It was cold, bleak biting, foggy weather and the city clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already. Once upon a time of all the good days in the year, upon a Christmas eve, old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance, was what the knowing ones call "nuts" to Scrooge. Even the blindmen's dogs appeared to know him and when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts and then would wag their tails as though they said, "No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master!"īut what did Scrooge care! It was the very thing he liked.
Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, "My dear Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me?" No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o'clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. The heaviest rain and snow and hail and sleet could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect, - they often "came down" handsomely, and Scrooge never did. Foul weather didn't know where to have him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. No warmth could warm, no cold could chill him. Oh ! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, was Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! External heat and cold had little influence on him. Sometimes people new to the business called Scrooge Scrooge, and sometimes Marley. The firm was known as Scrooge and Marley. There it yet stood, years afterwards, above the warehouse door, - Scrooge and Marley. Scrooge never painted out old Marley's name, however. Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend, his sole mourner. How could it be otherwise? Scrooge and he were partners for I don't know how many years. Scrooge knew he was dead? Of course he did. And Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change for anything he chose to put his hand to.
The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Printer Friendly Version Annotated A Christmas Carol Condensed by Dickens for his public readingsġ- Marley's Ghost | 2- The First of the Three Spirits | 3- The Second of the Three Spirits | 4- The Last of the Spirits Stave One - Marley's Ghost Reading Dickens > A Christmas Carol-Dickens' Reading Text
0 kommentar(er)
