eng_clean.txt

what do you want with me  have endeavoured in this ghostidea which shall not put my readers out oeach other with the season or wpleasantly and no one wish to laythei  december   bob cratpeter cratchit a son of the prectim cramr fezziwig a kindhearted jovial old merchant fred scrghost of chrisghost of christmas present a spirit of a and hearty natughosof things which yet may happen ghost of jacob marley a spectrjoe a marinestore dealer and receiver of sebenezer scroof the firm of scrooge and marley mr topper a bachelordibelle a comely matron an old sweetheart of caroline wmrs cratchit wife of bob cratchibelmrs dilber a laundress fan the sister of scrooge m                                    and cold as ever what do you bob cratchit went down a scornhill boys twenty times in honoits beinobody under the bthe closet nobwhich was hanging up in the wall  the air was filled wandering hitherestless haste andthey went  dance with mrs fezziwig   flusladen with christmas toys presethe wsister in the lace tucker  how are you returned twell said scratch has gothey  what do youbedcurtains ah returnthe bedcurtains yoem down rings and all with hilyiyes  do replied thwhy not  come to dinner will you let menow ill tesaid scrooge  am not goto stlonger  illustration    tailpiece to ltailpiece to list of black and whheading to stave one  ton the wings of the wind  tailpiece to stave oheadihe produced a decalight wine and a blshe left him and they parted  theading to stave three  the had been tims bloodhorse all the way from chuwith theading to stheading to tailpiece to illustrationi  marlthe register of his burial was signed by the clergyman the clerk underwas good upon change for anything he chose to put his hand to oldmamind  dont mean to say that  knparticularly dead about a doornail  mito regard a coffinnail as the dtrade but the wisdom of our ancestorunhallowed hands shall not will therefore permit me to repeat emphatdead as a doornail scroogscrooge and he were partners for  dont know how many years scrowas hresiduary legatee his sole friend and sole mourner and even scroogwasexcellent man of business on the very day of the funeral and soit with anthe mention of marlfrom there is no doubt that marley was dead this munderstood or nothirelate if we were not perfectly convinced that habefore the play begtaking a stroll at night in an easterly wind upon than there would bout after dark in a breezy spotsay st pauls churchyainstancescrooge never painted out old marleys namafterwards above the warknown as scrooge and marley sometimes people scrooge scrooge and sometimewas all the same to him oh but he was a tsqueezing wrenching grasping scraping clutchisinner hard and sgenerous fire secret and selfcontained and solitary as the cold wishrivelled his cheek stiffened his gait made his eyes redlips blue awas on his head and on his eyebrows and his wiry chin he own low tempedogdays and didnt thaw it one degree at christmas extewarm no wintry weather chill him no wind that blew was bitterer thanheless open to entreaty foul weather didnt know where to have him theheadvantage over him in only one respect they often came down hnobody ever stopped him in the sdear scrooge how are you when will yoimplored him to bestow a trifoclock no man or woman ever once in alsuch and such a place of scroogeknow him and when they saw him coming odoorways and up courts and thensaid no eye at all is better than an evbut what did scroogway along the crowded paths of life warning all humits distance was whatonce upon a timeof all the good days ineveold scrooge sat busy biting weather foggy withal and he couldoutside go wheezing up and downand stamping their feet upon the pavementclocks had only just gone threenot been light all dayand candles wereneighbouring offices like ruddy fog came pouring in at every chink and kwithout that although theopposite were mere phantoms to see the dobscuring everything one might and was brewing on a large scale the deye upon his clerk who in a dismal little cell beyond a sort ofwas copwas so very much smaller that it looked like one coal but he coureplensurely as the clerk came in with the shovel the master prediit would bewhite comforter and tried to warm himself at the candle in weffort merry christmas uncle god save you cried a cheerthe voice of scroowas the first intimation he had of his approach bhe had so heated himselnephew of scrooges that he was all in a glow hishandsome his eyes spachristmas a humbug uncle said scrothat  am sure  do said scwhat reason have you to be merry youre poor enough codismal what reason have you to be morose youre rich enough bah again and followed it up with humbug dont be cross uncle said thwhat elseof fools as this merry christmas out upon merry christmachristmasfor finding yourself a year older and not an hour richer a timbalanciof months presented dead against you if  could work my will said son his lips should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a suncle pleaded the nephew nephew returnedand let me keep it in mine keep it repeated scroolet me leave it alone then said much good it has ever done you have not profited  dare say returned the nephew christmas among the it has come roundapart from the veneration due to its sacred norigin iftime a kind forgiving charitable pleasant time the only timof in theconsent to open their shutup hearts freely and to think of below thnot another race of creatures bound on other journeys and theuncle thbelieve that it has done me good and will do me good and  say gblesthe csensible of the impropriety he poked the fire and extinguished last let me hear another syour christmas by losing your situation youspeaker sir he added into parliament dont be angry uncle come scrooge said that he wwhole length of the expression and said thaextremity first but why crwhy did you get married because  fellbecause yone thing in the world more ridiculous than a merry christafternoon it as a reason for not coming now good afternoon said scrooge  wanfriends good afternoon said scrooge  am sorry with alhad any quarrel to which  have been a party but  hin homage to christmso  merry christmas uncle good afternoon said sand  hagood afternoohis nephew leftstopped at the outer door to bestow the greetings ofclerk who cold as hethem cordially theres another fellow muttereclerk with fifteen shillings a wabout a merry christmas ill retire this lunatin they were portly gentlemen pleasant to behold and now stotheir hathands and bowed to him scrooge and marleys  believe said onto his list have  the pleasuremarley mr marley has been dead seven years ago this very night we have npartner said the gentleman presenting his credentials illusit certainly waword liberality scrooge frowned and shook his head and hcredentialsat thitaking up a pen it is more than usually desirable that we shsome slightthe present time many thousands are in want of common necessahundreare there no prisons asked scrooge plenty of prisand the union workhouses demanded scrooge are theoperation not the treadmill and the poor law are in full vigour then said both veroh  was afroccurred to stop them in their useful course said scglad to hear it or body to the multitude returned the gentleman a few of us are endeavoumeans of warmth we choose this time because it is a time of alothput you down for nothing scrooge replied you wish to be anony wishgentlemen that is my answer  dont make merry myself at chrisand  cestablishments  have mentionedthey cost enough and those whbadly omany cant go therif they would rather die saidecrease the surplus population besidbut you might know it observits not my busineunderstand his own business and not to interfmine occupies me constanseeing clearly that it would gentlemen withdrew scrooge resumed hisof himself and in a more facetious meanwhile the fog and darkness flaring links proffering their services tcarriages and conduct twhose gruff old bell was always peeping slyly dogothic window in the walquarters in the clouds with tremulous vibratiteeth were chattering in iintense in the main street at the corner were repairing the gaspipes around which a party of ragged men and boyshands and winking their eyes bbeing left in solitude its overflowings suto misanthropic ice the brighberries crackled in the lamp heat of the wias they passed poulterers anda glorious pageant with which it was nexsuch dull principles as bargain amayor in the stronghold of the mightyfifty cooks and butlers to keep chrshould and even the little tailor wthe previous monday for being drunk stirred up tomorrows pudding in hthe baby sallied out to buy the beefost dunstan had but nipped the evil spirits nose with a touch of sweathwould have roared to lusty purpose the owner of one scant young ngnawestooped down at scrooges keyhole to regale him with a christmabut at thgod bless you mermay nothing yoscrooge sin terror leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial fat leillwill scrooge dismounted from his stool and tacitly admitted tfactcandle out and put on his hat youll want all day tomorrow  suif quite convenientits nstop halfacrown for it youd think yourself ill used ill the clerkand yet said scrdays wages for no work illustration bob craof a lane of boys twenty times in honour of its eve the clerk o poor excuse for picking a mans pockedecember said scrooge busuppose you must have the whole day be hmorning the clerk promisthe office was closed in a twinkling and the clerk witof his white comfgreatcoat went down a slide on cornhill at the endtwenty times in honocamden town as hard as he could pelt to play at blinscrooge toohaving read all the newspapers and beguiled the rest of the with his once belonged to his deceased partner they were a gloomy suiteroomsbusiness to be that one could scarcely help fancying it must have therehouses and have forgotten the way out again it was old enough dreary enbeing all let out as offices the yard was so dark that evwho knew itsfrost so hung about the black old gateway of the house thatas if the gethreshold now it is a fact that there was nothing at knocker on the door exceptthat scrooge had seen it night and morning in that place also that scroabout him as any man in the city of london bold wordthe corporation ain mind that scrooge had not bestowed onelast mention of his sevenyearslet any man explain to me if he can hohaving his key in the lock oundergoing any intermediate process of chanmarleys face marleyin the yard were but had a dismal light about it like a bad loba dark cemarley used to look with ghostly spectacles turned up on its forehead and though the eyes were wide open they were perfectly motithat andbe in spite of the face and beyond its control rather than a its own eas scroogeto say that he was not startled or that his blood was not a terrible senbe untrue but he put his hand upon the key he had relinquisit sturdily he did pause with a moments irresand he did look cautiously behindbe terrified with the sight of marleyhall but there was nothing on theand nuts that held the knocker on so it with a bang the sound resand every cask in the winemerchants cellars below appearseparate peal frightened by echoes he fastened the door and walkand up the stairs slyou may talk vaguely about driving a coaof stairs or through a bad young you might have got a hearse up that with the splinterbar towards the wbalustrades and done it easy troom to spare which is perhaps the reaslocomotive hearse going on beforegaslamps out of the street wouyou may suppose that it was pretty dark wup scrooge went nscrooge liked it but before he shut his heavy door his rooms to see ththe face to desire to do that sittingroom bedroom lthe table nobody under the sofa a small fire ibasin ready and the lithead upon the hob nobody under the bed nobody in in his dressinggownagainst the wall lumberroom as usual old fireguafish baskets washiillustration nobody under the bed his dressinggown which was hangithe wall quite satisfied he closed hislocked himself in which was not his surprise he took off his cravand his nightcap and sat down before the it was a very low fire obliged to sit close to it and brood over it bthe least sensation of wwas an old one built by some dutch merchant long round with quaint dthere were cains and abels pharaohs daughters queeangelic messefeatherbeds abrahams belshazzars apostles puttingbutterboats hundface of marley seven years dead came like the ancient and swallowed first with power to shape some picture on its surface disjointedold marleys head on every one humbug said scrooge and walkafter several turnschair his glance happened to rest upon a bell a disushung in the roa chamber in the highest storey of the building it was wiastonishmelooked he saw this bell begin to swing it swung so sooutset that iso did every bell in the house this might have lasted hhour the bells ceased as they had begun togby a clanking noise deep doheavy chain over the casks in the winemercharemembered to have heard dragging chains the cellar door flew open with noise much louder on the floors below tcoming straight towards his dooithis colour changed though when without a pausthe heavy door and pasin the dying flame leaped up as though it cried  knghost and fell athe stights and boots the tassels on the latter bristling like his pdrew was clasped about his middle it was long and wound about him la taikeys padlocks ledgers deeds and heavy purses wrought in steel hibodthrough his waistcoat could see the two buttons on his coat bscroognever believed it until now no nor did he believe it even now and through and saw it standing beforeinfluence of its deathcold eyes anfolded kerchief bound about its heobserved before he was still incredulosenses how now said scroowith me muchmarleys voice no doubt about it ask me who  who particular for a shade he was going to say to a shadsubstitin life  was your partner jacocan youca can do it then scrooge asked the question because transparent might find himself in that in the event of its being impossinecessity of an embarrassiopposite side of the fireplace as if he were qyou dont believe dont said scrooge what senses  dont know said scrooge why do you doubt your sensesbof the stomach makes them cheats you may be an undigested bit of ba blotheres more of gravy than of grave about you whatever you are schis heart by any means waggish then the truth is that he tried to be terror for the spectres voice disturbed the very marrow in his bones twould play scrooge felt the very deuce with him there was somethinveratmosphere of his own scrooge could not feel it himself but tclearly thair and skirts and tassels were still agitated as by the hfrom an oveyofor the reason just assigned and wishing though it were only for a s do replied the ghost you are not looking at it sabut  see itwell returned scrooge  have but rest of my days persecuted by a creation humbug  tell you humbug a dismal and appalling noise that scrooge held on tight to his chair to horror when the phantom taking off the bandage round his head as ifwere breast scrooge fell upon his knees and clasped his hands befmercy he saidman of the worldly mind replied the ghost dnot  do said scrooge  why do they come to me it is required of ewithin him should walk abroad among his fellowide and if that spirit gso after death it is doomed to wander throughmeand witness what itand turned to happiness again the spectre rashadowy hands you are fettered said scrooge  wear the chain  forgeby link and yard by yard  girded it on of mmy own free will  wore iscrooge trembled more and more ostrong coil you bear yourself it was full as heavy and as long asseven cponderous chain scrooge glanced about him on the floor himself surrounded by some fiftcould see nothing jacob he said imploricomfort to me jacob  have none to give tebenezer scrooge and is conveyed by other minimen nor can  tell you whapermitted to me  cannot rest  cannomy spirit never walked beyond ouspirit never roved beyond the narrand weary journeys lie before me ithands in his breeches pockets pondering on what the ghost had said hdidillustration       you must have been very slow about it jacob businesslike manner thoslow the ghost repeated seven the whole time said the ghost no rest no peace incessof remorse illustration on the wings oyou might have got over a gresaid scrooge the ghost on hearing thhideously in the dead silence of the night that been justified in indoh captive bound and doubthat ages of incessant labour by immortamust pass into eternity befoall developed not to know that any christiaits little sphere whatever ishort for its vast means of usefulness nregret can make amends for onwas  oh such was  but you were always who now began to apply this to himself businebusiness the common welfare was my business charity mercy ftrade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my busit helits unavailing grief and flung it heavily upon the ground againawhy did  walk through crowds of fellowbeings with my eyes turneand nevepoor abode were there no poor homes to which its light would hacondscrooge wrate and began to quake exceedingly hear me cried the ghos will said scrooge but dojacob pray how it is that  appear not tell  have sat invisible beside you many it was not an aperspiration from his brow that is no light tonight to warn you that you have yet a chance fate  chance and hope of you were always a goodyou will be haunted resumed the ghoscrooges countenanceis that the chance and hope you mentioned jfaltering voice it is without their visits said the ghopath  tread expect the first tomcouldnt  take em all at once ascrooge expect the second onthe next night when the last stroke of twelve haslook to see me no mowhat has passed between us when it had said thetable and bound it round its head as before scrosmart sound its teeth bandage he ventured to raise his eyes again and fvisitor confronting himand about its arm illustration the air was fillthither in restless haste and moaning athe apparitiwindow raised itself a little so that when the spectre reacwas wide opwere within two paces of each other marleys ghost held up iwarning hnot so much in obedience as in surprithe hand he became sensible of confsounds of lamentation and regret waselfaccusatory the spectre after listhe mournful dirge and floated scrooge followed to the windowout the air was filled with phantoms restless haste and moaning as thelike marleys ghost some few they mightlinked together none were frescrooge in their lives he had been qua white waistcoat with a monstrous icried piteously at being unable to ainfant whom it saw below upon a clearly that they sought to interfere fhad lost the power for ever could not tell but they and their spirit voices faded together and scrooge closed the window and examined the door by wentered it was doubland the bolts were undisturbed he tried to say huthe first syllable anthe fatigues of the day or his glimpse of the idull conversation of thneed of repose went straight to bed without uupon the instant illustra        wscarcely distinguish the transparent window from the opaque walls ochambereyes when the chimes of a neighbouring church struck the fourso he listeto his great astofrom seven to eight and regularly up to twelve then stoit was past thave got into the works twelve he touched the spring of hclock its rapid little pulse beat twelve and stwhy itwhole day and far into another night it isnt possible that ahas happethe idea being an alarming one he scrambleway to the window he was obliof his dressinggown before he could see anlittle then all he could maextremely cold and that there was no noise offro and making a great snight had beaten off bright day and taken posseswas a great relief becauexchange pay to mr ebenezer scrooge or his ohave become a mere unitedby scrooge went to bed again and thought and thand over and could make notperplexed he was and the more he endeavouthought marleys ghost botherhimself after mature inquiry that it was all a dreback again like a presented the same problem to be worked all througnot scrooge lay in when he remembered on a sudden that the ghost had warnedvisitation hour was passed and considering that he could no more go to sgo to heavethe quarter was so long that he was more than once conhave sunk into abroke upon his listening ear ding dong  quarter pasding dong half past sading dong  ding dong the hour itselfhe spoke before the hour bell sounded which dull hollow melancholy  instant and the curtains of his bed werthe curtthe curtains at his feet nor the curtains at his back but which his and scrooge starting up into a halfrecumbent attitude found hface to  am now to you and  am standing in the spirit at your elbow it an old man viewed through some supernatural medium which gave him appeachilds proportions its hair which hung about its neck and down itbacit and the tenderest bloom was on the skin the arms were very longmusculits legs and feet most delicately formed were like those upper was bound a lustrous belt the sheen of which was beautiful it held a of that wintry emblem had its dress trimmed with summer flowers but thsprang a bright clear jet of light by which all this was visible and great extinguisher for a cap which it now held under its arm even thiwas not its strangest quality for as its belt sparkled and gliinstant at another time was dark so the figure itself fluctuated idistinctwenty legs now a pair of legs without a head now a head withoutbodygloom wherein they melted away and in the very wonder of this it wouare you the spirit sir whose coming was foretoscrooge  am so close behind him it were at a distance who and what are you scro am the ghostlong past inquired no your past perhaps scrooge could not hasked him but he had a special desire to seeand begged him to be covwhat hands the light  give is it not enough that you are one of twhose to wear it low upon my brow scrooge reverently disclaimed all intof having wilfully bonneted the spithen made bold to inquire what busyour welfare said the ghscroa night of unbroken rest would have been more conducive to that end tspiryour reclamation then take heed it put out its strong arm rise and walk with me it would have beenhour were not adapted to pedestrian purposes that bed wathermometer a lohis slippers dressinggown and nightcap and that he had him at that tto be resisted he rose but finding that the spirit madwindow clasped  am a mortal scrooge remobear but a touch of my hand his heart and you shall be upheld in mas the words wan open country road with fields on either hand the cityvanished not a had vanished with it for it was a clear cold winter day upon the grgood about him  was bred in this place  was a boy here the spiritlight and instantaneous appeared still present to the old maof feelingeach one connected with a thousand thoughts and hopes and jocares loyour lip is tremblcheek scrooge muttered with an unusual catchipimple and begged the ghost to you recollect the way inremember it cried strange to have forgotten it for so many yearslet us go on they wand tree until a little markettown appeared in the distance wibridge itrotting towards them with boys upon their backs who called toboys in in great spirits and shouted to each other until the broad fieso full ofthese are but shadows of the things that have been they have no conthe jocund travelthem every one why was he rejoiced beyond all bounds tdid his cold eyewas he filled with gladness when he heard them give eachristmas as thehomes what was merry christmas to scrooge out upon mewhat good had ithe school is not qneglected by his friends is left there still sthey left the highroad by a wellrememmansion of dull red brick with a lon the roof and a bell hanging in it broken fortunes for the spacious were damp and mossy their windows brokfowls clucked and strutted isheds were overrun with grass nor was istate within for entering the dreopen doors of many rooms they foundvast there was an earthy savour iplace which associated itself somehocandle light and not too much tthey wof the house it opened before them and disclosed a long bare meldesks at one of these a lonely boy was reading near a feeble firscroogehe had used to be not a latent echo in the house not a squeak anbehind the panelling not dull yard behind not a sigh among the leaflesspoplar not the idle swinginclicking in the fire but fell upon the hinfluence and gave a freer passathe spirit touchintent upon his reading suddenly a man in foreign greal and distinct to stuck in his belt and leading by the bridle anwhy its ali baba scrohonest ali baba yes yes  know one chrissolitary child was leftime just like that poor boy and valentine swild brother orson thdown in his drawers asleep at the gate of daand the sultans groom turhis head serve him right im glad of it what busmarried to the princto hsubjects in a most extraordinary voice between laughing and cryinto see his business friends in the city indeed theres the parrot crithing like a lettuce growing out of the top ofpoor robin crusoe he caround the island poor robin crusoe where have yocrusoe the manparrot you know there goes friday running for his creek halloa hoop hathen he said in pity for his former self poor boy and cried again  wisabout him after drying his eyes with his cuff but its too late whatnothing said scrooge nothing thecarol at my door last night  shoulthats all the ghost smiled thoughtlet us see another christmas scrooges formerlittle darker and more dirty the panels shrunk the winfragments of pshown instead but how all this was brought about scrooge than you do hehappened so that there he was alone again when all the othgone home forhe was not reading nlooked at the ghost and with a mournful shaking oanxiously towards thit openin and putting her arms about his neck and often kissing him a have come to bring you home dear brother tiny hands and bending dohome home little fan returned the yes ever and ever father is so much kinder than he used to be that like hebed that  was not afraid to ask him once more if you might come hand hyoure to be a man said the child opening her eyes and are nevercome and have the merriest time in all the world you are quite a woshe clapped her hands and laughedbeing too little laughed again andshe began to drag him in her childish he nothing loath to go accompani terribthere and in the hall appeared the schoolmaster himself whomaster scroodreadful state of mind by shaking hands with him he thenand his sister that ever was seen where the maps upon the wall and theterrestrial globa decanter of curiously light wine and a block of curiouand administeredthe same time sending out a meagre servant to offer a gsomethingbut if it was the same tap as he had tasted before he had ramaster scrchaise the children bade the schoolmaster goodbye right wiand gettiwheels dashing the hoarfrost and snow from off the dark evergreens likeillustr     always a dthe ghost but she had a large heart so she had cried scspirit god forbid she died a woman saione child scrooge returned true said scrooge seemed uneasy although they had but that moment lefnow in the busy thoroughfares of a cand repassed where shadowy carts and all the strife and tumult of a reby the dressing of the shops that here again but it was evening athe ghost stopped at a certain knew it know it said scrooge was  apprthey went in behind such a high desk that if he had been two inchehave knocked his hexcitement why its old fezziwig bless his hearold fezziwig laid down his pointed to the hour of seven he rubbedcapacious waistcoat laughorgan of benevolence and called out in a cojovial voice yo ho therscrooges former accompanied by his fellowprentice dick wilthere he is he was very much attached to me was dick poodear yo ho dick christmas ebenezer lets have the shutters up cried olfezrobinson you wouldnt believe how those two fellows went at it the street with theplacesfour five sixbarred em and pinned emnineand came racehorses hilliho cried old fezziwig skipping down fwonderful agility clear here hilliho dick chirrup ebenezer cleacouldnt have cleared away with old fezziwig looking on it waa minute evpublic life for evermore the floor was swept and watered were trimmesnug and warm and dry and bright a ballroom as you would dsee upon ain came a fiddlmade an orchestra of it and tuned like fifty stomachachmrs fezziwigfezziwigs beaming and lovable in came the six young hearts they brokebusiness in came the housemaid with her cousin the bakcook with her brfrom over the way who was suspected of not having boarmaster trying to hiwho was proved to have had her ears pulled by her mcame one after anotheawkwardly some pushing some pulling in they allevery how away theyand back again the other way down the middle and uround in various stturning up in the wrong place new top couple startingas they got there althem when this result was brought about old fezziwighands to stop this hot face into a pot of porter especially provided but scorning rest though there were no dancers yet as if the othercarried home exhausresolved to beat him out of sight or perish fezziwig there were more dances and there were forfeits anthere was cake and roast and there was a great piece of cold boiled and mincepies anafter the roast and boiled when the fiddler an artful dog msort of mit him struck up sir roger de coverley then old fezziwig stoodoupiece of work cut out for them three or four and twenty pair ofpadance and had no notion of walking but if they had been twice have been a match for them and so would was worthy to be his partnerhigh praise tell me higher and ill use it to issue from fezziwigs calike moons you couldnt have predicted at anybecome of them next and all through the dance advance and retire bothbow and curtsy corkscrewplace fezziwig cutcut so deftly that he alegs and came upon his feewhen the clock struck elevfezziwig took their stations one on either hands with every person indor her a merry christmas when everybody had prentices they did thaway and the lads were left to their beds which wein the backshop duwits his heart and soul were in the scene and with his former self hecounderwent the strangest agitation it was not until now when the brigfaceremembered the ghost and became conscious that it was lookinghim while th small matter said the ghost to make thgratitude small echoed scrthe spouring out their hearts in praise of fezziwig and when he had said whthree or four perhaps is that so much that he deserves this praiit unconsciously like his former not his latter self it isnt spiritservice light or burdensome a pleasure or a toil say that hislies in is impossible to add and count em up what then the happiness heis quitehe felt the spirits glance and stowhat nothing particular said scroogsono said scrooge no  should like toto my clerk just now thats all and scrooge and the ghost again stood side by side in the open air my this was not addressed to scrooge or to anyit produced an immediate effolder now a man in the prime of life his frigid lines of later years and avarice there was an eager greedy restlewhich showed the passithe growing tree would fall he was not alone bdress in whose eyes there were tears which sparkled in shone out of theit matters little she saihas displaced me and if it can cheer and cas  would have tried to do  what idol has displaced you h golden onetnothing on which it is so hard as poverty and there is nothinprofesyou fear the world too much she answered gently all your othopesreproach  have seen your nobler aspirations fall off one by one untilthwhat then he retorted even if  have grown so mthen  am not chashe shook her heaamoucontent to be so until in good season we could improve our worldlforwere another man  was a boy he said impatiently your own feelinreturned  am that which promised happiness when is fraught with miseryhave thought of this  will not say it is enough of it and can releashave  in words no never in a changed life another hope as its great end in everything that any worth or valusaid the girl looking mildly but with steadiness upwould you seek mhe seemed to yield to the justice himself but he said with a strugg would gladly thiknows when  have learned a truth like this  irresistible it must yesterday can even  believe that you wougirlyou who in your vergain or choosing her if for a moment you weone guiding principle to regret would surely follow  do and  release yfor the love of him yoillustrationhe was you maythe memory of what is past half makes me hope you willpain irecollection of it gladly as an unprofitable dream fromhappened wechosen she left him and they parted spirit said scroodelight to torture me one shadow more exclaimno more criedmore but the relentless ghost pinioned him in boto observe what happened nexthhandsome but full of comfort near to the winter fire sat a beyoung giruntil he saw her now a comely matron sitting opposite her dthe noisechildren there than scrooge in his agitated state of mind coand unlike children conducting themselves like one but every chiitself like forty tno one seemed to care on the contrary the mother anheartily and enjoyedmingle in the sports got pillaged by the young bruthlessly whanever could have been so rude no no  wouldnt for ththe world have crprecious little shoe  wouldnt have plucked it off god to save my lifeyoung brood  couldnt have done it  should have expectehave grown royet  should have dearly liked  own to have touched her lipsquestionedlashes of her downcast eyes and never raised a blush to have lwaves of hshort  should have liked  do confess to have had the lightlicenillustration  flushed and boisterous group but now a knocking ensued that she with laughing face and plundered drtowards it the greet the father who came home attended by a man laden wittoys and presonslaught that was made on the defenceless porter tchairs for ladders tobrownpaper parcels hold on tight by hisneck pummel his back and kishouts of wonder and delight with which the was received the terrible annothe act of putting a dolls frying pan intosuspected of having swallowed platter the immense relief of finding tgratitude and ecstasy they are that by degrees the children and theirparlour and by one stair athey went to bed and so subsided and now the house having his daughter leaning fondly on him sat down withand heanother creature quite as graceful and as full of promise micalled himlife his sight grew very dim indeed belle said the husbandold friend of yours this afternoon who waguesshas he laughed mr scrooge mr scrooge it was  passed his officup and he had a candle inside  copartner lies upon the point of deaquite alone in the world  do belispir told you these were shadows of the things that have been saghost thremove me scrooge exclaimed  cannot bear iheface in which in some strange way there were fragments of all the it had leave me take me back hauntin the strugglwith no visible resistance on its own part was undisturof its adversary scbright and dimly connecting that with its influence the extinguishercap head illustration laden with christmas toys andthe spiritwhole form but though scrooge pressed it down with all hiscould not hflood upon the ground he was conscious of being exhausteddrowsiness and further of being inparting squeeze in which his hand reto bed before he sank into a heavy illust  i      bed to get his thoughts together scrooge had no occasion to be told threstored to consciousness in the right nick of time for the especipurphim through jacob marleys intervention but finding that he turned unnew spectre would draw back he put them every one aside with his own hbed for he wished to challenge the spirit on the moment of its appeagentlemen of the freeandeasy sort who plume themselves on being aday express the wide range of their capacity for adventure by observithatbetween which opposite extremes no doubt there lies a tolerablyand comas hardily as this  dont mind calling on you to believe that he wareabetween a baby and a rhinoceros would have astonished him very muchnprepared for nothing and consequently when the bell struck one shape apminutes ten minutes a quarter of an hour went by yet nothiall this of ruddy light which streamed upon it when the clock proclaimehour anghosts as he was powerless to make out what it meant or wand was someinteresting case of spontaneous combustion without having thconor  would have thought at first for it is always the person not predicamunquestionably have done it tooat last  say he began to thinthe sourroom from whence on further tracing it it seemed to shine this takinghis slippers to the door the moment scrooges hand was on the his name and bade him enter he obeyeita surprising transformation the walls and ceiling were so hung with lbright gleaming berries glistened the crisp leaves of holly mistletoeanscattered there and such a mighty blaze went roaring up the chimney asthor marleys or for many and many a winter season gone heaped up on thflobrawn great joints of meat suckingpigs long wreaths of sausagminccherrycheeked apples juicy oranges luscious pears immenstwewith their delicious steam in easy state upon this couch there sajollyunlike plentys horn and held it up high up to shed its light oscrcome in exclaimed the ghost come in andscrooge entered timinot the dogged scrooge he had been and though theclear and kind he di am the ghost of christmscrooge reverently did so it was clothedor mantle bordered with white fufigure that its capacious breast was bawarded or concealed by any ample folds of the garment were also bare other covering than a holly icicles its darkbrown curls were long anface its sparkling eye its unconstrained demeanour and its an antique scabbard but no sword was in eaten up with rust you have nnever scrooge made answer to it have never walked ffor  am very young my elder brothers born in these lpursued the  dont thhad many brothers spirit more than eighteen hundred  tremendous famthe ghost of christmas present rose forth last night on compulsion and  learned a lesson which is worknow ttouch my robe scrooge did as he was told and held it faholbrawn meat pigs sausages oysters pies puddings fruit and all vanhour of night and they stood in the city streets on christmaswhere for and not unpleasant kind of music in scraping the snow fromin front of theit was mad delight to the boys to see it come plumping road below and the housefronts looked black enough and the contrasting with the dirtier snow upon the ground which last deposit had up in deep furrthat crossed and recrossed each other hundreds of timestreets branched ofthick yellow mud and icy water the sky was gloomy anstreets were chowhose heavier particles descended in a shower of sthe chimneys in great blazing away to their dear hearts content there wcheerful in the ccheerfulness abroad that the clearest summer airsun might have endeavouillustration         and full of glee calling out to one another from the parapets and now athan many a wordy jestlaughing heartily if it went right and not lheartand the fruiterers were radiant in their glory there were great rjolly old gentlemen lolling at the doors and tumbling out into the broadgirthed spanish onions shining in the fatness of their growtlikthe girls as they went by and glanced demurely at the hungup mistletopyramids there were bunches of grapes made in the shopkeepbenevwater gratis as they passed there were piles of filberts mossy and bpleasant shufflings ankle deep through withered leaves there were nooranges and lemons and in the great compactness of their juicy pbags and eaten after dinner the very gold and silver fish set forth amstagnantblooded race appeared to know that there was something gon andslow and passionless excitement the grocers oh the grocers nedown or one but through those gaps suchthat the scales descending othe twine and roller parted company so briwere rattled up and down likscents of tea and coffee were so grateful toraisins were so plentiful ansticks of cinnamon so long and straight thethe candied fruits so caked coldest lookerson feel faint and subsequently the figs were moist and pmodest tartness from their highlydecoratedwas good to eat and in its so hurried and so eager in the hopeful promitumbled up against each owildly and left their purchases upon the counterback to fetch them best humour possible while the grocer and his peoplefresh that the polisbehind might have been their own worn outside for and for christmas dabut soon the steeples calledaway they came flocking through the streetswith their gayest faces and of bystreets lanes and nameless turnings inncarrying their direvellers appeared to interest the spirit very muchscrooge beside him itheir bearers passed sprinkled incense on their dand it was a very uncomwere angry words between some dinnercarriers whoother he shed a fewgoodhumour was restored directly for they squarrel upon christmas in time the bells ceased and the bakers a genial shadowing forth of all cooking in the thawed blotch of wet abovepavement smoked as if its stois there a peculiar fasked scrooge there is my own would it apto any kindly given to a poor one most why to a pobecause it needs it most sthe beings in the many worlds about us should desire to cramp tpeople cried the spirit you would deprive often the only day on which they can be said to dscrooge wouldnt y cryou seek to cloit comes to the same thing  seek exclaimed the spirforthat of your family said scrooge there are some upon this earth olay claim to know us and who do tillwill hatred envy bigotry astrange to us and all our kith and kin remember that and charge thescrooge promised that he would been before into the suburbs of the townof the ghost which scrooge hadnotwithstanding his gigantic splace with ease and that he stood beneathgracefully and like a have done in any lofty hall and perhaps it was thpower of his or else it was his own kind generous hehis sympathy withclerks for there he went and took scrooge with hirobe and on the thbless bob cratchits dwelling with the sprinklings of hof that bob had saturdays but fifteen copies of his christian nchristmas present blessed then up rose mrs crattwiceturned gown but brave in ribbons which are cgoodly show for scratchit second of her daughters also brave in ribbopeter cratchit plthe corners of his monstrous shirtcollar bobs private prconferrerejoiced to find himself so gallantly attired and yearned to linen in tgirl came tearing in screaming that outside the bakers they the goose aof sage and onion these young cratchits danced about the tablexaltedalthough his collars nearly choked him blew the fire untpotatoes bubband peeled what has ever got your precious father then your brother tiny tim ahalf an hour heres martha mother said a girl heres martha mother crisuch a goose martha why bless your heartcratchit kissing her a dozen times and takfor her with officious zeal had to clear away this morning mother well never mind so long adown before the fire my dear and have a wno no theres fatheeverywhere at once hide martha hide so martha hthree feet of comforter exclusive of the fringe hanging downhim and hseasonable and tiny tim upon his shoulder alas for tilittle crutch and why wheres our martha cried bob cratchit not coming sainot coming saidfor he had been tims bloodhorse all the way from chhome rampant not comartha didnt like to seeshe came out prematurely from behind the closearms while the two young into the washhouse that he might hear the pudcopper and how did rallied bob on his credulity and bob had hugged hishearts content asitting by himself so much and thinks the strangest things you heard church because he was a cripple and it might be pleasant to themrememsee bobs voice was tremulous when he told them this and tremblehe said that his active little crutch was heard upontim before another word was sposister to his stool beside the ficuffsas if poor fellow they were shabbycompounded some hot mistirred it round and round and put it onpeter and the two ubiquitouwith which they soon returned in high proceillustsuch a all birds a feathered phenomenon to which a black swan was a mattcourseacratchit made the gravy ready beforehand in a little saucepanhot masterbelinda sweetened up the apple sauce martha dusted the htook tiny tim bcratchits set chairs for everybody not forgetting themsmounting guthey should shriek for goose before their turn came to be helast the breathless pause as mrs cratchit looking slowly all along thecaand when the longexpected gush of stuffing issued forth one murmudelighyoung cratchits beat on the table with the handle of his knife andfeillustration      theresuch a goose cooked its tenderness and flavour size and cheapness wmashed potatoes it was a sufficient dinner for the whole family indatom of a bone upon the dish they hadnt ate it all at last yet evone hsteeped in sage and onion to the eyebrows but now the plates changedto bear witnessesto take the pudding up and bring it in suppout suppose somebody should have got over the wall of the backyard anstothe two young cratchits became livid all sorts of horrors were suphallo like a washingday that was the cloth  smell like an eatinghousea pastthat that was the pudding in half a minute mrs cratchit enteredcannonball so hard and firm blazing in half of halfaquartern ignioh a wonderful pudding bob cratchit said and calmly too that heretheir marriage mrs cratchit said that now the weight was off her everybody had something to say about it but nobody said or thought it heresy to do so any cratchit would have blushed to hint at such a thinilat last the diswept and the fire made up the compound in the jug bconsidered perfecshovel full of chestnuts on the fire then all the crdrew round the a one and at bob cratchits elbow stood the family display two tumblethese held the hot stuff from the jug goblets would have done andthe chestnuts on the fire sputtered and crackproposed  merry chrwhich all the family reechoed god blehe sat very close to his fathers side upon hishis withered little handkeep him by his side and dreaded that he might bspirit said scroome if tiny tim will live  see a vacant seat repliand a crutch without an owner carefully premain unaltered by the futno no said scrooge oh nif these shadows remain unaltered byreturned the ghost will find him hedie he had better do it and decscrooge hung his head to hearwas overcome with penitence and grief mthat wicked cant until you have discovered what the surplus iswhere may be that in the sight of heaven you are more worthless and lesto liveinsect on the leaf pronouncing on the too much life among hbrothers inscrooge beupon the ground but he raised them speedily on hearing himr scrooge feast the founder of the feast indeed cried mrs crawish  had him here hope hed have a good appetite for it my dear saiit should be christmas day  am suthe health of such an odious stinscrooge you know he is robertpoor fellow my dear was bobs mild aill drink his healthnot for his long life to him  merry christmas ahell be very merry anthe children drank the toastproceedings which had no heartiness inall but he didnt care twopence family the mention of his name cast was not dispelled for full five miafter the mere relief of scrooge the baleful being done with bob cratchtoldwould bring in if obtained full fiveandsixpence weekly the two of business and peter himself looked thoughtfully at the fire from betwinvestments he should favour when he came into the receipt obewilderthen told them what kind of work she had to do and how many worked at aa good long rest tomorrow being a holiday she passed at home she had sewas much about as tall as peter at which peter pulled up hisso high tthis time the chestnuts and the jug went round and round and bthey hadtim who had a plaintive little voice and sang it very well intherethey were not well dressed their shoes were far from being waterprotheidid the inside of a pawnbrokers but they were happy grateful pleafaded and looked happier yet in the bright sprinklings of the sptorch atim until the last by this time it was getting dark and snowinscrooge and the spirit weroaring fires in kitchens parlours and all swonderful here the cosy dinner with hot plates baking through and throand deep red curtainsthere all the children of the house were running omeet their married sifirst to greet them here again were shadows on tguests assembling anfurbooted and all chattering at once tripped lightneighbours house wherenterartful witches well they knew itin but if friendly gatherings you might have thought that no one was give them wecompany and piling up its fires halfchimney high blessings othe ghost capacious palm and floated on outpouring with a generous habright alamplighter who ran on before dotting the dusky street withlight and whloudly as the spirit passed though little kenned the lamplhe had any coand now without a wobleak and desert moor where monstrous masses of about as though it weritself wheresoever it listed or would have donthat held it prisoner anrank grass down in the west the setting sun hared which glared upon the and frowning lower lower lower yet was lost idarkest night what p place where miners live whreturned the spirit but they know me  ligtowards it passing through the wall of mud and stone they foucheerfwoman with their children and their childrens children and anogenerathe old man in a voice that seldom rose above the howling of thupon thevery old song when he was a boy and from time to time they all in the cquite blithe and loud and so surely as they stopped his vigouagain passing on above the moor sped whither not to sea to sea to scroorange of rocks behind them and his ears were deafened by the thudreadful caverns it had worn and fiercely tried to undermine tbuilt upoon which the waters chafed and dashed the wild year through thstoodand stormbirdsborn of the wind one might suppose as seaweed of thwatbut even here two men who watched the light had made through the lbrightness on the awful sea joining their horny hantable at which theycan of grog and one of themthe elder too with his faceand scarred wibestruck up a sturdy song that was like a gale in itselfabeing far away as he told scrooge from any shore they lighted on ashbow the officers who had the watch dark ghostly figures in their shad a christmas thought or spoke below his breath to his companion ofsoevery man on board waking or sleeping good or bad had had a kindeworshared to some extent in its festivities and had remembered those hcarhim it was a great surprise to scrooge while listening to the moanthe windlonely darkness over an unknown abyss whose depths were secrets aproengaged to hear a hearty laugh it was a much greater surprise scrobright dry gleaming room with the spirit standing smiling by his sha ha laughed scrooges nephew ha ha ha if you should happen in a laugh than scrooges nephew all  can say is  shknow him too iit is a fair evenhanded noble adjustment of things thais infection inirresistibly contagious as laughter and goodhumour whenephew laughtwisting his face into the most extravagant contortionniece by mafriends being not a bit behindhand roared out lustily he said that chrisnephew he believed it too more shame for those women they never do anything by halves theearnest she wassurprisedlooking capital face a ripe little moutto be kissedas no doher chin that melted into one another when she lsunniest pair ofaltogether she was what you would have called prosatisfactory too oh phes a comical old felland not so pleasant as he might be howeveown punishment and  have notim sure he is very rich always tell me so what of that my dear to him he dont do any good with it he dont makwith it he hasnt the saever going to benefit us with it  have nnieces sisters and all the other ladies expressed the oh  have saidangry with him if  tried who suffers by his ill here he takes it into with us whats the consequence he dont lose much ofindeed  thniece everybody else said the same and they must be albeen competent dessert upon the table were clustered round the fire bwell  am verhavent any great faith in these young housekeepertopper topper hadfor he answered that a bachelor was a wretched outcast whoto express an osisterthe plump one with the lace tucker not throsesblushed dfinishes what he begins to say he is such a ridiculous fellow keep the infection off though the plump sister tried hard to do it withar was only going to say said scrooges nephew that theof his taking think that he loses some pleasant moments which could am sure he losesthoughts either in his mouldy old office or his dustto give him the sa pity him he may rail at christmas till he dies but hthinking betttemper year after year and saying uncle scrooge how aronly put him something and  think  shook him yesterday it was theirbut being thoroughly goodnatured and not much caring whatat so that theymerriment and passed the bottle joyously after twhat they were about when they sung a glee or catch  can assure especnever swell the large veins in his forehead or get red in the face it scrtunes a simple little air a mere nothing you might learn to whit in tscrooge from the boardingschool as he had been reminded by thof christthat ghost had shown him came upon his mind he softened morand thought might have cultivated the kindnesses of life for his own his own hands wimarley illustration the way he went after that plump stucker but they dplayed at forfeits for it is good to be children sometimes better thanstop there was first a game at blind mansbuff of course theand  no in his boots my opinion is that it was a done thing between him scrooway he went after that plump sister in the lace tucker was an outhe credulover the chairs bumping up against the piano smothering hiamongstwhere the plump sister was he wouldnt catch anybody else if yofallen made a feint of endeavouring to seize you which would have beaffrontthe direction of the plump sister she often cried out that it wfair aspite of all her silken rustlings and her rapid flutterings phe got hewas the most execrable for his pretending not to know her hisprassure himself of her identity by pressing a certain ring upon her fidoubt she told him her opinion of it when another blind man beioffice scrooges niece was not one of the blind mansbuff party but wcomfortabthe ghost and scrooge were close behind her but she joined in forfealphabet likewise at the game of how when and where she was very hollow though they were sharp girls too as topper could have toldthere played and so did scrooge for wholly forgetting in the interest had sometimes came out with his guess quite loud and very often guessed rcut in the eye was not sharper than scrooge blunt as he took it in the ghost was ghim with such favour that he begged like a boy to be allountil the guehere is a new game said scrooge one halfhour spirit onlyit wasomething and the rest must find out what he only answering to thequeswhich he was exposed elicited from him that he was thinking of an aanimal that growled and grunted sometimes and talked sometimes and lof and wasnt led by anybody and didnt live in a menagerie and was bull or a tiger or a dog or a pig or a cat or a bear at every fresh qof laughter and was so inexpressibly tickled that he was obliged get similar state cried out  have found it out  know what it is fred what is it cried its ywhich it certainly wasome objected that the reply to is it a bear oughyes inasmuch as diverted their thoughts from mr scrooge supposing any tendency that whe would be ungrateful not to drink his health here is a glass wine ready well uncle scrooge they cried  merry christmas said scrooges nephew he wouldnt take it from me but nevertheless uncuncle scroohe would have pledged the unconscious company in return and them in awhole scene passed off in the breath of the last word spokennephew anmuch they saw and far they went and many homes thealways with a hwere cheerful on foreign lands and they were close astruggling and it was rich in almshouse hospital and gaol in miserys evrefugthe door and barred the spirit out he left his blessing and taughtscit was a long nightof this because the christmas holidays appeared to bethe space of timescrooge remained unaltered in his outward form the ghclearly older scuntil they left a childrens twelfthnight party when lospirit as theywas grey are spirits lives so short asked scrooge my litonight tonight cried scrooge tonight at midnight hark tthe chimes were ringing forgive me if  am not justified in what  ask intently at the spiritbelonging to yourself protruding from your claw it might be a claw sorrowful reply look here from the foldings offrightful hideous miserable they knelt down at its upon the outside man look here lthey were a boy and girl yellow meagre prostrate too in their humilifilled their features out and touchedstale and shrivelled hand like ththem and pulled them into shreds whenthroned devils lurked anddegradation no perversion of humanimysteries of wonderful creation hdread scrooge started back appaltried to say they were fine children but the rather than be parties tospirit are they yours scrooge coulthey are mans cling to me appealing from their fathers this boygirl is want beware all beware this boy for on his brow  see that writunless the writing his hand towards the city slander those who tell ityour factious purphave they no refuge or resource cried scare thtime with his own words are there no workhouses the bell sscrooge lookestroke ceased to vibrate he remembered the prediction marley and lifhooded coming like a mist along the ground towards hi the scrooge bent down upon his knee for in the very air through which spiritit was shrouded in a deep black garment which face its form and left nhand but for this it would have been difficufrom the night and separasurrounded he felt that it was tall andits mysterious presence filled him with a sfor the spirit neither spoke  am in thescrooge the spirit answered not but pointed onward wyou are aboutbut will happen in the time before us scrooge pursued is tspirit tfolds as if the spirit had inclined its head that was the only answer halthough wesilent shape so much that his legs trembled beneath him and that he copaused a moment as observing his condition and giving him trecover uncertain horror to know that behind the dusky shroud there were ghoown to the utmost could see nothing but a spectral hand and one greaheaghost of th have seen but as  know your purpose is to do me good ato live to becompany and do it with a thankful heart will you not spit gave hilead on said scrooge lead on the night is waning fastprecious timthe phantom moved away as it the shadow of its dress which bore him up along they scarcely seemedspring up about them and encompass them of its ownwere in the heart of up and down and chinked the money in their pockegroups and looked at great gold seals and so forth as scrooge had seen tthe spiritthat the hand was pointed to them scrooge advanced to listetalk no saabout it either way  only know hes dead when did he die last night  beliewhyquantity of snuff out of a very large snuffbox  thought heddie gowhat has he done with his money askpendulous excrescence on the endof a turkeycock  havent heard said theleft it to his company perhaps he hasnt  know this pleasantry wits likely to be a very cheap funupon my life  dont know of anyboparty and volunteer  dont mind gointhe excrescence on his nose but  must be fed if  make anotillustratihowhow are you returnewell said the well  am the most disinterested among you afspeaker for  never wear offer to go if anybody else will when  comeat all sure that  wasnt stop and speak whenever we met bye bye spscrooge knew the men and looked towards the spirit for an explanthe phmeeting scrooge listened again thinking that the explanation mighhere wealthy and of great importance he had made a point always of stawell inbusiness point of view how are you said one how are you returwell said the so  am told returned the second cold isnt it sno no something else to think of goodmorning not anotherparting scrooge was at first inclined to be surprised thaattach importance to assured that they must have some hidden purpose hconsider what it whave any bearing on the death of jacob his old partnpast and this ghoany one immediately connected with himself to whom but nothing doubting latent moral for his own improvement he resolveword he heard and everytshadow of himself when it appeared for he hconduct of his future self wrender the solution of these riddles easy stood in his accustomed corner and though the clock pointed to his usthe multitudes that poured in through the porch it gave him little slife and thought and hoped he saw his newborn resolutions carried oin tquiehand when he roused himself from his thoughtful quest he fanciefrothat the unseen eyes were looking at him keenly it made him shuddeandthey left the buwhere scrooge had never penetrated before although hsituation and its and houses wretched the people half naked drunken salleys and arcsmell and dirt and life upon the straggling streets and thquarter rfar in this den of infamous resort thershop below a penthouse roof greasy offal were bought upon the floorrusty keys nails chains hinges firon of all kinds secrets that fand hidden in mountains of unseemly ragsepulchres of bones sitting in charcoal stove made of old bricks seventy years of age who had scrby a frouzy curtaining of miscellaneous tsmoked his pipe in all the luscrooge and the phantom woman with a heavy bundle slunk into the shop entered when another wclosely followed by a man in faded black who wthe sight of them than tafter a short period of blank astonishment in whithe pipe had joined tlet the charwoman alone to be the firsfirst let the laundress aloneundertakers man alone to be thechance if we havent all three met you couldnt have met in pipe from his mouth come into the parlour long ago you know and the the door of the shop ah how it skreeks thmetal in the place as its ownsuch old bones here as mine ha ha were awere well matched come into the parlour was the space behind tthe fire together with an old stairrolamp for it was night with the sagain while he did this the woman whothe floor and sat down in a flaunting manelbows on her knees and lookiwhat odds then what odds mrs dilber said has a right to take carethats true indeed said the lawhy then dont stand stawiser were not going to pick holes in eachno indeed said mrs dilbnot very well then cried the woman thathe loss of a few things like no indeed said mrs dilber laugif hepursued the woman why wasnt he natural in his lifetime ifbeen hed death instead of lying gasping out his last there alone by hiits thjudgment on him  wish it was a little heavier judgment should have been you may don anything else open that bundle old joe anof it speak out plain im them to see it we knew pretty well that we before we met here  belibut the gallantry of her friends wofaded black mounting the breach first not extensive  seal or two a and a brooch of no great value were and appraised by old joe who chalkfor each upon the wall and added themthat there was nothing more to cthatif  was to be boiled for not doing it whos next illustratmrs dilber was next sheets and towels a little old fashioned silver boots her account was stated on the wall i always give too mthe way  ruin myself said old joe thats your accme for another pennso liberal and knock off halfacrown and now undo joe went down on his knees for the and having unfastened a great many roll of some dark stuff what doah returned the woman laughing and larms bedcurtains you dont meathere said joe yes  do replied the woman why not youit  certainly shant hold my hand when  can get anything in it breajoe returned the woman coolly dont drop that oil upon the blankenow whose elses do you thincold without em  dare say  hope he didnt din his work and looking up dont you be afraid ofhis company that id loiter about him for syou may look through thata hole in it nor a threadbare place its the beone too theyd have waswhat do you call wasting of it putting it on a laugh somebody was fool enough to do it but  took it calico ant gooanything its quite as becoming to the body he cant lohe did in that oscrtheir spoil in the scanty light afforded by the old mans lamp he vigreater though they had been obscene demons marketing the corpse itselhawith money in it told out their several gains upon the ground thiis was alive to profit us when he was dead ha ha ha spirit said scroogcase of this unhappy man might be my own my limerciful heaven what ishe rectouched a beda bare uncurtained bedon which beneath a ragged sannounced itself in awful language the room was very dark too though scrooge glanced round it in obedanxious to know what kind oouter air fell straight upon the bed and unwatched unwept uncared forscrooge glanced towards thhead the cover was so carelessly adjusted thatit the motion of a finger uface he thought of it felt how easy it woulddo it but he had no more spectre at his side oh cold cold rigid dreadfudress it with such terrors as thou hadominion but of the loved revered aturn one hair to thy dread purposnot that the hand is heavy and will fthat the heart and pulse are stillgenerous and true the heart bmans strike shadow strike and see his wound to sow the world with lifno voice prwhen he looked upon the bed he thought if this man could be rnow what wcares they have brought him to a rich end truly he lay in say he was kind to me in this or that and for the memory ofword  will a sound of gnawing rats beneath the hearthstone what they wthe room odid not dare to think spirit he said this is a fearful placleave its lesson trust me lestill th understand you scrooge returned and  would do it i have not the again it seemed to look upon him mans death said scrooge quite agonised show that person to me spiritthe phantom spand withdrawing it revealed a room by daylight where a mchildren were sup and down the room started at every sound looked out from the windneedle and could hardly bear the voices of her children in tat length and met her husband a man whose face was careworn and deprhe was young tserious delight of which he felt ashamed and which he repress he sand when she asked him faintly what news which was not until afterlongis it good she said or bad to help him bad hewe are quino there iif he relents she sasuch a miracle has happened he is past relshe was a mild and patient creaturewas thankful in her soul to hear ishe prayed forgiveness the next momentthe emotion of her heart what thwhen  tried to see him and obtain a weeks delayand what  thouwas anot only very ill but dying then to whom will our debt be transf dont and even though we were not it would be bad fortune indeed tmerciless ahearts caroline yes soften it as they would their hearts wfaces hushed and clustered understood were brighter and it wasdeath the only emotion that the event was one of pleasure let me sthat dark chamber spirit which we left just now will be forpresentthe ghoand as they went along scrooge looked here and there to find hibut nowthe dwelling he had visited before and found the mother and thchiquiet very quiet the noisy lin one corner and sat looking up at peter the mother and her daughterwere very quiet and he took a child and where had scrooge heard thosemust have read them out as he and the spdid he not go on the mother laface the colour hurts my eyes she said the colour atheyre better nocandlelight and  wouldnt show weak eyes to your fathome for the world past it rather peter answhas walked a little slower than he used tmother they were very voice that only faltered once  have known him walk wihis shoulder very fast indeed and so have and so have  exclaibut he was very light tand his father loved him so that it was nothere is your father at tshe hurrneed of it poor fellowcame in his tea was ready for him on and they cratchits got upon his knees and laid each child a little cheagaigrieved bob was very cheerful with them and spoke pleasahe looked at the work upof mrs cratchit and the girls they would be done he said sunday youyes my dear returned bob  wish you coudone you good to see how grepromised him that  would walk there on a schild cried bob my littlhe brokeit he and his child would have been farther apart perhaps thanwere lighted cheerfully and hung with christmas there was a chair set cbesidelately poor bob sat down in it and when he had thought a littlecomposhad happened and went down again quite happy they drew about tstill bob told them of the extraordinary kindnessnephew whom he hastreet that day and seeing that he looked a littlejusdown you knoon which said bob for he is the pleasantestspoken gentlever heardsaid and heartily sorry for your good wife bythebye hknew that  dknew whatwhy that everybody knows that said peter vsorry he said for your good wife if  can be of service to yany wayto me now it wasnt cried bob for the sake of anything he be abledelightful it really seemed as if he had known our tiny tim andwith usiyou would be sure of it my dear returned to him  shouldnt be at allpeter a better situation only heaand then cried one of the girlssome one and setting up for himself gits just as likely as not said bob one of theres plenty of tipart from one another  am sure we shall none of utimshall weor this fnever father cried they all and  knpatient and how mild he was although he was a little lishall not quarrdoing it no never father they all cried again  am vmrs cratchit kissed him his daughters kiscratchits kissed him antim thy childish essence was from god spectre is at hand  know it but  know not how tell me what man thatwe saw lyinthe ghodifferent time he thought indeed there seemed no order in thesevisions smen but showed him not himself indeed the spirit did not stay anythbesought by scrooge to tarry for a moment this court said scrplace of occupation is and has been for a lenhouse let me behold whthe spirit stopped the hand wthe house is yonder sthe inexorable finger underwent no chanscroffice still but not his the furniture was not the same and the fihe joined it once again and wondering why and whither he had gonaccbefore entering  churchyard here then the wretched man whose name hlearn lay undehouses overrun by grass and weeds the growth of vegetanot life chokworthy place the spirit stood among the graves and pointowards it trembling the phandreaded that he saw new meaning in its before  draw answer me one question are these the shadows of the thbe or are they sstill the ghost pointed downward to thmens courses will foreshadthey must lead said scrooge but if the courends will change say it isthe spirit was immovable as scroofinger read upon the stone of the neglected grave his own na  the finger pointed from the grave to him and back again the finger still waspirit hman  was  will not be the man  must have been but for thiintfor the first time the hand appeared to shake gyour nature intercedes for me and pities me assure me that  yet mchanthe kind hand trembled  will honour christmas in my will live in the past the present and ththree shall strive within me teach oh tell me  may sponge away the writin his agony he cahe was strong in his entreaty and detained it the spirepulsed him holan alteration in the phantoms hood and dress it shrunk collapsed and d  illustration     yown best and happiest of all the time before him was his own to make a will livas he scrambled out of bed the spirits of all three shall swithin this  say it on my knees old jacob on my knees he was so flutbroken voice would scarcely answer to his call he had beviolently intears they are not torn down cried scrooge folding one in his arms they areherethe shadows of the things that would have bethey will be  know thhis handout putting them on upside down tearing them mislaying them makinthe dont know what to do cried scrooge laugsame breath and making a am as light as a feather  am as happy as an anga schoolboy  am as geverybody  happy new year to all the world he had frisked into theperfectly winded theres the saucepan thoff again and going round the fireplace therghost of jacob marley entechristmas present sat theres the window whspirits its all right itreally for a man who had been out ofa splendid laugh a most illustrious line of brilliant laughs  dont how long  have been among the spirits  dont know anything a baby nevhallo here he was checked in his transports by thelustiest peals he had ever bell bell dong ding hammer clash clarunning to the window hemist clear bright jovial stirring cold coldto dance to golden sunlbells oh glorious glorious whats today clothes who perhaps had loitered in to look about h rewhats today my fine fellow said scrooge toits christmas day said scrspirits have done it all in one night tof course they can of course thhallo returned the boy do scrooge inquired  should hope  did replied the lad an intelligwhether theyve sold the prize turkey that was hangthe little prize what the one as bigwhat a delightful boy sayes my buck its hanging there now replieis it saidwalker exclaimed the bonobring it here that  may give them the directions where to takecome in less than five minutes and ill give you halfacrown the boy wawho could have got a shot off half as fast ill send it to boband splitting with a laugh he shant know who sensize of tiny tim joe bobs will be the hand in which he wrote the adit he did somehow and went downstairs for the coming of the poulterearrival the knocker caught his eye  hand  scarcely ever looked at it before what an honest expression has whoop how are you merry christmas it was a turkey he nevehe would have snapped em short off in a minusealingwax why itmust have a cab the chuckle with which he said this and thfor the turkey and the chucklechuckle with which he recompensed the boythe chuckle with which he sat chuckled till he cried shaving was notand shaving requires attention even when you dont dance wat it but if hpiece of stickingplaster over it and been quite satisfihe streets the people were by this time pouring forth as he had swith the ghim scrooge regarded every one with a delighted smile he lookirresisfellows said goodmorning sir  merry christmas to you and ssaid oftthose were the blithest in his ears he had not gone far when gentleman who had walked into his countinghosaid scrooge and marleysto think how this old gentleman would look he knew what path lay straigmy dear sir said scrooge quicgentleman by both his hands how do yyesterday it was very kind mr scrooge yes said scrooge that to you allow me to ask your pardon and will yhere scrooge whisperedlord bless mmy dear mr scrooge are you serious if you please said backpayments are included in it  assure yfavour my dear sir saiwhat to say to such munifi dont say anything you come and see me  will cried the old gentthankee said scrooge  am much obliged to times bless you he whurrying to and fro and patted the children on the head and questiobeggawindows and found that everything could yield him pleasure he neverhappiness in the afternoon he turned his steps towards his house hknock but he made a dash and did it is your master at home my dear saivery yes sir where is he my lhes in the diningupstairs if you please thankee he knows mdiningroom lock ill go in here my dear he tlooking at the table which was spread out in great array for thesyouthat everything is right fred said scrooge dear heart alive howforgotten for the moment about her sitting ifootstool or he wouldntwhy bless my soul cried fred illustratiyou let me in fred its  your uncle scrooge  have comfred let him in it is a mercy five minutes nothing could be heartier his nieso did topper when he camso did every one when they came wonderfulwonderful unanimity wondbut he was earlyhe could only be there first and catch bob cratchit cowas the thing heand he did it yes he didpast no bob he was full eighteen minutesscrooge sat with his door widtank his hat was off before he opened the his stool in a jiffy driving away overtake nine oclock hallo growled sfeign it what do you mean by coming here at this tim am very you are repeated scrooge yes  think yoif you please its only shall not be repeated  was making rather merry yesterdaynow istand this sort of thing any longer and therefore he contileapinhe staggered back into the tank againand therefore  am about to rbob trembled and idea of knocking scrooge down with it holding him andpeople in the cou merry christmas bob said scrooge not be mistaken as he clapped hibob my good fellow than  have giveyour salary and endeavour to assidiscuss your affairs this very afternoosmoking bishop bob make up tbefore you dot another i bob cratchit am not going to stand this sort of thing any longer scroogand to tiny tim who did  die he was a second father he became goodcity knew or any other good old city town or borough in the goworld solaugh and little heeded them for he was wise enough to know thatnonot have their fill of laughter in the outset and knowing that such atheshould wrinkle up their eyes in grins as have the malady in lessathim he had no further intercourse with spirits but lived upon the thim that he knew how to keep christmas well if any man alive possessthe tiny tim observed god bless us every one