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Stave 5: 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 Timebefore 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 Spiritsof all Three shall strive within me. Oh Jacob Marley.Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this. I sayit 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 hiscall. He had been sobbing violently in his conflict with theSpirit, and his face was wet with tears.
`They are not torn down.’ cried Scrooge, folding one ofhis bed-curtains in his arms,’ they are not torn down, ringsand all. They are here -- I am here -- the shadows of thethings that would have been, may be dispelled. They willbe. 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 everykind of extravagance.
`I don’t know what to do.’ cried Scrooge, laughing andcrying in the same breath; and making a perfect Laocoon ofhimself with his stockings. `I am as light as a feather, Iam as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. Iam as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas toeverybody. A happy New Year to all the world. Hallohere. Whoop. Hallo.’
He had frisked into the sitting-room, and was now standingthere: perfectly winded.
`There’s the saucepan that the gruel was in.’ criedScrooge, starting off again, and going round the fireplace.`There’s the door, by which the Ghost of Jacob Marleyentered. There’s the corner where the Ghost of ChristmasPresent, sat. There’s the window where I saw the wanderingSpirits. 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 somany 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.’ saidScrooge. `I don’t know how long I’ve been among theSpirits. I don’t know anything. I’m quite a baby. Nevermind. I don’t care. I’d rather be a baby. Hallo. Whoop.Hallo here.’
He was checked in his transports by the churches ringingout 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 hishead. 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 to-day.’ cried Scrooge, calling downward to aboy in Sunday clothes, who perhaps had loitered in to lookabout 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. `Ihaven’t missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night.They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Ofcourse 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 thatwas hanging up there -- Not the little prize Turkey: thebig one.’
`What, the one as big as me.’ returned the boy.
`What a delightful boy.’ said Scrooge. `It’s a pleasureto 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 buyit, and tell them to bring it here, that I may give them thedirection where to take it. Come back with the man, andI’ll give you a shilling. Come back with him in less thanfive minutes and I’ll give you half-a-crown.’
The boy was off like a shot. He must have had a steadyhand at a trigger who could have got a shot off half so fast.
`I’ll send it to Bon Cratchit’s.’ whispered Scrooge,rubbing his hands, and splitting with a laugh. `He shan’tknow who sends it. It’s twice the size of Tiny Tim. JoeMiller never made such a joke as sending it to Bob’swill be.’
The hand in which he wrote the address was not a steadyone, but write it he did, somehow, and went down-stairs toopen the street door, ready for the coming of the poulterer’sman. As he stood there, waiting his arrival, the knockercaught his eye.
`I shall love it, as long as I live.’ cried Scrooge, pattingit with his hand. `I scarcely ever looked at it before.What an honest expression it has in its face. It’s awonderful knocker. -- Here’s the Turkey. Hallo. Whoop.How are you. Merry Christmas.’
It was a Turkey. He never could have stood upon hislegs, that bird. He would have snapped them short off in aminute, 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 withwhich he paid for the Turkey, and the chuckle with whichhe paid for the cab, and the chuckle with which he recompensedthe boy, were only to be exceeded by the chucklewith which he sat down breathless in his chair again, andchuckled till he cried.
Shaving was not an easy task, for his hand continued toshake very much; and shaving requires attention, even whenyou don’t dance while you are at it. But if he had cut theend of his nose off, he would have put a piece ofsticking-plaster over it, and been quite satisfied.
He dressed himself all in his best, and at last got outinto 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 regardedevery one with a delighted smile. He looked so irresistiblypleasant, in a word, that three or four good-humoured fellowssaid,’ Good morning, sir. A merry Christmas to you.’ And Scrooge said often afterwards, that of all the blithesounds he had ever heard, those were the blithest in his ears.
He had not gone far, when coming on towards him hebeheld the portly gentleman, who had walked into hiscounting-house the day before, and said,’ Scrooge and Marley’s, Ibelieve.’ It sent a pang across his heart to think how thisold gentleman would look upon him when they met; but heknew what path lay straight before him, and he took it.
`My dear sir,’ said Scrooge, quickening his pace, andtaking the old gentleman by both his hands. `How do youdo. I hope you succeeded yesterday. It was very kind ofyou. A merry Christmas to you, sir.’
`Mr Scrooge.’
`Yes,’ said Scrooge. `That is my name, and I fear itmay not be pleasant to you. Allow me to ask your pardon.And will you have the goodness’ -- here Scrooge whispered inhis ear.
`Lord bless me.’ cried the gentleman, as if his breathwere taken away. `My dear Mr Scrooge, are you serious.’
`If you please,’ said Scrooge. `Not a farthing less. Agreat 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 munificence.’
`Don’t say anything please,’ retorted Scrooge. `Comeand see me. Will you come and see me.’
`I will.’ cried the old gentleman. And it was clear hemeant to do it.
`Thank you,’ said Scrooge. `I am much obliged to you.I thank you fifty times. Bless you.’
He went to church, and walked about the streets, andwatched the people hurrying to and fro, and patted childrenon the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down intothe kitchens of houses, and up to the windows, and foundthat everything could yield him pleasure. He had neverdreamed that any walk -- that anything -- could give him somuch happiness. In the afternoon he turned his stepstowards his nephew’s house.
He passed the door a dozen times, before he had thecourage to go up and knock. But he made a dash, anddid it:
`Is your master at home, my dear.’ said Scrooge to thegirl. Nice girl. Very.
`Yes, sir.’
`Where is he, my love.’ said Scrooge.
`He’s in the dining-room, sir, along with mistress. I’llshow you up-stairs, if you please.’
`Thank you. He knows me,’ said Scrooge, with his handalready 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 ingreat array); for these young housekeepers are always nervouson 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 sittingin the corner with the footstool, or he wouldn’t have doneit, 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 didevery one when they came. Wonderful party, wonderfulgames, wonderful unanimity, wonderful happiness.
But he was early at the office next morning. Oh, he wasearly there. If he could only be there first, and catch BobCratchit coming late. That was the thing he had set hisheart upon.
And he did it; yes, he did. The clock struck nine. NoBob. A quarter past. No Bob. He was full eighteenminutes and a half behind his time. Scrooge sat with hisdoor wide open, that he might see him come into the Tank.
His hat was off, before he opened the door; his comfortertoo. He was on his stool in a jiffy; driving away with hispen, as if he were trying to overtake nine o’clock.
`Hallo.’ growled Scrooge, in his accustomed voice, asnear as he could feign it. `What do you mean by cominghere 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, sir, if you please.’
`It’s only once a year, sir,’ pleaded Bob, appearing fromthe Tank. `It shall not be repeated. I was making rathermerry yesterday, sir.’
`Now, I’ll tell you what, my friend,’ said Scrooge,’ Iam not going to stand this sort of thing any longer. Andtherefore,’ he continued, leaping from his stool, and givingBob such a dig in the waistcoat that he staggered back intothe Tank again;’ and therefore I am about to raise yoursalary.’
Bob trembled, and got a little nearer to the ruler. Hehad a momentary idea of knocking Scrooge down with it,holding him, and calling to the people in the court for helpand a strait-waistcoat.
`A merry Christmas, Bob,’ said Scrooge, with an earnestnessthat could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on theback. `A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than Ihave given you for many a year. I’ll raise your salary, andendeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discussyour affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl ofsmoking bishop, Bob. Make up the fires, and buy anothercoal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit.’
Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, andinfinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he wasa second father. He became as good a friend, as good amaster, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, orany other good old city, town, or borough, in the good oldworld. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him,but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he waswise enough to know that nothing ever happened on thisglobe, for good, at which some people did not have their fillof laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as thesewould be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that theyshould wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady inless attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that wasquite enough for him.
He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived uponthe Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it wasalways said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmaswell, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May thatbe truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Timobserved, God bless Us, Every One!
Preface• Stave 1: Marley’s Ghost• Stave 2: The First of the Three Spirits• Stave 3: The Second of the Three Spirits• Stave 4: The Last of the Spirits• Stave 5: The End of It•
This complete text of the A Christmas Carol book by Charles Dickens,and the illustrations by John Leech, are in the public domain.You can buy the A Christmas Carol book at Amazon.Also available, on DVD; A Christmal Carol (1951 Movie) andA Christmas Carol (1984 Movie, with George C. Scott).
Also by this author:David Copperfield. One readers says, “This book is one of the few Real Books in this world.”
David Copperfield can also be bought on DVD.Also see the background information onA Christmas Carol on anexternal website.
This page has been created by Philipp Lenssen.
Page last updated on April 2003.Complete book.
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