Yes! and the bedpost was his
own. The bed was his own, the
room was his own. Best and happiest
of all, the time before him was
his own, to make amends in!
``I will live in the Past, the
Present, and the Future!'' Scrooge
repeated, as he scrambled out
of bed. ``The Spirits of all
Three shall strive within me.
Oh Jacob Marley! Heaven, and
the Christmas Time be praised
for this! I say it on my knees,
old Jacob; on my knees!''
He was so fluttered and so glowing
with his good intentions, that
his broken voice would scarcely
answer to his call. He had been
sobbing violently in his conflict
with the Spirit, and his face
was wet with tears.
``They are not torn down,''
cried Scrooge, folding one of
his bed-curtains in his arms,
``they are not torn down, rings
and all. They are here: I am
here: the shadows of the things
that would have been, may be
dispelled. They will be. I know
they will!''
His hands were busy with his
garments all this time: turning
them inside out, putting them
on upside down, tearing them,
mislaying them, making them parties
to every kind of extravagance.
``I don't know
what to do!'' cried Scrooge,
laughing and crying
in the same breath; and making
a perfect Laocoön of himself
with his stockings. ``I am as
light as a feather, I am as happy
as an angel, I am as merry as
a school-boy. I am as giddy as
a drunken man. A merry Christmas
to every-body! A happy New Year
to all the world! Hallo here!
Whoop! Hallo!''
He had frisked into the sitting-room,
and was now standing there: perfectly
winded.
``There's the saucepan that
the gruel was in!'' cried Scrooge,
starting off again, and going
round the fire-place. ``There's
the door, by which the Ghost
of Jacob Marley entered! There's
the corner where the Ghost of
Christmas Present, sat! There's
the window where I saw the wandering
Spirits! It's all right, it's
all true, it all happened. Ha
ha ha!''
Really, for a man who had been
out of practice for so many years,
it was a splendid laugh, a most
illustrious laugh. The father
of a long, long line of briliant
laughs!
``I don't know what day of the
month it is!'' said Scrooge.
``I don't know how long I've
been among the Spirits. I don't
know anything. I'm quite a baby.
Never mind. I don't care. I'd
rather be a baby. Hallo! Whoop!
Hallo here!''
He was checked in his transports
by the churches ringing out the
lustiest peals he had ever heard.
Clash, clang, hammer, ding, dong,
bell. Bell, dong, ding, hammer,
clang, clash! Oh, glorious, glorious!
Running to the window, he opened
it, and put out his stirring,
cold cold, piping for the blood
to dance to; Golden sunlight;
Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air;
merry bells. Oh, glorious. Glorious!
``What's to-day?'' cried Scrooge,
calling downward to a boy in
Sunday clothes, who perhaps had
loitered in to look about him.
``Eh? '' returned
the boy, with all his might of
wonder.
``What's to-day, my fine fellow?''
said Scrooge.
``To-day?'' replied the boy.
``Why, Christmas Day.''
``It's Christmas Day!'' said
Scrooge to himself. ``I haven
't missed it. The Spirits have
done it all in one night. They
can do anything they like. Of
course they can. Of course they
can. Hallo, my fine fellow!''
``Hallo!'' returned the boy
``Do you know the Poulterer's,
in the next street but one, at
the corner?'' Scrooge inquired.
``I should hope I did,'' replied
the lad.
``An intelligent boy!'' said
Scrooge. ``A remarkable boy!
Do you know whether they've sold
the prize Turkey that was hanging
up there? Not the little prize
Turkey; the big one?''
``What, the one as big as me?''
returned the boy.
``What a delightful boy!'' said
Scrooge. ``It's a pleasure to
talk to him. Yes, my buck!''
``It's hanging there now,''
replied the boy.
``Is it?'' said Scrooge. ``Go
and buy it.''
``Walk-er!'' exclaimed
the boy.
``No, no,'' said Scrooge, ``I
am in earnest. Go and buy it,
and tell 'em to bring it here,
that I may give them the irection
where to take it. Come back with
the man, and I'll give you a
shilling. Come back with him
in less than five minutes, and
I'll give you half-a-crown!''
``I'll send it to Bob Cratchit's!''
whispered Scrooge, rubbing his
hands, and splitting with a laugh.
``He sha'n't know who sends it.
It's twice the size of Tiny Tim.
Joe Miller never made such a
joke as sending it to Bob's will
be!''
The hand in which he wrote the
address was not a steady one,
but write it he did, somehow,
and went down stairs to open
the street door, ready for the
coming of the poulterer's man.
As he stood there, waiting his
arrival, the knocker caught his
eye.
``I shall love it, as long as
I live!'' cried Scrooge, patting
it with his hand. ``I scarcely
ever looked at it before. What
an honest expression it has in
its face! It's a wonderful knocker!
-- Here's the Turkey. Hallo!
Whoop! How are you! Merry Christmas!''
It was a Turkey!
He never could have stood upon
his legs, that bird. He would
have snapped 'em short off in
a minute, like sticks of sealing-wax.
``Why, it's impossible to carry
that to Camden Town,'' said Scrooge.
``You must have a cab.''
The chuckle with which he said
this, and the chuckle with which
he paid for the Turkey, and the
chuckle with which he paid for
the cab, and the chuckle with
which he recompensed the boy,
were only to be exceeded by the
chuckle with which he sat down
breathless in his chair again,
and chuckled till he cried.
Shaving was not an easy task,
for his hand continued to shake
very much; and shaving requires
attention, even when you don't
dance while you are at it. But
if he had cut the end of his
nose off, he would have put a
piece of sticking-plaister over
it, and been quite satisfied.
He dressed himself all
in his best, and
at last got out into the streets.
The people were by this time
pouring forth, as he had seen
them with the Ghost of Christmas
Present; and walking with his
hands behind him, Scrooge regarded
every one with a delighted
smile. He looked so irresistibly
pleasant, in a word, that three
or four good-humoured fellows
said, ``Good morning, sir!
A merry Christmas to you!''
And Scrooge said often afterwards,
that of all the blithe sounds
he had ever heard, those were
the blithest in his ears.
He had not gone far, when coming
on towards him he beheld the
portly gentleman, who had walked
into his counting-house the day
before, and said, ``Scrooge and
Marley's, I believe?'' It sent
a pang across his heart to think
how this old gentleman would
look upon him when they met;
but he knew what path lay straight
before him, and he took it.
``My dear sir,'' said Scrooge,
quickening his pace, and taking
the old gentleman by both his
hands. ``How do you do? I hope
you succeeded yesterday. It was
very kind of you. A merry Christmas
to you, sir!''
``Mr Scrooge?''
``Yes,'' said Scrooge. ``That
is my name, and I fear it may
not be pleasant to you. Allow
me to ask your pardon. And will
you have the goodness --'' here
Scrooge whispered in his ear.
``Lord bless me!'' cried the
gentleman, as if his breath were
gone. ``My dear Mr Scrooge, are
you serious?''
``If you please,'' said Scrooge.
``Not a farthing less. A great
many back-payments are included
in it, I assure you. Will you
do me that favour?''
``My dear sir,'' said the other,
shaking hands with him. ``I don't know what to say to such munifi‐''
``don't say anything, please,''
retorted Scrooge. ``Come and
see me. Will you come and see
me?''
``I will!'' cried the old gentleman.
And it was clear he meant to
do it.
``Thank 'ee,'' said Scrooge.
``I am much obliged to you. I
thank you fifty times. Bless
you!''
He went to church, and walked
about the streets, and watched
the people hurrying to and fro,
and patted children on the head,
and questioned beggars, and looked
down into the kitchens of houses,
and up to the windows: and found
that everything could yield him
pleasure. He had never dreamed
that any walk -- that anything
-- could give him so much happiness.
In the afternoon he turned his
steps towards his nephew's house.
He passed the door a dozen times,
before he had the courage to
go up and knock. But he made
a dash, and did it:
``Is your master at home, my
dear?'' said Scrooge to the girl.
Nice girl! Very.
``Yes, sir.''
``Where is he, my love?'' said
Scrooge.
``He's in the dining-room, sir,
along with mistress. I'll show
you up-stairs, if you please.''
``Thank 'ee. He knows me,''
said Scrooge, with his hand already
on the dining-room lock. ``I'll
go in here, my dear.''
He turned it gently, and sidled
his face in, round the door.
They were looking at the table
(which was spread out in great
array); for these young housekeepers
are always nervous on such points,
and like to see that everything
is right.
``Fred!'' said Scrooge.
Dear heart alive, how his niece
by marriage started! Scrooge
had forgotten, for the moment,
about her sitting in the corner
with the footstool, or he wouldn't
have done it, on any account.
``Why bless my soul!'' cried
Fred, ``who's that?''
``It's I. Your uncle Scrooge.
I have come to dinner. Will you
let me in, Fred?''
Let him in! It is a mercy he
didn't shake his arm off. He
was at home in five minutes.
Nothing could be heartier. His
niece looked just the same. So
did Topper when he came.
So did the plump sister when she came.
So did every one when they came.
Wonderful party, wonderful games,
wonderful unanimity, won-der-ful
happiness!
But he was early at the office
next morning. Oh, he was early
there. If he could only be there
first, and catch Bob Cratchit
coming late! That was the thing
he had set his heart upon.
And he did it; yes he did! The
clock struck nine. No Bob. A
quarter past. No Bob. He was
full eighteen minutes and a half,
behind his time. Scrooge sat
with his door wide open, that
he might see him come into the
Tank.
His hat was off, before he opened
the door; his comforter too.
He was on his stool in a jiffy;
driving away with his pen, as
if he were trying to overtake
nine o'clock.
``Hallo!'' growled Scrooge,
in his accustomed voice, as near
as he could feign it. ``What
do you mean by coming here at
this time of day.''
``I am very sorry, sir,'' said
Bob. ``I am behind
my time.''
``You are?'' repeated Scrooge.
``Yes. I think you are. Step
this way, if you please.''
``It's only once a year, sir,''
pleaded Bob, appearing from the
Tank. ``It shall not be repeated.
I was making rather merry yesterday,
sir.''
``Now, I'll tell you what, my
friend,'' said Scrooge, ``I am
not going to stand this sort
of thing any longer. And therefore,''
he continued, leaping from his
stool, and giving Bob such a
dig in the waistcoat that he
staggered back into the Tank
again: ``and therefore I am about
to raise your salary!''
Bob trembled, and got a little
nearer to the ruler. He had a
momentary idea of knocking Scrooge
down with it; holding him, and
calling to the people in the
court for help and a strait-waistcoat.
``A merry Christmas, Bob!''
said Scrooge, with an earnestness
that could not be mistaken, as
he clapped him on the back. ``A
merrier Christmas, Bob, my good
fellow, than I have given you
for many a year! I'll raise your
salary, and endeavour to assist
your struggling family, and we
will discuss your affairs this
very afternoon, over a Christmas
bowl of smoking bishop, Bob! Make
up the fires, and buy another
coal-scuttle before you dot another
i, Bob Cratchit.''
Scrooge was better than his
word. He did it all, and infinitely
more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good
a master, and as good a man,
as the good old city knew, or
any other good old city, town,
or borough, in the good old world.
Some people laughed to see the
alteration in him, but he let
them laugh, and little heeded
them; for he was wise enough
to know that nothing ever happened
on this globe, for good, at which
some people did not have their
fill of laughter in the outset;
and knowing that such as these
would be blind anyway, he thought
it quite as well that they should
wrinkle up their eyes in grins,
as have the malady in less attractive
forms. His own heart laughed:
and that was quite enough for
him.
He had no further intercourse
with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was
always said of him, that he knew
how to keep Christmas well, if
any man alive possessed the knowledge.
May that be truly said of us,
and all of us! And so, as Tiny
Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every
One! |