A Christmas Carol.docx
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AChristmasCarol
AChristmasCarol
byCharlesDickens
Introduction
IhaveendeavouredinthisGhostlylittlebook,toraisetheGhostofanIdea,whichshallnotputmyreadersoutofhumourwiththemselves,witheachother,withtheseason,orwithme.Mayithaunttheirhousespleasantly,andnoonewishtolayit.
TheirfaithfulFriendandServant,
C.D.December,1843.
1-Marley'sGhost
Marleywasdead:
tobeginwith.Thereisnodoubtwhateveraboutthat.Theregisterofhisburialwassignedbytheclergyman,theclerk,theundertaker,andthechiefmourner.Scroogesignedit.AndScrooge'snamewasgoodupon'Change,foranythinghechosetoputhishandto.
OldMarleywasasdeadasadoor-nail.
Mind!
Idon'tmeantosaythatIknow,ofmyownknowledge,whatthereisparticularlydeadaboutadoor-nail.Imighthavebeeninclined,myself,toregardacoffin-nailasthedeadestpieceofironmongeryinthetrade.Butthewisdomofourancestorsisinthesimile;andmyunhallowedhandsshallnotdisturbit,ortheCountry'sdonefor.Youwillthereforepermitmetorepeat,emphatically,thatMarleywasasdeadasadoor-nail.
Scroogeknewhewasdead?
Ofcoursehedid.Howcoulditbeotherwise?
ScroogeandhewerepartnersforIdon'tknowhowmanyyears.Scroogewashissoleexecutor,hissoleadministrator,hissoleassign,hissoleresiduarylegatee,hissolefriend,andsolemourner.AndevenScroogewasnotsodreadfullycutupbythesadevent,butthathewasanexcellentmanofbusinessontheverydayofthefuneral,andsolemniseditwithanundoubtedbargain.ThementionofMarley'sfuneralbringsmebacktothepointIstartedfrom.ThereisnodoubtthatMarleywasdead.Thismustbedistinctlyunderstood,ornothingwonderfulcancomeofthestoryIamgoingtorelate.IfwewerenotperfectlyconvincedthatHamlet'sFatherdiedbeforetheplaybegan,therewouldbenothingmoreremarkableinhistakingastrollatnight,inaneasterlywind,uponhisownramparts,thantherewouldbeinanyothermiddle-agedgentlemanrashlyturningoutafterdarkinabreezyspot--saySaintPaul'sChurchyardforinstance--literallytoastonishhisson'sweakmind.
ScroogeneverpaintedoutOldMarley'sname.Thereitstood,yearsafterwards,abovethewarehousedoor:
ScroogeandMarley.ThefirmwasknownasScroogeandMarley.SometimespeoplenewtothebusinesscalledScroogeScrooge,andsometimesMarley,butheansweredtobothnames.Itwasallthesametohim.
Oh!
Buthewasatight-fistedhandatthegrind-stone,Scrooge!
asqueezing,wrenching,grasping,scraping,clutching,covetous,oldsinner!
Hardandsharpasflint,fromwhichnosteelhadeverstruckoutgenerousfire;secret,andself-contained,andsolitaryasanoyster.Thecoldwithinhimfrozehisoldfeatures,nippedhispointednose,shrivelledhischeek,stiffenedhisgait;madehiseyesred,histhinlipsblue;andspokeoutshrewdlyinhisgratingvoice.Afrostyrimewasonhishead,andonhiseyebrows,andhiswirychin.Hecarriedhisownlowtemperaturealwaysaboutwithhim;heicedhisofficeinthedogdays;anddidn'tthawitonedegreeatChristmas.
ExternalheatandcoldhadlittleinfluenceonScrooge.Nowarmthcouldwarm,nowintryweatherchillhim.Nowindthatblewwasbittererthanhe,nofallingsnowwasmoreintentuponitspurpose,nopeltingrainlessopentoentreaty.Foulweatherdidn'tknowwheretohavehim.Theheaviestrain,andsnow,andhail,andsleet,couldboastoftheadvantageoverhiminonlyonerespect.Theyoften`camedown'handsomely,andScroogeneverdid.
Nobodyeverstoppedhiminthestreettosay,withgladsomelooks,`MydearScrooge,howareyou?
Whenwillyoucometoseeme?
'Nobeggarsimploredhimtobestowatrifle,nochildrenaskedhimwhatitwaso'clock,nomanorwomaneveronceinallhislifeinquiredthewaytosuchandsuchaplace,ofScrooge.Eventheblindmen'sdogsappearedtoknowhim;andwhentheysawhimcomingon,wouldtugtheirownersintodoorwaysandupcourts;andthenwouldwagtheirtailsasthoughtheysaid,`Noeyeatallisbetterthananevileye,darkmaster!
'
ButwhatdidScroogecare!
Itwastheverythingheliked.Toedgehiswayalongthecrowdedpathsoflife,warningallhumansympathytokeepitsdistance,waswhattheknowingonescall`nuts'toScrooge.
Onceuponatime--ofallthegooddaysintheyear,onChristmasEve--oldScroogesatbusyinhiscounting-house.Itwascold,bleak,bitingweather:
foggywithal:
andhecouldhearthepeopleinthecourtoutside,gowheezingupanddown,beatingtheirhandsupontheirbreasts,andstampingtheirfeetuponthepavementstonestowarmthem.Thecityclockshadonlyjustgonethree,butitwasquitedarkalready--ithadnotbeenlightallday--andcandleswereflaringinthewindowsoftheneighbouringoffices,likeruddysmearsuponthepalpablebrownair.Thefogcamepouringinateverychinkandkeyhole,andwassodensewithout,thatalthoughthecourtwasofthenarrowest,thehousesoppositeweremerephantoms.Toseethedingycloudcomedroopingdown,obscuringeverything,onemighthavethoughtthatNaturelivedhardby,andwasbrewingonalargescale.
ThedoorofScrooge'scounting-housewasopenthathemightkeephiseyeuponhisclerk,whoinadismallittlecellbeyond,asortoftank,wascopyingletters.Scroogehadaverysmallfire,buttheclerk'sfirewassoverymuchsmallerthatitlookedlikeonecoal.Buthecouldn'treplenishit,forScroogekeptthecoal-boxinhisownroom;andsosurelyastheclerkcameinwiththeshovel,themasterpredictedthatitwouldbenecessaryforthemtopart.Whereforetheclerkputonhiswhitecomforter,andtriedtowarmhimselfatthecandle;inwhicheffort,notbeingamanofastrongimagination,hefailed.
`AmerryChristmas,uncle!
Godsaveyou!
'criedacheerfulvoice.ItwasthevoiceofScrooge'snephew,whocameuponhimsoquicklythatthiswasthefirstintimationhehadofhisapproach.
`Bah!
'saidScrooge,`Humbug!
'
Hehadsoheatedhimselfwithrapidwalkinginthefogandfrost,thisnephewofScrooge's,thathewasallinaglow;hisfacewasruddyandhandsome;hiseyessparkled,andhisbreathsmokedagain.`Christmasahumbug,uncle!
'saidScrooge'snephew.`Youdon'tmeanthat,Iamsure?
'
`Ido,'saidScrooge.`MerryChristmas!
Whatrighthaveyoutobemerry?
Whatreasonhaveyoutobemerry?
You'repoorenough.'
`Come,then,'returnedthenephewgaily.`Whatrighthaveyoutobedismal?
Whatreasonhaveyoutobemorose?
You'rerichenough.'
Scroogehavingnobetteranswerreadyonthespurofthemoment,said`Bah!
'again;andfolloweditupwith`Humbug.'
`Don'tbecross,uncle!
'saidthenephew.
`WhatelsecanIbe,'returnedtheuncle,`whenIliveinsuchaworldoffoolsasthis?
MerryChristmas!
OutuponmerryChristmas!
What'sChristmastimetoyoubutatimeforpayingbillswithoutmoney;atimeforfindingyourselfayearolder,butnotanhourricher;atimeforbalancingyourbooksandhavingeveryitemin'emthrougharounddozenofmonthspresenteddeadagainstyou?
IfIcouldworkmywill,'saidScroogeindignantly,`everyidiotwhogoesaboutwith"MerryChristmas"onhislips,shouldbeboiledwithhisownpudding,andburiedwithastakeofhollythroughhisheart.Heshould!
'
`Uncle!
'pleadedthenephew.
`Nephew!
'returnedtheunclesternly,`keepChristmasinyourownway,andletmekeepitinmine.'
`Keepit!
'repeatedScrooge'snephew.`Butyoudon'tkeepit.'
`Letmeleaveitalone,then,'saidScrooge.`Muchgoodmayitdoyou!
Muchgoodithaseverdoneyou!
'
`TherearemanythingsfromwhichImighthavederivedgood,bywhichIhavenotprofited,Idaresay,'returnedthenephew.`Christmasamongtherest.ButIamsureIhavealwaysthoughtofChristmastime,whenithascomeround--apartfromthevenerationduetoitssacrednameandorigin,ifanythingbelongingtoitcanbeapartfromthat--asagoodtime;akind,forgiving,charitable,pleasanttime:
theonlytimeIknowof,inthelongcalendaroftheyear,whenmenandwomenseembyoneconsenttoopentheirshut-upheartsfreely,andtothinkofpeoplebelowthemasiftheyreallywerefellow-passengerstothegrave,andnotanotherraceofcreaturesboundonotherjourneys.Andtherefore,uncle,thoughithasneverputascrapofgoldorsilverinmypocket,Ibelievethatithasdonemegood,andwilldomegood;andIsay,Godblessit!
'
TheclerkintheTankinvoluntarilyapplauded.Becomingimmediatelysensibleoftheimpropriety,hepokedthefire,andextinguishedthelastfrailsparkforever.
`Letmehearanothersoundfromyou,'saidScrooge,`andyou'llkeepyourChristmasbylosingyoursituation!
You'requiteapowerfulspeaker,sir,'headded,turningtohisnephew.`Iwonderyoudon'tgointoParliament.'
`Don'tbeangry,uncle.Come!
Dinewithustomorrow.'
Scroogesaidthathewouldseehim--yes,indeedhedid.Hewentthewholelengthoftheexpression,andsaidthathewouldseehiminthatextremityfirst.
`Butwhy?
'criedScrooge'snephew.`Why?
'
`Whydidyougetmarried?
'saidScrooge.
`BecauseIfellinlove.'
`Becauseyoufellinlove!
'growledScrooge,asifthatweretheonlyonethingintheworldmoreridiculousthanamerryChristmas.`Goodafternoon!
'
`Nay,uncle,butyounevercametoseemebeforethathappened.Whygiveitasareasonfornotcomingnow?
'
`Goodafternoon,'saidScrooge.
`Iwantnothingfromyou;Iasknothingofyou;whycannotwebefriends?
'
`Goodafternoon,'saidScrooge.
`Iamsorry,withallmyheart,tofindyousoresolute.Wehaveneverhadanyquarrel,towhichIhavebeenaparty.ButIhavemadethetrialinhomagetoChristmas,andI'llkeepm