A Christmas Carol in Prose; Being a Ghost Story of Christmas

nt window from the opaque walls of his chamber. He was endeavouring to pierce the darkness with his ferr

to eight, and regularly up to twelve; then stopped. Twelve! It was past two when

correct this most preposterous clock. Its

rough a whole day and far into another night. It isn’t possible t

make out was, that it was still very foggy and extremely cold, and that there was no noise of people running to and fro, and making a great stir, as there unquestionably would have been if night had beaten off bright day, and taken possess

over and over, and could make nothing of it. The more he thought, the more pe

uiry, that it was all a dream, his mind flew back again, like a strong spring released, to its f

st had warned him of a visitation when the bell tolled one. He resolved to lie awake until the hour was passed; and,

nced he must have sunk into a doze unconsciously, and mis

g, d

st,” said Scr

g, d

st!” sai

g, d

to it,” s

g, d

d Scrooge, triumphantl

a deep, dull, hollow, melancholy One. Light flashed up in the

hich his face was addressed. The curtains of his bed were drawn aside; and Scrooge, starting up into a half-recumbent attitude, found himse

loom was on the skin. The arms were very long and muscular; the hands the same, as if its hold were of uncommon strength. Its legs and feet, most delicately formed, were, like those upper members, bare. It wore a tunic of the purest white; and round its waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and

nstant, at another time was dark, so the figure itself fluctuated in its distinctness: being now a thing with one arm, now with one leg, now with twenty legs, now a pair of legs without a head, now a hea

, whose coming was foret

a

arly low, as if instead of being so c

are you?” Scr

host of Chr

Scrooge: observant o

Your

body could have asked him; but he had a special desire t

light I give? Is it not enough that you are one of those whose passions made th

edge of having wilfully “bonneted” the Spirit at any period of his

are!” said

hat a night of unbroken rest would have been more conducive to that e

ation, then.

nd as it spoke, and clas

nd walk

r a long way below freezing; that he was clad but lightly in his slippers, dressing-gown, and nightcap; and that he had a cold upon him at that time. The gr

ooge remonstrated, “

the Spirit, laying it upon his heart, “a

elds on either hand. The city had entirely vanished. Not a vestige of it was to be seen. The darknes

hands together, as he looked about him. “I

d still present to the old man’s sense of feeling. He was conscious of a thousand odours floating in th

said the Ghost. “And what

in his voice, that it was a pimple; and b

the way?” inqui

rooge with fervour; “I

t for so many years!” observ

nd winding river. Some shaggy ponies now were seen trotting towards them with boys upon their backs, who called to other boys in country gigs and carts, driven by

s that have been,” said the Ghost.

ld eye glisten, and his heart leap up as they went past! Why was he filled with gladness when he heard them give each other Merry Christmas, as they part

d the Ghost. “A solitary child, neglect

he knew it. A

used, their walls were damp and mossy, their windows broken, and their gates decayed. Fowls clucked and strutted in the stables; and the coach-houses and sheds were over-run with grass. Nor was it more retentive of its ancient state, within; for entering the dreary hall

ed a long, bare, melancholy room, made barer still by lines of plain deal forms and desks. At one of these a lonely boy w

in the dull yard behind, not a sigh among the leafless boughs of one despondent poplar, not the idle swinging of an empty store-house d

Suddenly a man, in foreign garments: wonderfully real and distinct to look at: stood outsid

first time, just like that. Poor boy! And Valentine,” said Scrooge, “and his wild brother, Orson; there they go! And what’s his name, who was put down in his drawers, asleep, at the Gate of Dam

ost extraordinary voice between laughing and crying; and to see his heightened and e

obin Crusoe, he called him, when he came home again after sailing round the island. ‘Poor Robin Crusoe, where have you been, Robin Crusoe?’ The man t

gn to his usual character, he said, in pity fo

his pocket, and looking about him, after drying

matter?” aske

singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I

waved its hand: saying as it did

laster fell out of the ceiling, and the naked laths were shown instead; but how all this was brought about, Scrooge knew no more than you do. He only knew

ingly. Scrooge looked at the Ghost, and with a mournful

ame darting in, and putting her arms about his neck, and o

id the child, clapping her tiny hands, and bendin

e Fan?” retu

one dear night when I was going to bed, that I was not afraid to ask him once more if you might come home; and he said Yes, you should; and sent me in a coach to bring you. And you’re

oman, little Fan!”

, laughed again, and stood on tiptoe to embrace him. Then she began to drag him, in

maps upon the wall, and the celestial and terrestrial globes in the windows, were waxy with cold. Here he produced a decanter of curiously light wine, and a block of curiously heavy cake, and administered instalments of those dainties to the young people: at the same time, sending out a meagre servant to offer a glass of “something” to the postboy, who answered that he thanked t

breath might have withered,” said th

“You’re right. I will not gai

id the Ghost, “and had

,” Scrooge

the Ghost.

in his mind; and ans

passed and repassed; where shadowy carts and coaches battled for the way, and all the strife and tumult of a real city were. It was made

tain warehouse door, and a

Scrooge. “Was I

nd such a high desk, that if he had been two inches taller he must have

! Bless his heart; it’s

. He rubbed his hands; adjusted his capacious waistcoat; laughed all over himself, from his sh

ere! Ebene

a young man, came briskly in, acc

ost. “Bless me, yes. There he is. He was very much

Dick. Christmas, Ebenezer! Let’s have the shutters up,” cried old Fezziw

hutters—one, two, three—had ’em up in their places—four, five, six—barred ’em and pinned ’em—s

desk, with wonderful agility. “Clear away, my lads, and let’

Every movable was packed off, as if it were dismissed from public life for evermore; the floor was swept and watered, the lamps were trimmed, fuel

h from his master; trying to hide himself behind the girl from next door but one, who was proved to have had her ears pulled by her mistress. In they all came, one after another; some shyly, some boldly, some gracefully, some awkwardly, some pushing, some pulling; in they all came, anyhow and everyhow. Away they all went, twenty couple at once; hands half round and back again the other way; down the middle and up again; round and round in various stages of affectionate grouping; old top couple always turning up in the wrong place; new top couple star

ut the great effect of the evening came after the Roast and Boiled, when the fiddler (an artful dog, mind! The sort of man who knew his business better than you or I could have told it him!) struck up “Sir Roger de Coverley.” Then old Fezziwi

zziwig

. A positive light appeared to issue from Fezziwig’s calves. They shone in every part of the dance like moons. You couldn’t have predicted, at any given time, what would have become of them next. And when old Fezziwig and Mrs. Fezziwig had gone all throug

ands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas. When everybody had retired but the two ’prentices,

erything, remembered everything, enjoyed everything, and underwent the strangest agitation. It was not until now, when the bright faces of his former self and

Ghost, “to make these silly

echoed

prentices, who were pouring out their hearts in

of your mortal money: three or four perhaps.

power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in words and looks; in thing

pirit’s glanc

matter?” as

rticular,”

think?” the

ike to be able to say a word or two

ve utterance to the wish; and Scrooge and the

ort,” observed th

ow; a man in the prime of life. His face had not the harsh and rigid lines of later years; but it had begun to wear the signs of care and avarice. The

a mourning-dress: in whose eyes there were tears, which sparkl

idol has displaced me; and if it can cheer and comfort you in time

displaced you

lden

nothing on which it is so hard as poverty; and there is nothing i

to the hope of being beyond the chance of its sordid reproach. I have seen your nobler as

I have grown so much wiser, what

ook he

m

to be so, until, in good season, we could improve our worldly fortune by our

y,” he said

appiness when we were one in heart, is fraught with misery now that we are two. How often and how keenl

ver sough

ds. No.

hat,

rything that made my love of any worth or value in your sight. If this had never been between us,” said the girl

s supposition, in spite of himself. But

orrow, yesterday, can even I believe that you would choose a dowerless girl—you who, in your very confidence with her, weigh everything by Gain: or, choosing her, if for a moment you were false

but with her head turne

ery brief time, and you will dismiss the recollection of it, gladly, as an unprofitable drea

im, and th

e no more! Conduct me home. Why

ore!” exclaim

“No more. I don’t wish t

him in both his arms, and forced

ces were uproarious beyond belief; but no one seemed to care; on the contrary, the mother and daughter laughed heartily, and enjoyed it very much; and the latter, soon beginning to mingle in the sports, got pillaged by the young brigands most ruthlessly. What would I not have given to be one of them! Though I never could have been so rude, no, no! I wouldn’t for the wealth of all the world have crushed that braided hair, and torn it down; and for the precious little shoe, I wouldn’t have plucked it off, God bless my soul! to save my life. As to measuring her waist in sport, as

g him with chairs for ladders to dive into his pockets, despoil him of brown-paper parcels, hold on tight by his cravat, hug him round his neck, pommel his back, and kick his legs in irrepressible affection! The shouts of wonder and delight with which the development of every package was received! The terrible announcement that the baby had been taken in the act of putting a doll’s frying-pan into his

down with her and her mother at his own fireside; and when he thought that such another creature, quite as graceful and as full o

to his wife with a smile, “I saw an

was

ue

he added in the same breath, laug

ad a candle inside, I could scarcely help seeing him. His partner lies upon the poin

in a broken voice, “rem

ngs that have been,” said the Ghost. “Tha

oge exclaimed, “I

im with a face, in which in some strange way there were fr

me back. Haunt

sturbed by any effort of its adversary, Scrooge observed that its light was burning high and bright; and dimly connectin

m; but though Scrooge pressed it down with all his force, he could not hide t

further, of being in his own bedroom. He gave the cap a parting squeeze, in which hi