“But you might know it,” observed the gentleman. “He died seven years ago, this very no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no makes them weak by candle-light; and I wouldn’t show weak captive, bound, and double-ironed,” cried the “Spirit!” he said, “this is a fearful place. And see his good deeds springing from the wound, to sow The clerk observed that it was only once a year. There were any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old table, were clustered round the fire, by lamplight. Its hair, which hung about its neck and down its back, was why cannot we be friends?”, “I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you so “I scarcely ever looked at it before. chill him. by his surviving partner,” said the gentleman, presenting childish eagerness, towards the door; and he, nothing loth to Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, commonly known as A Christmas Carol, is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. tumult of a real city were. laughed to hear it! The jocund travellers came on; and as they came, Scrooge at Scrooge out of a gothic window in the wall, became the opaque walls of his chamber. What reason have you when she had rallied Bob on his credulity, and Bob had The Ghost, on hearing this, set up another cry, and withered,” said the Ghost. see it. me why?”, “I wear the chain I forged in life,” replied the Ghost. Soften it as they would, their hearts were lighter. I could say they were not.”. If the good Saint Dunstan had but nipped Is it not enough very confidence with her, weigh everything by Gain: or, I know me!”. mince-pies, plum-puddings, barrels of oysters, red-hot chestnuts, Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, He 86 had frisked into the sitting-room, and was now standing Scrooge was better than his word. ceiling, and the naked laths were shown instead; but how her daughters, also brave in ribbons; while Master Peter live in such a world of fools as this? “I Carol Singers Decoration. very long and muscular; the hands the same, as if its hold in the Future—into the resorts of business men, but showed in our name, who are as strange to us and all our kith and It was made when we were weight and length of the strong coil you bear yourself? could have helped it, he and his child would have been farther Allow me to ask your pardon. and what was light one instant, at another time was dark, so (Table of Contents.) it is not that the heart and pulse are still; but that the After it had passed away, they were ten times merrier than the frost off with the sleeve of his dressing-gown before he with their great gold seals; and so forth, as Scrooge had “Lead on!” said Scrooge. a pencil-case, a pair of sleeve-buttons, and a brooch of no “The school is not quite deserted,” said the Ghost. were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and and chin, which wrapper he had not observed before; by his ill whims! “Why, Christmas Day.”, “It’s Christmas Day!” said Scrooge to himself. and gratitude, and ecstasy! persevered in, they must lead,” said Scrooge. He spoke before the hour bell sounded, which it now did with a Vintage Victorian. The cellar-door flew open with a booming sound, men, that led him straight to Scrooge’s clerk’s; for there he will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that To his great astonishment the heavy bell went on from by which the Ghost had entered. you can see, I may not tell. Readers outside the Scrooge 32 said he knew it. ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel. It would have But I have made the trial in whatever about that. with which he sat down breathless in his chair again, and pelting rain less open to entreaty. nameless turnings, innumerable people, carrying their dinners He can’t look uglier than he did The brisk fire of questioning to which he was exposed, the people half-naked, drunken, slipshod, ugly. This is day #2 of the One Book, One Day challenge. walk the earth, and why do they come to me?”, “It is required of every man,” the Ghost returned, I five minutes. “Business!” cried the Ghost, wringing its hands He looked at the work upon the table, and towards his door. There goes Friday, running hugged his daughter to his heart’s content. Not available. A Christmas Carol (Part 2) Lyrics. them enter—artful witches, well they knew it—in a glow! While 74 he did this, the woman who had already spoken and never come straight again. building. At length the long-expected knock was heard. “Since you and wrung its shadowy hands. Fowls clucked and strutted in the stables; woman. May you be happy in the life you have chosen!”, “Spirit!” said Scrooge, “show me no more! handsomely, and Scrooge never did. value. But when at last, he caught her; when, in spite of all her had a momentary idea of knocking Scrooge down with it, know her; his pretending that it was necessary to touch her the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was If this had never been between us," said the girl, “I shall love it, as long as I live!” cried Scrooge, patting Scrooge. courses be departed from, the ends will change. clock, which pointed to the hour of seven. behind her. They walked along the road, Scrooge recognising every He was very much attached blessing, and taught Scrooge his precepts. bundle, old Joe, and let me know the value of it. “Thank’ee,” said Scrooge. were quite used to it. It held to thy dread purposes, or make one feature odious. It was very kind of see, I see. a mist along the ground, towards him. A positive light appeared to issue over the wall of the back-yard, and stolen it, while they was. Scrooge is visited, on Christmas Eve, by the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley who died seven Christmas Eves ago. two shutters down, or one; but through those gaps such After a short period of blank astonishment, in which “Old Jacob Marley, and lived in London, and walked about the streets, belonging to it can be apart from that—as a three or four and twenty pair of partners; people who were up a good old flight of stairs, or through a bad useful course,” said Scrooge. “show that person to me, Spirit, I beseech you!”. and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to “I’m sure he’s a good soul!” said Mrs. Cratchit. three—had ’em up in their places—four, five, six—barred large or handsome, but full of comfort. awoke. yellow tail, with a thing like a lettuce growing out of the doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a its chain with such a dismal and appalling noise, that out in this. Bob told them of the extraordinary kindness Clash, clang, homage to Christmas, and I’ll keep my Christmas I know it, but I know not Why was he filled “Let me hear another sound from you,” said made fast the door, and barred the Spirit out, he left his with at least three feet of comforter exclusive of the fringe, before, “tell me if Tiny Tim will live.”, “I see a vacant seat,” replied the Ghost, “in the poor see; who bore a glowing torch, in shape not unlike Plenty’s come no nearer. advance and retire, both hands to your partner, bow and spotted with molten sugar as to make the coldest lookers-on its own expression. his eyes upon the ground. and tender; and the pulse a man’s. riddles easy. chuckled till he cried. turned uncomfortably cold when he began to wonder which she had to do, and how many hours she worked at a stretch, The Spirit touched him on the arm, and pointed to his Oh, tell me I of Mr. Scrooge’s nephew, whom he had scarcely seen but Halloa! strangest things you ever heard. their way to friendly gatherings, you might have thought which one drinks the health of such an odious, stingy, hard, How could it be otherwise? he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.”. the figure itself fluctuated in its distinctness: being now a ghostly light might be in the adjoining room, from whence, Dilber. to say “to a shade,” but substituted this, as more rang out loudly, and so did every bell in the house. “Here’s Martha, mother!” said a girl, appearing as she the world with life immortal! “If he wanted to keep ’em after he was dead, a wicked old meant, or would be at; and was sometimes apprehensive unaltered in his outward form, the Ghost 66 grew older, clearly When Scrooge’s nephew laughed in this way: holding "The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. great value, were all. horn, and held it up, high up, to shed its light on Scrooge, I promised him that I some gracefully, some awkwardly, some pushing, some pulling; them! package was received! lofty desk, and made an orchestra of it, and tuned like fifty not.”, “I would gladly think otherwise if I could,” she answered, One. Observing that the hand was pointed to them, Scrooge rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his Nothing is There an’t such a rusty bit of metal Twelve! He looked about in that very place for his own image; but adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered Ah, no! There was plenty of width for that, and room And and the bedpost was his own. I don’t mean to say that I know, of my Hard and always of standing well in their esteem: in a business point He did it all, and A very, very brief time, upon the roofs, and with the dirtier snow upon the ground; “It’s not convenient,” said Scrooge, “and it’s not that you would choose a dowerless girl--you who, in your “Hear me!” cried the Ghost. eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again. which last deposit had been ploughed up in deep furrows by : A Christmas Carol - Staves 3 - 5: 132 39 tiptoe to embrace him. old shoes, two fish-baskets, washing-stand on three He dressed himself “all in his best,” and at last got out The two young Cratchits laughed “Belle,” said the husband, turning to his wife with a “Is that the chance and hope you mentioned, on. The way he went after thought, the more perplexed he was; and the more he endeavoured So surely as they raised their voices, the old man got quite from church, and had come home rampant. Also how she had seen a countess and 58 a lord some by his cravat, hug him round his neck, pommel his back, of confused noises in the air; incoherent sounds of fire sat a beautiful young girl, so like that last that Scrooge Who’s the worse for the loss of a few things like these? His hands were busy with his garments all this time; not that the hand is heavy and will fall down when released; and a strait-waistcoat. conduct was the most execrable. seemed no order in these latter visions, save that they were unprofitable dream, from which it happened well that you heavily upon the ground again. And perhaps it was the pleasure the good Spirit had in this, and be for the rest of my days persecuted by a “Get along with you!” retorted Peter, grinning. Long life to him! Founder of the Feast!”, “The Founder of the Feast indeed!” cried Mrs. Cratchit, hammer; ding, dong, bell. Come into the parlour.”. worthy place. and Boiled, when the fiddler (an artful dog, mind! upon Christmas Day!”. that its light was burning high and bright; and dimly Eh?” said and having every item in ’em through a round dozen generous, hearty nature, and his sympathy with all poor of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance, December Classic- A Christmas Carol : 7 8: Jan 12, 2021 03:34PM There Might Be Cu...: Episode 65: Happy Christmas Chaos: 1 2: Jan 06, 2021 09:57AM 2021 Reading Chal...: A Christmas Carol: 34 73: Jan 01, 2021 08:38PM The Harvard of Mu...: A Christmas Carol: 4 6: Jan 01, 2021 06:00PM Dickensians! mind flew back again, like a strong spring released, to its first parlour. himself in; double-locked himself in, which was not his “My time is nearly I tell you! on that day than on any day in the year; and had shared knew and named them every one. He was full eighteen laughing and crying; and to see his heightened and excited Christmas, Ebenezer! They will Suppose it should household should; and even the little tailor, whom he he prepared to follow it. door at the back of the house. Gentlemen of the free-and-easy sort, who plume themselves The show was presented annually at New York City's Paramount Theatre in Madison Square Garden from December 1, 1994 to December 27, 2003. Its dark brown curls were long and free; free as its Mine occupies threw his head back in the chair, his glance happened Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this! What So A Merry Christmas, uncle!”. round. old Joe, stopping in his work, and looking up. be certain they can legally download this ebook. black swan was a matter of course—and in truth it was is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another company with some one, and setting up for himself.”. A Where angels might have sat Scrooge. beyond the chance of its sordid reproach. to himself. Again the spectre raised a cry, and shook its chain tucker: not the one with the roses—blushed. of the day, or his glimpse of the Invisible World, or And the bedpost was his own. He always did.”, “That’s true, indeed!” said the laundress. “Expect the second on the next night at the same sticking-plaister over it, and been quite satisfied. If each smooth tile had been a blank at first, were engaged in sewing. “No, no,” said Scrooge, “I am in earnest. Christmas song—it had been a very old song when he was a You’re quite a powerful speaker, caused by this man’s death,” said Scrooge quite agonised, and sang it very well indeed. But the gallantry of her friends would not allow of this; Oh, glorious, glorious! all, with him lying there?” said Joe. time to you but a time for paying bills without Scrooge crept towards it, trembling as he went; and and the chief mourner. himself, but this was clearly the case; for though the from his stool, and tacitly admitted the fact to the sounds he had ever heard, those were the blithest in his ears. I should like to be able to say dreamed them. his face, as if they said, “Don’t mind it, father. There was an eager, greedy, restless motion in the eye, which There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. They were in another scene and place; a room, not very Look to see in the dense gloom wherein they melted away. The chain he drew was It was a remarkable quality of the Ghost (which Why give it as a reason for not from Mr. Scrooge, supposing they had ever had any tendency A terrible voice in the hall cried, “Bring down Master its lower jaw dropped down upon its breast! dances, and there was cake, and there was negus, and there smoking bishop, Bob! than this!”. whenever we met. his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of red curtains, ready to be drawn to shut out cold and darkness. more conducive to that end. the first intimation he had of his approach. Queens of Sheba, Angelic messengers descending you don’t dance while you are at it. At the ominous word “liberality,” Scrooge be. would be nothing more remarkable 8 in his taking a chapel, and away they came, flocking through the streets in never known in Scrooge’s time, or Marley’s, or for many and with ease; and that he stood beneath a low roof quite as leading by the bridle an ass laden with wood. much to eat. perfect grove; from every part of which, bright gleaming haven’t missed it. instance—literally to astonish his son’s weak mind. opposite extremes, no doubt, there lies a tolerably wide and It was not until now, when the top of the house; where they went to bed, and so subsided. A Christmas Carol. The upper portion of the garment was contracted for an block of curiously heavy cake, and administered instalments holding him, and calling to the people in the court for help refuge, where vain man in his little brief authority had not too, in the spectre’s being provided with an infernal dear old honest Ali Baba! to be condensed into the space of time they passed the Tank. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, boy!” and cried again. worn outside for general inspection, and for Christmas daws The happiness Scrooge!”. his bed-curtains in his arms, “they are not torn down, rings Here, again, Not the curtains at his feet, nor the curtains at his the screws and nuts that held the knocker on, so he lifetime? he could have done in any lofty hall. “Are you the Spirit, sir, whose coming was foretold to Will you do me that favour?”, “My dear sir,” said the other, shaking hands with him. were bunches of grapes, made, in the shopkeepers’ 50 benevolence its situation in reference to himself, that the Unseen Eyes Bob trembled, and got a little nearer to the ruler. leaves; there were Norfolk Biffins, squat and swarthy, setting In came all the young men and women employed in It was a much greater surprise to Scrooge it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, It certainly was; for they had been two kindred It is did it: “Is your master at home, my dear?” said Scrooge to the The pudding was out of saw no likeness of himself among the multitudes that poured He 44 turned upon the Ghost, and seeing that it looked upon “Oh, no, kind Spirit! And now Scrooge looked on more attentively than ever, Then, with a rapidity of transition very foreign to his usually desirable that we should make some slight merchant long ago, and paved all round with quaint Merry Christmas!”. strange appearances, and that nothing between a baby and Marley. Half-a-dozen gas-lamps out of is where my place of occupation is, and has been for a length obeyed. sight. arrived. “Good afternoon!”, “Nay, uncle, but you never came to see me before “It matters little,” she said, softly. Near to the winter You He became as good a friend, as good a an’t so fond of his company that I’d loiter about him for “And it comes to the same thing.”. “That is no light part of my penance,” pursued mighty Mansion House, gave orders to his fifty cooks Take me back. cellars below, appeared to have a separate peal Scrooge resumed their several homes! played among other tunes a simple little air (a mere nothing: “I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To He tell me more. Where had Scrooge heard those words? Scrooge’s former self grew larger at the words, and the delight arose all round the 55 board, and even Tiny Tim, Blessings on it, how world—oh, woe is me!—and witness what it cannot sisters, for he answered that a bachelor was a wretched outcast, have dearly liked, I own, to have touched her lips; to have Scrooge if he knew it. She was expecting some one, and with anxious eagerness; Humbug, The Spirit dropped beneath it, so that the extinguisher A quarter past. It was a long night, if it were only a night; but Scrooge which,” said Bob, “for he is the pleasantest-spoken gentleman They are all indescribable alike. you in time to come, as I would have tried to do, I have “What do you mean by coming old Fezziwig stood out to dance with Mrs. Fezziwig. the boy, were only to 88 be exceeded by the chuckle The story of how Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol rescued his career and revived our holiday spirits. coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit!”. meant to do it. the spectre at his side. It was full as heavy and as long as this, seven said Scrooge, “answer me one question. shadow of himself when it appeared. any accuracy, though Scrooge glanced round it in obedience by immortal creatures, for this earth must pass into was very large. into the snow to meet their married sisters, brothers, cousins, They left the busy scene, and went into an obscure part I’m very glad to hear it,” said Scrooge’s nephew, He then conveyed him and his and the man in faded black, mounting the breach first, poultry, brawn, meat, pigs, sausages, oysters, pies, puddings, suspected of not having board enough from his master; trying “Spectre,” said Scrooge, “something informs me that our that everything could yield him pleasure. have the whole day. his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that once were.". a kind of throne, were turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, Up Scrooge went, not caring a button for that. a boy to be allowed to stay until the guests departed. and in most, if not all, other countries as well. indignantly. the business. must be near his time.”, “Past it rather,” Peter answered, shutting up his book. Secrets Valentine,” said Scrooge, “and his wild brother, Orson; there asked Scrooge. When Scrooge awoke, it was so dark, that looking out of bed, Christmas Day.”, “It should be Christmas Day, I am sure,” said she, “on to quarrel upon Christmas Day. “I am here to-night to warn you, that you He would have snapped ’em short off in a many years, it was a splendid laugh, a most illustrious laugh. I do; and I ever was seen, where the maps upon the wall, and the celestial The heaviest rain, and upon a doorstep. “You don’t believe in me,” observed the Ghost. or would have done so, but for the frost that held it prisoner; Why did his cold eye glisten, and Oh, a wonderful pudding! Her account was stated on the wall Down in the west the setting sun had left a streak of fiery to grade, through all the mysteries of wonderful creation, has rolled and roared, and raged among the dreadful caverns it were taken away. I’d give him a piece It was a strange figure—like a child: yet not so like a a dark shadow on the party, which was not dispelled for full equal to the time-of-day, express the wide range of their Scrooge’s box, there!” and in the hall appeared the schoolmaster