United States or Lithuania ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The truth is, that he tried to be smart, as a means of distracting his own attention, and keeping down his terror; for the spectre's voice disturbed the very marrow in his bones. To sit staring at those fixed, glazed eyes in silence, for a moment, would play, Scrooge felt, the very deuce with him.
My spirit never walked beyond our counting-house mark me; in life my spirit never roved beyond the narrow limits of our money-changing hole; and weary journeys lie before me!" It was a habit with Scrooge, whenever he became thoughtful, to put his hands in his breeches pockets. Pondering on what the Ghost had said, he did so now, but without lifting up his eyes, or getting off his knees.
He rose; but, finding that the Spirit made towards the window, clasped its robe in supplication. 'I am a mortal, Scrooge remonstrated, 'and liable to fall. 'Bear but a touch of my hand there, said the Spirit, laying it upon his heart, 'and you shall be upheld in more than this!
"It should be Christmas day, I am sure," said she, "on which one drinks the health of such an odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man as Mr. Scrooge. You know he is, Robert! Nobody knows it better than you do, poor fellow!" "My dear," was Bob's mild answer, "Christmas day." "I'll drink his health for your sake and the day's," said Mrs. Cratchit, "not for his. Long life to him.
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. Once upon a time of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house.
"Marjorie Jones has measles," answered Eleanor, their stage manager: "come here, all of you, and think hard. Who can take Scrooge at such short notice? Is there any new girl with a good memory? It's the longest part by far."
The Spirit paused a moment, as observing his condition, and giving him time to recover. But Scrooge was all the worse for this. It thrilled him with a vague uncertain horror, to know that behind the dusky shroud there were ghostly eyes intently fixed upon him, while he, though he stretched his own to the utmost, could see nothing but a spectral hand and one great heap of black.
"I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come?" said Scrooge. The Spirit answered not, but pointed downward with its hand. "You are about to show me shadows of the things that have not happened, but will happen in the time before us," Scrooge pursued. "Is that so, Spirit?"
It is a ponderous chain! Scrooge glanced about him on the floor, in the expectation of finding himself surrounded by some fifty or sixty fathoms of iron cable; but he could see nothing. 'Jacob! he said imploringly. 'Old Jacob Marley, tell me more! Speak comfort to me, Jacob! 'I have none to give, the Ghost replied.
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 downstairs 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.
Word Of The Day