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A Christmas Carol, By Charles Dickens ( part 29 )

Stave Five, The End Of It

“No, no,” said Scrooge, “I am in earnest. Go and buy it, and tell ’em to bring it here, that I may give them the direction where to take it. Come back with the man, and I’ll give you a shilling. 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 had a steady hand at a trigger who could have got a shot off half so fast. 
“I’ll send it to Bob Cratchit’s!” whispered Scrooge, rubbing his hands, and splitting with a laugh. “He sha’n’t know 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!” 
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!” cried Scrooge, patting it with his hand. “I scarcely ever looked at it before. What an honest expression it has in its face! It’s a wonderful knocker!—Here’s the Turkey! Hallo! Whoop! How are you! Merry Christmas!” 
It was a 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, 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 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 in his chair again, and chuckled till he cried. 
Shaving was not an easy task, for his hand continued to shake very much; and shaving requires attention, even when you don’t dance while you are at it. But if he had cut the end of his nose off, he would have put a piece of sticking-plaister 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, as he had seen them with the Ghost of Christmas Present; and walking with his hands behind him, Scrooge regarded every one 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, those were the blithest in his ears. 
He had not gone far, when coming on towards him he beheld the portly gentleman, who had walked into his counting-house the day before, and said, “Scrooge and Marley’s, I believe?” It 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 it. 
“My dear sir,” said Scrooge, quickening his pace, 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?” 
“Yes,” said Scrooge. “That is 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 taken away. “My dear Mr. Scrooge, are you serious?” 
“If you please,” said Scrooge. “Not a farthing less. A great many back-payments are included in it, I assure you. Will you do me that favour?” 
“My dear sir,” said the other, shaking hands with him. “I don’t know what to say to such 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 was clear he meant to do it. 
“Thank’ee,” said Scrooge. “I am much obliged to you. I thank you fifty times. 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 everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed that any walk—that anything—could give him so much happiness. In the afternoon he turned his steps towards his nephew’s house. 
He passed the door a dozen times, before he had the courage to go up and knock. But he made a dash, and did it: 
“Is your master at home, my dear?” said Scrooge to the girl. Nice girl! Very. 
“Yes, sir.” 

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This is a librivox recording. All librivox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit librivox.org. A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.

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A Christmas Carol, By Charles Dickens ( part 28 )

Stave Five, The End Of It Stave Five of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This librivox recording is in the pbulic domain. Stave Five, The End Of It. Yes! and the bedpost was his own. The bed was his own, the room was his own. Best and happiest of all, the Time before him […]

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A Christmas Carol, By Charles Dickens ( part 27 )

Stave Four, The Last of the Spirits ‘Heartily sorry,’ he said, ‘for your good wife. If I can be of service to you in any way,’ he said, giving me his card, ‘that’s where I live. Pray come to me.’ Now, it wasn’t,” cried Bob, “for the sake of anything he might be able to […]

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A Christmas Carol, By Charles Dickens ( part 26 )

Stave Four, The Last of the Spirits and which he struggled to repress. He sat down to the dinner that had been hoarding for him by the fire; and when she asked him faintly what news (which was not until after a long silence), he appeared embarrassed how to answer. “Is it good?” she said, […]

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A Christmas Carol, By Charles Dickens ( part 25 )

Stave Four, The Last of the Spirits [ “That’s your account. If you asked me for another penny, and made it ] an open question, I’d repent of being so liberal and knock off half-a-crown.” “And now undo my bundle, Joe,” said the first woman. Joe went down on his knees for the greater convenience […]

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A Christmas Carol, By Charles Dickens ( part 24 )

Stave Four, The Last of the Spirits … to whom he could apply them. But nothing doubting that to whomsoever they applied they had some latent moral for his own improvement, he resolved to treasure up every word he heard, and everything he saw; and especially to observe the shadow of himself when it appeared. […]

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A Christmas Carol, By Charles Dickens ( part 23 )

Stave Four, The Last of the Spirits Stave Four of A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. This Librivox recording is in the public domain. Stave Four, The Last of the Spirits. The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently, approached. When it came near him, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which […]

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A Christmas Carol, By Charles Dickens ( part 22 )

Stave Three, The Second of the Three Spirits but was made comfortable with a large chair and a footstool, in a snug corner, where the Ghost and Scrooge were close behind her. But she joined in the forfeits, and loved her love to admiration with all the letters of the alphabet. Likewise at the game […]

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A Christmas Carol, By Charles Dickens ( part 21 )

Stave Three, The Second of the Three Spirits [ had had a kinder word ] for another on that day than on any day in the year; and had shared to some extent in its festivities; and had remembered those he cared for at a distance, and had known that they delighted to remember him. […]

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A Christmas Carol, By Charles Dickens ( part 20 )

Stave Three, The Second of the Three Spirits Scrooge bent before the Ghost’s rebuke, and trembling cast his eyes upon the ground. But he raised them speedily, on hearing his own name. “Mr. Scrooge!” said Bob; “I’ll give you Mr. Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast!” “The Founder of the Feast indeed!” cried Mrs. Cratchit, […]

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