In almshouse, hospital, and jail, in miserys every refuge, where vain man in his little brief authority[12]had not made fast the door, and barred the Spirit out, he left his blessing, and taught Scrooge his precepts. The Ghost was greatly pleased to find him in this mood, and looked upon him with such favour, that he begged like a boy to be allowed to stay until the guests departed. This idea taking full possession of his mind, he got up softly and shuffled in his slippers to the door. "A tremendous family to provide for!" muttered Scrooge. Here, he takes it into his head to dislike us, and he wont come and dine with us. The narrator considers that the phrase "dead as a doornail" doesn't even describe Marley's lifelessness well enough. And abide the end!. The time is drawing near.. Study Questions, Activities, and Resources, 115. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Two tumblers, and a custard-cup without a handle, If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die, If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. After it had passed away, they were ten times merrier than before, from the mere relief of Scrooge the Baleful being done with. But, if you had judged from the numbers of people on their way to friendly gatherings, you might have thought that no one was at home to give them welcome when they got there, instead of every house expecting company, and piling up its fires half-chimney high. He dont lose much of a dinner.. Down in the west the setting sun had left a streak of fiery red, which glared upon the desolation for an instant, like a sullen eye, and frowning lower, lower, lower yet, was lost in the thick gloom of darkest night, while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour, a ripe little mouth, that seemed made to be kissed, I am sorry for him; I couldnt be angry with him if I tried, for it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself, Where graceful youth should have filled their features out, and touched them with its freshest tints, a stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them, and pulled them into shreds. Here, the flickering of the blaze showed preparations for a cosy dinner, with hot plates baking through and through before the fire, and deep red curtains, ready to be drawn to shut out cold and darkness. It has been done in your name, or at least in that of your family, said Scrooge. Oh, Man! Alas for Tiny Tim, he bore a little crutch, and had his limbs supported by an iron frame! Here is a new game, said Scrooge. Would it apply to any kind of dinner on this day? asked Scrooge. Hes a comical old fellow, said Scrooges nephew, thats the truth: and not so pleasant as he might be. See!. Suppose it should break in turning out. And how did little Tim behave? Where graceful youth should have filled their features out, and touched them with its freshest tints, a stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them, and pulled them into shreds. He wouldnt take it from me, but may he have it, nevertheless. And bide the end!. But this the Spirit said could not be done. But it had undergone a surprising transformation. Knocking down the fire-irons, tumbling over the chairs, bumping against the piano, smothering himself among the curtains, wherever she went, there went he. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but prostrate, too, in their humility. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. Scrooge reverently did so. Long life to him! Despite these circumstances, Bob Cratchit represents the opposite qualities of Scrooge including kindness, generosity and the love of his family members. It was a Game called Yes and No, where Scrooges nephew had to think of something, and the rest must find out what; he only answering to their questions yes or no, as the case was. Oh, no, kind Spirit! I have no patience with him, observed Scrooges niece. Topper had clearly got his eye upon one of Scrooges nieces sisters, for he answered that a bachelor was a wretched outcast, who had no right to express an opinion on the subject. So did the room, the fire, the ruddy glow, the hour of night, and they stood in the city streets on Christmas morning, where (for the weather was severe) the people made a rough, but brisk and not unpleasant kind of music, in scraping the snow from the pavement in front of their dwellings, and from the tops of their houses, whence it was mad delight to the boys to see it come plumping down into the road below, and splitting into artificial little snow-storms. This work (A Christmas Carol: Stave 3 by Charles Dickens) is free of known copyright restrictions. He is especially emotionally affected by Tiny Tims poignant words and behavior, by seeing how much the child is loved and how much he loves others, even when his own lot in life is so difficult. My opinion is, that it was a done thing between him and Scrooges nephew; and that the Ghost of Christmas Present knew it. Theres father coming, cried the two young Cratchits, who were everywhere at once. There was no doubt about that. Log in here. After Bob Cratchit toasts Mr. Scrooge as "the founder of the feast," the person who made their Christmas dinner possible, Mrs. Cratchit follows with a sarcastic toast of her own. Having them shown to him in this way, he tried to say they were fine children, but the words choked themselves, rather than be parties to a lie of such enormous magnitude. oh the Grocers! The Ghost of Christmas Present, the second of the three spirits that haunt the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, in order to prompt him to repent his selfish ways, has taken Scrooge to see the family of his clerk, Bob Cratchit. He watches as Bob Cratchit takes Tiny Tim's, . I mean to give him the same chance every year, whether he likes it or not, for I pity him. Columbus Day is celebrated, on October 12 in many states and cities. He is such a ridiculous fellow!. And it comes to the same thing.. Any Cratchit would have blushed to hint at such a thing. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die., No, no, said Scrooge. The narrator states that there was no doubt about Marley 's death. But the whole scene passed off in the breath of the last word spoken by his nephew; and he and the Spirit were again upon their travels. (e\^{e}etre) En juillet, je - en France. The Grocers! I am the Ghost of Christmas Present, said the Spirit. It was the first of their proceedings which had no heartiness. The mention if his name cast a dark shadow on the party. At last the plump sister, falling into a similar state, cried out: I have found it out! Analysis. Its dark brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air. The mention of his name cast a dark shadow on the party, which was not dispelled for full five minutes. Is it a foot or a claw?, It might be a claw, for the flesh there is upon it, was the Spirits sorrowful reply. This garment hung so loosely on the figure, that its capacious breast was bare, as if disdaining to be warded or concealed by any artifice. A place where Miners live, who labour in the bowels of the earth, returned the Spirit. Describe the two children who emerge from the second spirit's robe in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? There were ruddy, brown-faced, broad-girthed Spanish Onions, shining in the fatness of their growth like Spanish Friars, and winking from their shelves in wanton slyness at the girls as they went by, and glanced demurely at the hung-up mistletoe. He looked down on every human being who did not share his own values. There, he witnesses the Cratchit family enjoy a Christmas meal including a Chritmas pudding. Scrooges niece played well upon the harp; and played among other tunes a simple little air (a mere nothing: you might learn to whistle it in two minutes), which had been familiar to the child who fetched Scrooge from the boarding-school, as he had been reminded by the Ghost of Christmas Past. Study Questions, Activities, and Resources, 136. He wouldnt catch anybody else. Scrooge was the Ogre of the family. Man, said the Ghost, if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered What the surplus is, and Where it is. His wealth is of no use to him. Study Questions, Activities, and Resources, 175. ", Scrooge recognises the urgent need to help the poor and he realises that his own words were cruel, its capacious breastits genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air, The Spirit represents generosity, abundance and joy much like Fezziwig, "Tonight if you have aught to teach me, let me profit by it. He never finishes what he begins to say! If you had fallen up against him (as some of them did), on purpose, he would have made a feint of endeavouring to seize you, which would have been an affront to your understanding, and would instantly have sidled off in the direction of the plump sister. Mrs. Cratchit said that now the weight was off her mind, she would confess she had had her doubts about the quantity of flour. Scrooge promised that he would; and they went on, invisible, as they had been before, into the suburbs of the town. Hallo! Bring wintertime, he is forced to try and stay warm with thick clothes and heat himself by the flame of a candle. This compels Scrooge to care about them when he did not before. Forgive me if I am wrong. Have they no refuge or resource? cried Scrooge. They are Mans, said the Spirit, looking down upon them. However, his offences carry their own punishment, and I have nothing to say against him., Im sure he is very rich, Fred, hinted Scrooges niece. The walls and ceiling were so hung with living green, that it looked a perfect grove; from every part of which, bright gleaming berries glistened. How it bared its breadth of breast, and opened its capacious palm, and floated on, outpouring, with a generous hand, its bright and harmless mirth on everything within its reach! . 'I am the Ghost of Christmas Present,' said the Spirit. There was nothing of high mark in this. Lauren has taught English at the university level and has a master's degree in literature. Now the ghost throws those harsh words back into Scrooges own face, compelling him to hang his head in shame and feel overcome with penitence and grief. Without seeing the family of his employee Bob Cratchit, it seems unlikely that Scrooge would have experienced such a change of heart in his thoughts about and treatment of the poor. Eked out by apple-sauce and mashed potatoes, it was a sufficient dinner for the whole family; indeed, as Mrs. Cratchit said with great delight (surveying one small atom of a bone upon the dish), they hadnt ate it all at last! It has been done in your name, or at least in that of your family, said Scrooge. At every fresh question that was put to him, this nephew burst into a fresh roar of laughter; and was so inexpressibly tickled, that he was obliged to get up off the sofa and stamp. As good as gold, said Bob, and better. As Mr. Simpson sat with a smile upon his face and said Yes, or Certainly, at intervals of about four minutes each, he received full credit for understanding what was going forward. Ill give you Mr. Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast! After finally allowing him to leave for the night, Scrooge heads home. Everybody had something to say about it, but nobody said or thought it was at all a small pudding for a large family. Scrooge appears both baffled by the family's happiness and to soften at this point, remembering some of the things he has said to Crachit and how he has treated him. For, he wished to challenge the Spirit on the moment of its appearance, and did not wish to be taken by surprise, and made nervous. A glee is a song sung by three or more; a catch is a round, a song in which two or more voices sing the same melody but with each voice beginning at different times, as in Row, Row, Row Your Boat.. It may be, that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor mans child. No doubt she told him her opinion of it, when, another blind-man being in office, they were so very confidential together, behind the curtains. Latest answer posted December 01, 2021 at 9:27:30 PM. It does not matter to them that their meal is small, that the pudding smells like laundry, or that they dont have enough punch cups. To any kindly given. Mrs Cratchit made the gravy (ready beforehand in a little saucepan) hissing hot; Master Peter mashed the potatoes with incredible vigour; Miss Belinda sweetened up the apple-sauce; Martha dusted the hot plates; Bob took Tiny Tim beside him in a tiny corner at the table; the two young Cratchits set chairs for everybody, not forgetting themselves, and mounting guard upon their posts, crammed spoons into their mouths, lest they should shriek for goose before their turn came to be helped. I wish I had him here. A piece of lace or the like worn around or within the top of the bodice. Scrooge entered timidly, and hung his head before this Spirit. The mention of his name cast a dark shadow on the party, which was not dispelled for full five minutes. His family cannot afford any of the treatments, or even the nutrition, that might save his life. 'I see a vacant seat'replied the Ghost,'in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. Scrooges niece was not one of the blind-mans buff party, but was made comfortable with a large chair and a footstool, in a snug corner, where the Ghost and Scrooge were close behind her. Scrooge bent before the Ghosts rebuke, and trembling cast his eyes upon the ground. Their sentiments are not missed by the miser who realizes he is the "Ogre of the family.". To-night, if you have aught to teach me, let me profit by it." "Touch my robe!" Its tenderness and flavour, size and cheapness, were the themes of universal admiration. But soon the steeples called good people all, to church and chapel, and away they came, flocking through the streets in their best clothes, and with their gayest faces. Scrooge had observed this change, but never spoke of it, until they left a childrens Twelfth Night party, when, looking at the Spirit as they stood together in an open place, he noticed that its hair was grey. Scrooge looked about him for the Ghost, and saw it not. From the foldings of its robe, it brought two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable. You have never seen the like of me before! exclaimed the Spirit. Mrs Cratchitdressed out but poorly in a twice-turned gown, but brave in ribbons, which are cheap, and make a goodly show for sixpence. Study Questions, Activities, and Resources, 119. Id give him a piece of my mind to feast upon, and I hope hed have a good appetite for it., My dear, said Bob, the children! great, round, pot-bellied baskets of chestnuts, shaped like the waistcoats of jolly old gentlemen, lolling at the doors, and tumbling out into the street in their apoplectic opulence, ruddy, brown-faced, broad-girthed Spanish Onions, shining in the fatness of their growth like Spanish Friars, slow potatoes bubbling up, knocked loudly at the saucepan-lid to be let out and peeled, compounded some hot mixture in a jug with gin and lemons, and stirred it round and round and put it on the hob to simmer, pudding, like a speckled cannon-ball, so hard and firm, blazing in half of half-a-quartern of ignited brandy, and bedight with Christmas holly stuck into the top, at Bob Cratchits elbow stood the family display of glass. It was a much greater surprise to Scrooge to recognise it as his own nephews and to find himself in a bright, dry, gleaming room, with the Spirit standing smiling by his side, and looking at that same nephew with approving affability. on which one drinks the health of such an odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man as Mr. Scrooge. Likewise at the game of How, When, and Where, she was very great, and to the secret joy of Scrooges nephew, beat her sisters hollow: though they were sharp girls too, as could have told you. An old, old man and woman, with their children and their childrens children, and another generation beyond that, all decked out gaily in their holiday attire. It is only afterwards that the general cheer resumed. Spirit, said Scrooge submissively, conduct me where you will. In easy state upon this couch, there sat a jolly Giant, glorious to see; who bore a glowing torch, in shape not unlike Plentys horn, and held it up, high up, to shed its light on Scrooge, as he came peeping round the door. Everybody else said the same, and they must be allowed to have been competent judges, because they had just had dinner; and, with the dessert upon the table, were clustered round the fire, by lamplight. Scrooge! said Bob; Ill give you Mr. Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast!The Founder of the Feast indeed! cried Mrs. Cratchit, reddening. How do the Cratchits react to their Christmas feast, and what does their celebration show Scrooge in Dickens'sA Christmas Carol? One half hour, Spirit, only one!. Study Questions, Activities, and Resources, 166. No change, no degradation, no perversion of humanity, in any grade, through all the mysteries of wonderful creation, has monsters half so horrible and dread. Spirit, said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, tell me if Tiny Tim will live., I see a vacant seat, replied the Ghost, in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. Nobody knows it better than you do, poor fellow!, My dear, was Bobs mild answer, Christmas Day., Ill drink his health for your sake and the Days, said Mrs. Cratchit, not for his. It was succeeded by a breathless pause, as Mrs. Cratchit, looking slowly all along the carving-knife, prepared to plunge it in the breast; but when she did, and when the long expected gush of stuffing issued forth, one murmur of delight arose all round the board, and even Tiny Tim, excited by the two young Cratchits, beat on the table with the handle of his knife, and feebly cried Hurrah! Look upon me!. A great deal of steam! There were great, round, pot-bellied baskets of chestnuts, shaped like the waistcoats of jolly old gentlemen, lolling at the doors, and tumbling out into the street in their apoplectic opulence. Deeply moved by the love and warmth in the home of his clerk, Scrooge also notices that Bob's voice "was tremulous" when he tells the family about Tiny Tim's visit to the church where he tells his father that he hopes others see him so that they will remember that it was Christ who made beggars walk and blind men see. Five minutes, ten minutes, a quarter of an hour went by, yet nothing came. How does Dickens show this to be true? He believed it too!. Here, the flickering of the blaze showed preparations for a cosy dinner, with hot plates baking through and through before the fire, and deep red curtains, ready to be drawn to shut out cold and darkness. It would have been flat heresy to do so. It was the first of their proceedings which had no heartiness. Scrooge now has "an interest he had never felt before.". There were pears and apples, clustered high in blooming pyramids; there were bunches of grapes, made, in the shopkeepers benevolence to dangle from conspicuous hooks, that peoples mouths might water gratis as they passed; there were piles of filberts, mossy and brown, recalling, in their fragrance, ancient walks among the woods, and pleasant shufflings ankle deep through withered leaves; there were Norfolk Biffins[3], squab and swarthy, setting off the yellow of the oranges and lemons, and, in the great compactness of their juicy persons, urgently entreating and beseeching to be carried home in paper bags and eaten after dinner. At last the dishes were set on, and grace was said. Long life to him! Wed a deal of work to finish up last night, replied the girl, and had to clear away this morning, mother., Well! Come in! To Scrooges horror, looking back, he saw the last of the land, a frightful range of rocks, behind them; and his ears were deafened by the thundering of water, as it rolled and roared, and raged among the dreadful caverns it had worn, and fiercely tried to undermine the earth. Tiny Tim drank it last of all, but he didnt care twopence for it. The mention of his name cast a dark shadow on the party, which was not dispelled for full five minutes. The Grocers! For, the people who were shovelling away on the housetops were jovial and full of glee; calling out to one another from the parapets, and now and then exchanging a facetious snowballbetter-natured missile far than many a wordy jestlaughing heartily if it went right and not less heartily if it went wrong. A smell like a washing-day! There were great, round, pot-bellied baskets of chestnuts, shaped like the waistcoats of jolly old gentlemen, lolling at the doors, and tumbling out into the street in their apoplectic opulence. Whats the consequence? Once home, he falls asleep only to be awakened by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future who torment him with visions. Altogether she was what you would have called provoking, you know; but satisfactory, too. I wish I had him here. Heaped up on the floor, to form a kind of throne, were turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, great joints of meat, sucking-pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies, plum-puddings, barrels of oysters, red-hot chestnuts, cherry-cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears, immense twelfth-cakes[2], and seething bowls of punch, that made the chamber dim with their delicious steam.
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