Speaker 1: A Christmas carol, Stave five by Charles Dickens. The end
of it, 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 lacoon 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 schoolboy. I'm as giddy
as a drunken man. Christmas to everybody, A Happy New
Year to all the world. Hello here, whoop Hello. He
had frisked into the sitting room and was now standing there,
perfectly winded. There's the saucepan the gruel was in, cried Scrooge,
starting off again and going round the fireplace. 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, 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 brilliant laughs. I
don't know what day of the month, it is, Saidoge.
I don't know how long I have been among the spirits.
I don't know anything. I'm quite a baby. Oh never mind,
I don't care. I'd rather be a baby. Hello, whoop Hello.
Here he was checked in his transports by the churches,
ringing out the lustiest peals he had ever heard. Clash, clash, hammer,
ding dong, bell, bell dong, ding, hammer, clang, clash, Oh, glorious, glorious.
Running to the window, he opened it and put out
his head. No fog, no mist, clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold,
cold piping for the blood to dance to golden sunlight,
heavenly sky, sweet fresh air, merry bells. Oh, glorious, glorious.
What's today? 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 today, my fine fellow, said Scrooge today, 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, whom they can do anything they like.
Of course, they can, of course they can. Hello, my
fine fellow, Hello, returned the boy. Do you know the
poulterers 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, walker,
exclaimed the boy. No, No, said Scrooge. I am in earnest.
Go and buy it, and tell him to bring it
here that I may give them the directions 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. The
boy was off like a shot. He must have had
a steady hand at a trigger. Who could have got
a shot off half so fast. I'll send it to
Bob Cratchit's whispered Scrooge, rubbing his hands and splitting with
a laugh. He shan'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 the address was not a steady one.
But write it he did, somehow, and went downstairs to
open the street door, ready for the coming of the
polterer'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. Oh,
here's the turkey. Hello, whoop, how are you merry Christmas?
It was a turkey. He never could have stood upon
his legs that bird. He would have snapped him 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're at it.
But if he had cut the end of his nose off,
he would have put a piece of sticking plaster 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 humored fellows said,
good morning, sir, am Maddy, Christmas to you. And Scrooge
said often afterwards that of all the blithe sounds he
had ever heard, these 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 Mortley'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,
mister 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 taken away.
My dear mister 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 favor, My dear sir, said the other,
shaking hands with him. I don't know what to say
to such spoonefit. 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'e, 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 the 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 upstairs if you please. Well, thank'e, 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 his young housekeepers are always nervous
on such points, and I 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 on the corner with the footstool, or
he wouldn't have done it on any account. Why, bless
my soul, cried Fred, Who is that? It's I, your
uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner. Will you let me?
And Fred let him in? It's a mercy. He didn't
shake his arm off. He was at home in five minutes.
Nothing could be hardier. His niece looked just the same.
So did Topper when he came. So did the plump
sister when she came. So did everyone when they came.
Wonderful party, wonderful games, wonderful unanimity, wonderful 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 cratch it 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 yello, growled Scrooge in his accustomed
voice as near as he could feign it. What do
you mean by coming here 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, sir, 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's 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. Ah,
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 endeavor 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 cold stuttle before you dot another eye, 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 they should wrinkle up their eyes and 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 and
of a Christmas Carol Stave five by Charles Dickens