Christmas Carol 62 recto

62

He was checked in his transports by the church bells churches ringing out the [????] lustiest [f????]
peals he had ever heard. Clash, clang, hammer, ding, dong, bell; bell, dong, ding,
hammer, clang, clash! Glorious [?????] glorious [????? ????] Oh glorious !, glorious!

Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog, no mist.
Clear, bright, jovial, [cold] stirring, [????] cold—[cold ????] cold, piping for the
blood to dance to—golden [??? ]sunlight; [??? sky] Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells—oh glorious,
glorious!

“What’s to day?” cried Scrooge, calling [out] downward to a boy in Sunday clothes,
who [baffled] perhaps had loitered in to look about 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 [broken underlines in manuscript, capitalized in printed version]!”

“It’s Christmas Day!” said Scrooge to himself. “I haven’t missed it. The Spirits
have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of
course 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 boy lad.

“An intelligent boy!” said Scrooge. “A remarkable boy! Do you know whether
they’ve sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there; not the little prize
turkey, the big one?”

“What, the one as big as me!” returned the boy.

“[???] What a delightful boy!” said Scrooge. “It’s a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, my
buck!”

“It’s hanging there now,” replied the boy.

“Is it?” said Scrooge. “Go and buy it.”

“Walk-ER ["E" and "R" have broken underlines in the original manuscript, "ER" is capitalized in printed version]!” exclaimed the boy.

“No, no,” said Scrooge. “I am in earnest. Go and buy it, and tell ’em to bring
it here, that I may give ’em the direction where to take it. Come back with
the man, and I’ll give you a shilling. Bring him here in Come back with him in less than five minutes, and I’ll
give you half a crown!”

The boy was off like a shot. He must have been had a [knowing] steady hand at a
trigger who could have got a shot off half so fast.

“I’ll send it to Bob Cratchit’s!” [said] whispered Scrooge, rubbing his hands, and splitting with a laugh. “He ["Bob]
shan’t know [where it came from] who sends it. It’s twice the size of Tiny Tim.
Joe Miller never made such a joke as sending it to Bob’s will be!”