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Mr. Scrooge, are you serious?”
“If you please,” said Scrooge. “Not a farthing less. A great many omitted backpayments are included in it, I assure you. Will you do me that favor?”
“My dear sir!” cried the other, shaking hands with him again. “I don’t know what to say to such munifice?? munifi munifi—”
“Don’t say anything, please,” retorted Scrooge. “Come and see me. Will you come and see me?”
“I will!” cried the old gentleman. And it [will] was clear he meant to do it.
“Thank’ee,” said Scrooge. “I am much obliged to you. I thank you fifty times. [Goodbye] God bless you!”
[?????] He went to church and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and fro, and patted children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of houses, and up to the windows; and found that anything could yield him pleasure. He [had ] had never dreamed that could [be] that any walk, or any [s???? offer] for [taci?]—that anything—could give him so much mea??? happiness. When it g[ot] In the afternoon he turned his steps towards his nephew’s house.
He often passed the house door a and ?? dozen times, before he had the courage to go up and knock. But he made a plunge dash dash, and did it:
“Is your master at home my dear?” said Scrooge to the girl. A nNice girl! [had] Very.
“Yes Sir.”
“Where is he? You my love?” said Scrooge.
“He is He’s in the dining-room Sir, along with mistress. I’ll shew you upstairs, if you please.”
“ ?? Thank’ee. He knows me,” said Scrooge, with with his hand already on the dining-room lock. “I’ll go in here, my dear.”
He turned it [softly] gently, and looked in [for] sidled his face in, round the door. They were looking at the table (which was spread out ????? in great array); [as] for these young housekeepers are always fidgety nervous on such points, and like to see that everything is right.
“Fred!” said Scrooge.
Good Heaven [to see] Dear heart alive, how his niece by marriage, started! Scrooge had forgotten for the moment, about her sitting in the corner with the footstool, or he wouldn’t have done it, on any account. It was very imprudent. There’s no looking glass.
“Why bless my soul!” cried Fred, “Is that who’s that?”
“Your uncle. Your uncle It’s I It’s I. Your uncle Fred [Scrooge] Scrooge. I have come to dinner. Will you let me in, [dear] Fred?”
Let him in! It’s a mercy mercy mercy he didn’t shake his arm off. He was at home in five minutes. Nothing could be heartier. His niece looked just the same. So did Topper, when he came. So did the plump sister, So did every one when she came. So did every one when they came. [Scrooge ] Wonderful evening, wonderful games, wonderful
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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]
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that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in ????????? less attractive forms. His own heart laughed; and that was quite enough for him. He never had any no further intercourse with Spirits, but [liv] lived upon the Total aAbstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and [??] it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas [as well?] and cherished it as any man alive well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!, aAnd so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us Every One!
The End.