Christmas Carol 43 recto

43

“Ha ha!” laughed Scrooge’s nephew. “Ha ha ha!”

If by an you should happen by some uncommon chance, to know any disparate chance unlikely chance to know a man more blessed [to]t in a laugh than Scrooge’s
nephew, all I can say is, I should like to know him too. Introduce him to me, and
I’ll cultivate his acquaintance. n? [It is a fair, even handed, glorious adjustment of of
thinys things that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing
in the world more so irresistibly contagious than as laughter and good-humour. When
Scrooge’s nephew laughed in this way—holding his sides, rolling on his chair his head, and
twisting his face into the most extravagant contortions as he did it—Scrooge’s niece
by marriage, laughed v???? ?????t laughed as heartily as he; and their assembled friends, yielding to being were not a bit
behind-hand, that roared out, lustily. [ n? “Ha ha! Ha ha ha ha!”

“He said that Christmas was a humbug, as I live!” cried Scrooge’s nephew.
“And he He believed it too!”

“More shame for him Fred!” exclaimed said Scrooge’s niece, indignantly shaking her head emphatically. Bless those women; They
never do anything by halves. They are always in earnest.

She was very pretty though a deal p???, she was exceedingly exceedingly pretty. ? wWith a little dimpled,
surprised-looking, capital face; a dainty little mouth that seemed made to be kissed—as
no doubt it was; and the most provoking all manner kinds of good little dots about her chin, that
melted into one another when she laughed; and the sunniest pair of
eyes you ever saw in any little [in] any pretty creature’s head. Altogether she was what you ?? would have called provoking,. you know,
And But satisfactory besides too. Oh perfectly satisfactory!

“He’s a comical old fellow,” said Scrooge’s nephew, “that’s the truth,
and something not so pleasant as he might be. What of that? His However, his offences
bring carry their own punishment, along with [’em] and I have nothing to say against him.”

“I’m sure he’s very rich, Fred,” hinted Scrooge’s niece. “At least you always always ??ed th
say so. tell me so.”

“What of that, my dear!” said Scrooge’s nephew. “His money is riches ? wealth is of no use to
him. He doesn’t don’t do any good with it.; hHe doesn’t don’t make himself comforta-
ble with it. He hasn’t the satisfaction of thinking—ha ha ha!—that he is ever going to
benefit us with it.”

“Oh! I have no patience with him,” observed Scrooge’s niece. And Scrooge’s
niece’s sisters, and all the other ladies, expressed the same opinion.

“Oh! ? I am sorry for him have.” said Scrooge’s nephew. “I am sorry for him. I couldn’t be angry
with him if I tried. Who suffers by his ill whims? Himself always. Here
he takes it into his head to dislike us, and he won’t come and [down] dine
with us. What’s the consequence? He don’t lose much of a dinner—”

“Indeed I think he loses a pretty very good dinner,” interrupted Scrooge’s
niece. Everybody else said the same, and they were must be allowed to have been competent judges,
because they had just had dinner; and, sitt were sitting with the dessert
upon the table, were all clustered round the fire, by lamplight.