Christmas Carol 44 recto

44

“Well! I am very glad to hear it,” said Scrooge’s nephew, “because these I haven’t any great faith in these young house-
keepers. are not much to be relied upon What do you you you say, Topper?”

Topper had clearly got his eye upon one upon one of Scrooge’s niece’s sisters, for he said answered
that a bachelor was a wretched outcast, who had no right to say anything express an? opinion on
the subject. Whereat a which Whereat, Scrooge’s niece’s sister—the plump one plumpest one with the lace tucker;
not the one with the roses—blushed.

“Do go on, Fred,” said Scrooge’s niece, clapping her hands, ????????ly. “He never
finishes what he says begins to say!” He is such a ridiculous fellow!”

Scrooge’s nephew laughed again positively roared revelled in another laugh; and as it was impossible
to keep the infection off—though the plump sister tried hard to do it with a d???
smelling-bottle ? aromatic vinegar—they all did the same.his example was unanimously followed.

“I was only going to say,” said Scrooge’s nephew, “that he dis?? takes the consequence of his taking a dislike
to us, and won’t make not making merry with us, very well. Thatis, as I think, that he loses some
pleasant moments, companions ??which could do him no harm. I am sure he loses pleasanter companions than he
can find in his own thoughts, either in his mouldy old office or his [shiver]ing dusty chambers. I ????????
??? he would be hap I mean to give him the same chance every year, whether he likes it or not,
??? for I pity hi? ??? him. ??a thin and lean towards ??? for ??? poor, m????’s ??? He may rail at Christmas till he dies, but he can’t
help thinking better of it—I defy him—if he finds me going there, in
good temper, year after year, and saying Uncle Scrooge, how are you. If it
only puts him in the vein to leave his poor clerk fifty pounds, that’s
something. And And I think I shook him, yesterday.”

It was their turn to laugh now, and they at the idea notion of his shaking
Scrooge. But being thoroughly good-natured, and not car much caring what
they laughed at, so that they did laughed at any rate, he encouraged them
in their merriment, and passed the bottle, joyously.

After ? After tea, they [were] had some music. Among them For they were a musical
family, and knew when ? what they were about, when they sang a glee or
catch, I can assure you—especially Topper who could growl away in the bass
like a good one, and never swell the great large vein in his forehead or get red in the
face over it. Among other Scrooge’s niece played well upon the Harp; and played
among other tunes a little simple little air (a mere nothing; you might learn
to whistle it in two [hearings] minutes) which had been familiar to the child who
??? fetched Scrooge from the boarding-school, as the he had been reminded
[after] by the Ghost of Christmas Past. When he listened to this strain of music, all
the sounded, all the things that Ghost had shewn him, crowded on came upon his mind; he softened, more and more; and t?? thought that if
he had heard it could have listened to it often, years ago, he might have ??????????????????have heard cultivated the simple
kindnesses of life, resounding in such little ??????? and shells, and on his own happiness with his own hands, ?????? not have ?????? troubled without
not have needed actual Voices from the Grave to preach them. resorting to the sexton’s spade that buried Jacob Marley.

[ But they didn’t devote the whole evening to music. After a while
they played at forfeits; for it is good to be children sometimes, and never