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

ar him, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air throu

nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. But for this it would have been difficult to

and that its mysterious presence filled him with a solemn dr

the Ghost of Christmas Ye

not, but pointed o

at have not happened, but will happen in the time

an instant in its folds, as if the Spirit had incl

t his legs trembled beneath him, and he found that he could hardly stand when he prepared to fo

at behind the dusky shroud, there were ghostly eyes intently fixed upon him, while he, though he

know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was,

The hand was pointed

night is waning fast, and it is preciou

. Scrooge followed in the shadow of its dress, wh

y were, in the heart of it; on ’Change, amongst the merchants; who hurried up and down, and chinked the money in their pockets, and converse

iness men. Observing that the hand was pointed t

trous chin, “I don’t know much about i

die?” inqui

ght, I b

ird, taking a vast quantity of snuff out of a v

said the firs

gentleman with a pendulous excrescence on the end of

hin, yawning again. “Left it to his company, per

was received wit

e speaker; “for upon my life I don’t know of anybody t

observed the gentleman with the excrescence o

her

ves, and I never eat lunch. But I’ll offer to go, if anybody else will. When I come to think of it, I’m not a

d with other groups. Scrooge knew the men, and

ointed to two persons meeting. Scrooge listened a

d of great importance. He had made a point always of standing well in their est

you?” s

u?” returne

. “Old Scratch has got

turned the second.

tmas time. You’re not

g else to think o

their meeting, their conv

on the death of Jacob, his old partner, for that was Past, and this Ghost’s province was the Future. Nor could he think of any one immediately connected with himself, to whom he could apply them. But nothing doubting that to whomsoever they applied they had some latent moral for his own impro

l time of day for being there, he saw no likeness of himself among the multitudes that poured in through the Porch. It gave him little surpris

rom his thoughtful quest, he fancied from the turn of the hand, and its situation in reference to

bad repute. The ways were foul and narrow; the shops and houses wretched; the people half-naked, drunken, slipshod, ugly. Alleys and archways, like so many

es, scales, weights, and refuse iron of all kinds. Secrets that few would like to scrutinise were bred and hidden in mountains of unseemly rags, masses of corrupted fat, and sepulchres of bones. Sitting in among the wares he dealt in, by a charcoal stov

oman, similarly laden, came in too; and she was closely followed by a man in faded black, who was no less startled by the sight of them, than they had been upon

undress alone to be the second; and let the undertaker’s man alone to be the third. Loo

he other two an’t strangers. Stop till I shut the door of the shop. Ah! How it skreeks! There an’t such a rusty bit of metal in the place as its own hinges, I believ

e fire together with an old stair-rod, and having trimmed his smoky lamp

the floor, and sat down in a flaunting manner on a stool; crossing her

said the woman. “Every person has a right

!” said the laundres

raid, woman; who’s the wiser? We’re not going t

Dilber and the man toget

nough. Who’s the worse for the loss of a few

said Mrs. Di

sn’t he natural in his lifetime? If he had been, he’d have had somebody to look after him wh

er was spoke,” said Mrs. Dilb

ds on anything else. Open that bundle, old Joe, and let me know the value of it. Speak out plain. I’m not afraid to be the first, nor afrai

ive. A seal or two, a pencil-case, a pair of sleeve-buttons, and a brooch of no great value, were all. They were severally examined and appraised by old

ouldn’t give another sixpence, if I was t

, two old-fashioned silver teaspoons, a pair of sugar-tongs, and

myself,” said old Joe. “That’s your account. If you asked me for another penny, and

bundle, Joe,” sai

of opening it, and having unfastened a great many knots

l this?” said Jo

hing and leaning forward on he

ok ’em down, rings and all, w

eplied the wo

ur fortune,” said Joe, “a

hing it out, for the sake of such a man as He was, I promise you, Joe,”

nkets?”

ed the woman. “He isn’t likely to

catching? Eh?” said old Joe, sto

uch things, if he did. Ah! you may look through that shirt till your eyes ache; but you won’t find a hole in it,

l wasting of it?

ough to do it, but I took it off again. If calico an’t good enough for such a purpose, it isn’t good e

ty light afforded by the old man’s lamp, he viewed them with a detestation and disgust, which c

told out their several gains upon the ground. “This is the end of it, you see! He fright

ee, I see. The case of this unhappy man might be my own. M

ed: a bare, uncurtained bed: on which, beneath a ragged sheet, there lay a some

e to a secret impulse, anxious to know what kind of room it was. A pale light, rising in the outer air, fell s

ightest raising of it, the motion of a finger upon Scrooge’s part, would have disclosed the face. He thought of it, felt how e

anst not turn one hair to thy dread purposes, or make one feature odious. It is not that the hand is heavy and will fall down when released; it is not that the heart and pulse are still; but that the h

pon the bed. He thought, if this man could be raised up now, what would be his foremost t

memory of one kind word I will be kind to him. A cat was tearing at the door, and there was a sound of gnawing rats beneath the

place. In leaving it, I shall not le

nted with an unmove

I would do it, if I could. But I have not

emed to loo

n caused by this man’s death,” said Scrooge quite ago

ment, like a wing; and withdrawing it, revealed a ro

; started at every sound; looked out from the window; glanced at the clock; tried, but in v

whose face was careworn and depressed, though he was young. There was a remarkable expression i

fire; and when she asked him faintly what news (which was not un

he said, “or ba

he an

quite

is hope yet

, “there is! Nothing is past hope

ing,” said her hus

l in her soul to hear it, and she said so, with clasped hands. She prayed forgiv

d to see him and obtain a week’s delay; and what I thought was a mere excuse to avo

our debt be

n though we were not, it would be a bad fortune indeed to find so merciless a

round to hear what they so little understood, were brighter; and it was a happier house for this m

” said Scrooge; “or that dark chamber, Spirit, whic

looked here and there to find himself, but nowhere was he to be seen. They entered poor Bob Cratchit’s

ne corner, and sat looking up at Peter, who had a book before him. The moth

ld, and set him in t

ed them. The boy must have read them out, as he and t

upon the table, and put

hurts my eye

? Ah, poor

weak by candle-light; and I wouldn’t show weak eyes to your fat

s book. “But I think he has walked a little slow

t she said, and in a steady, cheer

e known him walk with Tiny Tim up

I,” cried P

” exclaimed ano

n her work, “and his father loved him so, that it was no

y for him on the hob, and they all tried who should help him to it most. Then the two young Cratchits got upon his kn

looked at the work upon the table, and praised the industry and speed of M

to-day, then, Robe

ood to see how green a place it is. But you’ll see it often. I promised him that I

If he could have helped it, he and his child wou

et close beside the child, and there were signs of some one having been there, lately. Poor Bob sat down in it, and when he had thou

ng him in the street that day, and seeing that he looked a little—“just a little down you know,” said Bob, inquired what had happened to distress him. “On which,” said Bob, “for he is the pleas

hat, my

were a good wif

knows that!

ay,’ he said, giving me his card, ‘that’s where I live. Pray come to me.’ Now, it wasn’t,” cried Bob, “for the sake of anything he might be able

good soul!” sai

you saw and spoke to him. I shouldn’t be at all surpris

t, Peter,” sai

“Peter will be keeping company with

you!” retorted

for that, my dear. But however and whenever we part from one another, I am sure we shall

ther!” cri

ent and how mild he was; although he was a little, little child; we shall

ther!” they al

said little Bob,

young Cratchits kissed him, and Peter and himself shook ha

r parting moment is at hand. I know it, but I know not

these latter visions, save that they were in the Future—into the resorts of business men, but showed him not himself. Indeed, the Sp

e my place of occupation is, and has been for a length of time.

d; the hand was p

Scrooge exclaimed. “W

finger underw

an office still, but not his. The furniture was not the same, and th

er he had gone, accompanied it until they reached an

nd. It was a worthy place. Walled in by houses; overrun by grass and weeds, the growth of vegetati

dvanced towards it trembling. The Phantom was exactly as it had

ooge, “answer me one question. Are these the shadows of the thing

ed downward to the gr

d in, they must lead,” said Scrooge. “But if the courses be departe

was immovab

nd following the finger, read upon the stone of t

t of th

y upon the bed?” he c

from the grave to h

rit! Oh

r still w

not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but

ime the hand ap

t: “Your nature intercedes for me, and pities me. Assure me that I

d hand

t, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not s

to free itself, but he was strong in his entreaty, an

ersed, he saw an alteration in the Phantom’s hood and dres