An intelligent boy, a remarkable boy!

Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head.  No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells.  Oh, glorious! Glorious!

"What's to-day?'' cried Scrooge, calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes, who perhaps had loitered in to look about him.``

"Eh? '' returned the boy, with all his might of wonder.

"What's to-day, my fine fellow?'' said Scrooge.

"To-day?'' replied the boy.  ``Why, Christmas Day!"

"It's Christmas Day!'' said Scrooge to himself.  ``I haven 't missed it.  The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like.  Of course they can.  Of course they can.  Hallo, my fine fellow!''

"Hallo!'' returned the boy

"Do you know the Poulterer's, in the next street but one, at the corner?'' Scrooge inquired.

"I should hope I did,'' replied the lad.

"An intelligent boy!'' said Scrooge.  ``A remarkable boy! Do you know whether they've sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there? Not the little prize Turkey; the big one?''

``What, the one as big as me?'' returned the boy.

"What a delightful boy!'' said Scrooge. ``It's a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, my buck!''

"It's hanging there now,'' replied the boy.

"Is it?'' said Scrooge. ``Go and buy it.''

"Walk-er!'' exclaimed the boy.

"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 irection 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!''

"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.

Comments

[sluggo]

Searle Illustrates Dickens for this post.

And, again, as last year, thanks for some of my best reads of the year.

[sluggo]

Another of a mellow Scrooge.

[Jill_bryant]

When will the ghosts be visiting this administration? They apparently have learned no lessons.
I do love when Scrooge transforms.

[harry near indy]

hey, lance -- if you work these sketches about this scrooge character into a book, i think you'll have something that's very good.

[Rosy]

This selection, in particular, brings to mind George C. Scott's portrayal of Scrooge in the movie. I haven't seen his version in years. I thought he was wonderful.

Hope you had a terrific Christmas, Lance.

[M.A. Peel]

I have been known to weep quiettly went Alastair Sim gets to this part. Is there a more poignant realization in life than "I haven't missed it"? Not for me.