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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
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