spontaneou

combustion, without having th

consolation of knowing it. At lasthowever, he began to think as you or

would have thought at first; for it i

always the person not in the predicamen

who knows what ought to have bee

done in it, and would unquestionabl

have done it too at last, I say, he began

o think that the source and secret of thighostly light might be in the adjoinin

room, from whence, on further tracing i

t seemed to shine. This idea taking ful

possession of his mind, he got up softland shuffled in his slippers to the door

The moment Scrooge's hand was on th

ock, a strange voice called him by hi


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name, and bade him enter. He obeyed. I

was his own room. There was no doub

about that. But it had undergone

surprising transformation. The walls anceiling were so hung with living green

hat it looked a perfect grove; from ever

part of which, bright gleaming berrie

glistened. The crisp leaves of holly

mistletoe, and ivy reflected back th

ight, as if so many little mirrors ha

been scattered there; and such a mightblaze went roaring up the chimney, a

hat dull petrification of a hearth ha

never known in Scrooge's time, o

Marley's, or for many and many a winteseason gone. Heaped up on the floor, to

form a kind of throne, were turkeys

geese, game, poultry, brawn, great joint


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of meat, sucking-pigs, long wreaths o

sausages, mince-pies, plum-puddings

barrels of oysters, red-hot chestnuts

cherry-cheeked apples, juicy orangesuscious pears, immense twelfth-cakes

and seething bowls of punch, that mad

he chamber dim with their deliciou

steam. In easy state upon this couch

here sat a jolly Giant, glorious to see

who bore a glowing torch, in shape no

unlike Plenty's horn, and held it up, higup, to shed its light on Scrooge, as h

came peeping round the door. 'Come in

exclaimed the Ghost. 'Come in, an

know me better, man.' Scrooge entereimidly, and hung his head before thi

Spirit. He was not the dogged Scroog

he had been; and though the Spirit's eye


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were clear and kind, he did not like t

meet them. 'I am the Ghost of Christma

Present,' said the Spirit. 'Look upon me

Scrooge reverently did so. It waclothed in one simple green robe, o

mantle, bordered with white fur. Thi

garment hung so loosely on the figure

hat its capacious breast was bare, as i

disdaining to be warded or concealed b

any artifice. Its feet, observable beneat

he ample folds of the garment, weralso bare; and on its head it wore n

other covering than a holly wreath, se

here and there with shining icicles. It

dark brown curls were long and freefree as its genial face, its sparkling eye

ts open hand, its cheery voice, it

unconstrained demeanour, and its joyfu


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air. Girded round its middle was a

antique scabbard; but no sword was i

t, and the ancient sheath was eaten u

with rust. 'You have never seen the likeof me before.' Exclaimed the Spirit

Never,' Scrooge made answer to it

Have never walked forth with th

ounger members of my family; meanin

for I am very young) my elder brother

born in these later years.' pursued th

Phantom. 'I don't think I have,' saiScrooge. 'I am afraid I have not. Hav

ou had many brothers, Spirit.' 'Mor

han eighteen hundred,' said the Ghost

A tremendous family to provide formuttered Scrooge. The Ghost o

Christmas Present rose. 'Spirit,' sai

Scrooge submissively,' conduct m


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where you will. I went forth last night o

compulsion, and I learnt a lesson whic

s working now. To-night, if you have

aught to teach me, let me profit by itTouch my robe.' Scrooge did as he wa

old, and held it fast. Holly, mistletoe

red berries, ivy, turkeys, geese, game

poultry, brawn, meat, pigs, sausages

oysters, pies, puddings, fruit, and punch

all vanished instantly. So did the room

he fire, the ruddy glow, the hour onight, and they stood in the city streets o

Christmas morning, where (for th

weather was severe) the people made

rough, but brisk and not unpleasant kinof music, in scraping the snow from th

pavement in front of their dwellings, an

from the tops of their houses, whence


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was mad delight to the boys to see i

come plumping down into the roa

below, and splitting into artificial littl

snow-storms. The house fronts lookeblack enough, and the windows blacker

contrasting with the smooth white shee

of snow upon the roofs, and with th

dirtier snow upon the ground;which las

deposit had been ploughed up in dee

furrows by the heavy wheels of carts an

waggons; furrows that crossed anrecrossed each other hundreds of time

where the great streets branched off; an

made intricate channels, hard to trace i

he thick yellow mud and icy water. Thsky was gloomy, and the shortest street

were choked up with a dingy mist, hal

hawed, half frozen, whose heavie


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particles descended in shower of soot

atoms, as if all the chimneys in Grea

Britain had, by one consent, caught fire

and were blazing away to their deahearts' content. There was nothing ver

cheerful in the climate or the town, an

et was there an air of cheerfulnes

abroad that the clearest summer air an

brightest summer sun might hav

endeavoured to diffuse in vain. For, th

people who were shovelling away ohe housetops were jovial and full o

glee; calling out to one another from th

parapets, and now and then exchanging

facetious snowballbetter-naturemissile far than many a wordy jest

aughing heartily if it went right and no

ess heartily if it went wrong. Th


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poulterers' shops were still half open

and the fruiterers' were radiant in thei

glory. There were great, round, pot

bellied baskets of chestnuts, shaped likhe waistcoats of jolly old gentlemen

olling at the doors, and tumbling ou

nto the street in their apoplecti

opulence. There were ruddy, brown

faced, broad-girthed Spanish Friars, an

winking from their shelves in wanto

slyness at the girls as they went by, andglanced demurely at the hung-up

mistletoe. There were pears and apples

clustered high in blooming pyramids

here were bunches of grapes, made, ihe shopkeepers' benevolence to dangl

from conspicuous hooks, that people'

mouths might water gratis as the


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passed; there were piles of filberts

mossy and brown, recalling, in thei

fragrance, ancient walks among th

woods, and pleasant shufflings ankldeep through withered leaves; ther

were Norfolk Biffins, squab an

swarthy, setting off the yellow of th

oranges and lemons, and, in the grea

compactness of their juicy persons

urgently entreating and beseeching to b

carried home in paper bags and eateafter dinner. The very gold and silve

fish, set forth among these choice fruit

n a bowl, though members of a dull an

stagnant-blooded race, appeared tknow that there was something going on

and, to a fish, went gasping round an

round their little world in slow an


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passionless excitement. The Grocers'. o

he Grocers'. nearly closed, wit

perhaps two shutters down, or one; bu

hrough those gaps such glimpses. It wanot alone that the scales descending o

he counter made a merry sound, or tha

he twine and roller parted company s

briskly, or that the canisters were rattled

up and down like ju

Documents

Christmas Carol, A - Charles Dickens