Christmas Carol 25 recto

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done in a minute. Every moveable was stowed away and piled up packed off, as if it were
dismissed from public life for evermore; the floor was swept and watered, the
lamps were trimmed, [????] [the fuel?] fuel was heaped up on the fire; and the warehouse was as snug
and warm and dry and bright a ball-room, as you would desire to see upon a
winter’s night.
In came a fiddler with a music book, and went up to the lofty
desk, and made an orchestra thereof of it, and [???ed] tuned like fifty stomach aches. In
came Mrs. Fezziwig, one vast substantial smile on [?ollens]. In came the three
Miss Fezziwigs, beaming and [??????] loveable. In came the [three] six young gentlemen followers
whose hearts they [broke ??? ?ope?es] broke. In came all the young men and women em-
ployed in the business. In came [??? he knew] the housemaid with her cousin the
baker. In came the cook with her [?????ed] brother’s particular friend, the milkman. In came the boy from
over the way who was suspected of [] not having [th???ing ]enough that hiding board enough from his master; trying to hide
himself behind the girl from the next door but one, who was proved to have had
her ears pulled by her missis. In they all came one after another, [?eek ? ???
ing,] some shyly, some boldly, some gracefully, some awkwardly, some pushing,
some pulling; in they all came, anyhow and everyhow and a. 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; up back again, the old top couple always turning up in the wrong place; new top couple starting off again, as soon as they
got there; all top couples at last, and not a bottom one to help them. [] When this []
[] result was brought about, old Fezziwig clapped , clapping his hands to stop the dance, and cried out “Well done!” and and the fiddler
leaving off, plunged his hot shining hot red face into a pot of porter, especially provided for that purpose and. But scorning
rest upon his reappearance, [?????] he instantly began again [?????] though there were no dancers yet,
like as if the other fiddler had been carried home, exhausted, on a shutter; and
he were a bran-new performer man resolved to [??????????] or die beat him out
of sight, or perish. slip 18
There were more dances, and there were forfeits, and more dances after-
wards and there was lemonade, negus and
cake, and there was negus, and there was a great piece of cold roast, and there was a great piece of cold baked boiled,
and there were mince pies and plenty of beer. But the great effect of the evening came after the roast and boiled, when the fiddler (an
artful dog, mind! who among us The sort of man who knew his business better than anybody you or I could have
told it him!) struck up Sir Roger de Coverley. and old Fe Then old Fezziwig stood
out to dance with Mrs. Fezziwig. They were the top Top couple too, with a great good stiff
piece of work left cut out for them; three or four and twenty couples pair
of partners; people who were not to be trifled with; who would dance, and had no notion of walking. along
But if they had been twice as many—ah four times—old Fezziwig
would have been a match for an them; and so would Mrs. Fezziwig. As