Sounds like a kiddie book. I probably read it when I was little and forgot about it. Not interested... Haha!
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Setanta
1
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Mon 31 Oct, 2011 11:20 am
"A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!" cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge's nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation he had of his approach.
"Bah!" said Scrooge, "Humbug!"
He had so heated himself with rapid walking in the fog and frost, this nephew of Scrooge's, that he was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again.
"Christmas a humbug, uncle!" said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean that, I am sure."
"I do," said Scrooge. "Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You're poor enough."
"Come, then," returned the nephew gaily. "What right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be morose? You're rich enough."
Scrooge having no better answer ready on the spur of the moment, said "Bah!" again; and followed it up with "Humbug."
"Scrooge and Marley's, I believe," said one of the gentlemen, referring to his list. "Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr. Scrooge, or Mr. Marley?"
"Mr. Marley has been dead these seven years," Scrooge replied. "He died seven years ago, this very night."
"We have no doubt his liberality is well represented by his surviving partner," said the gentleman, presenting his credentials.
It certainly was; for they had been two kindred spirits. At the ominous word "liberality," Scrooge frowned, and shook his head, and handed the credentials back.
"At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge," said the gentleman, taking up a pen, "it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and Destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."
"Are there no prisons?" asked Scrooge.
"Plenty of prisons," said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.
"And the Union workhouses?" demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"
"They are. Still," returned the gentleman, "I wish I could say they were not."
"The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?" said Scrooge.
"Both very busy, sir."
"Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course," said Scrooge. "I'm very glad to hear it."
"Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude," returned the gentleman, "a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?"
"Nothing!" Scrooge replied.
"You wish to be anonymous?"
"I wish to be left alone," said Scrooge. "Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned -- they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there."
That's not kiddie stuff . . . i have loved that story since i was a boy, even before i could understand all that was in the book. I will love it for the rest of my days.
I'm mostly goofing off. There's a power outage at The Widget Factory so
no work today. Snow in October is bizarre. Somehow, "I'm Dreaming of a
White Halloween" just doesn't cut it. The Lovely Bride is off to the gym
and she left two bags of trick-or-treat candy on the kitchen counter.
Haha! That's an awesome clip! I loved when her hand fell off! It made me laugh. I've never seen that movie before. I'd heard of it but never watched it.
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roger
1
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Mon 31 Oct, 2011 05:40 pm
@George,
George wrote:
GracieGirl wrote:
. . . Hand out the candy George!
Here, you can have the rest of my granola bar.
I recall my first experience with backpacking in the Rockies. Being cool, I carried a supply of granola bars, and accidently left one unprotected overnight. In the morning, I could see that some critter had gnawed through one end - and eaten NOTHING. Half starved, wild animals reject the stuff. I thought that was sufficiently informative that I never bought a single granola bar since.
