Christmas Carol 63 recto

63

[Held] The hand in which he wrote the address, was not a steady one, but write
it he did, somehow, and went down stairs to open the street door, ready for the coming
of the Poulterer’s man. As he stood there, waiting his arrival, the knocker caught his eye.

“I shall love it, as long as I live!” said cried Scrooge, patting it with his hands. I
scarcely ever looked at it before. What an honest expression [it ??ils] it has in its face! It’s a
wonderful knocker!—Here’s the turkey. Hallo! [Hoof?] Whoop! How are you! Merry christmas!
[by m??self ]Christmas!”

It was a most prodigious Turkey! He never could have stood upon his legs, that
bird. He would have snapped ’em, short off, in a minute, like[ ??] sticks of sealing wax.

“Why, you never cou 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 with which he paid for it the Turkey, and the chuckle with which he paid for the cab, and the chuckle
with which he recompensed the boy, were only to be exceeded by the chuckle with
which he sat down breathless on his [own] chair again, and chuckled ’till he cried.

It Shaving was not an easy task, [?? ???? huis of ]for his hand shook continued
to shake very muche much; and shaving requires attention, even when you don’t
dance while you are about at it. But if he had cut the end of his nose off, he
would have put [a ? tad] put a piece of sticking-plaister atop over it, and
been quite satisfied.

He dressed himself “all in his best,” and at last got out into the streets.
The people were by this time pouring forth out, as he had seen them with the Ghost
of Christmas Present; and walking with his hands behind him Scrooge look re-
garded everyone with a delighted smile. He looked so irresistibly pleasant, in a
word, that three or four good-humoured fellows said “Good morning Sir! a
Merry Christmas to you!” And Scrooge said often afterwards that of all the
blithe sounds he had ever heard, these were the blithest in his ears.

He had not gone far, when coming on towards him he beheld the
portly gentleman who had come walked into his counting House the day before, to and
said “Scrooge and Marley’s I believe?” It [raised] sent a pang across his heart to
think how this old gentleman would look upon him when they met; but he knew
what path lay straight before him, and he [took] did not turn aside took it.

“My Dear Sir,” said Scrooge, quickening his pace, [as ?ies] and taking the old
gentleman by both his hands. “How do you do? I hope you succeeded yesterday. It
was very kind of you. A merry Christmas to you Sir!”

“Mr. Scrooge!” was the reply. "[It]"

“Yes,” said Scrooge, “I am [respectf] aware that that’s my name, and, I fear it may not be pleasant
to you. Allow me to ask your pardon. And will you have the goodness—” here
Scrooge whispered in his ear.

“Lord bless me!” cried the gentleman, as if his breath were gone. “My dear