Christmas Carol 65 recto

65

unanimity, [wonderful]won-der-ful happiness!

But he was early at the office next morning. Oh he was early there. If he could
only be there first, and catch Bob Cratchit coming late! That was the thing he had set upon his heart upon.

And he did it; Yes he did! The clock struck nine. No Bob. A quarter past.
No Bob. It He was full eighteen minutes and a half, behind his time. Scrooge sat
[so] with his door wide open, that he [??ll]might see him come into the Tank.

His hat was off, before he opened the door; his comforter too. He was on his stool
in a jiffy: [8]driving away with his pen, as if he were trying to overtake nine o’
clock.

“Hullo!” growled Scrooge in his accustomed voice, as near as he could feign it.
“What do you mean by coming here at this time of day?”

“I’m very sorry Sir,” said Bob. “I am behind my time.”

“You are?” repeated Scrooge. “Yes. I think you are. Step this way, if you please.”

“It’s only once a year Sir,” pleaded Bob, appearing from[his] the Tank. “It shall not be repeated. I was
making rather merry, yesterday. Sir.”

“Now, I’ll tell you what, my friend,” said Scrooge. “I am not going to
stand this sort of thing any longer. And therefore " he continued, leaping from
his stool, and giving Bob such a dig in the waistcoat that he staggered
back into the Tank again. “and therefore I am about to raise your salary!”

Bob trembled, and [startled] [???? ?? his full and ]got a little nearer to the ruler. He It
was wider ??? ?? had a [vision] [idea of ????????]momentary idea of knocking Scrooge down with it in self defence;
holding him; and calling to the people in the court for Help and a Strait Waistcoat.

“a merry Christmas Bob!" said Scrooge with an earnestness that could not c???? ????????be mistaken, as he clapped him [after the ????????]on
the back. “a merrier Christmas, Bob, than I have given you, for many a year! I’ll raise
your salary, and endeavour to assist your [family of]struggling family, and we’ll [take it ?? ??es]
discuss your affairs this very afternoon, [???]before this very fire, over a christmas bowl of smoking
Bishop, Bob! Make up the fires, and buy another coal bef??scuttle before you
dot another i, Bob Cratchit!”

HeScrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more.
He [???led]became as good a []friend, as good ??? a [pol???]master, and as good a man, as [any]
the good old city knew, or any oldother good old ?city, town, or borough, in
the good old world. Some people laughed at first to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise
enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which
some [fearful] people [have not had]did not have their fill of laughter [in the outset of such x , x without x outset ] in the outset; and knowing [ it ?? are pleased]