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scrap of gold or silver in my pocket. I believethat it has done me good. and that it will dome good: and I say. God bless it!Christmas humor to the last. So A MerryChristmas. Uncle!Good afternoon!SCROOGE.[The CLERK in the tank applauds. looks atthe jurious SCROOGE and pokes out his tinyfire. as if in exchangejor the moment oj impropriety. SCROOGE yells at him.]NEPHEW.And A Happy New Year!Good afternoon!SCROOGE.NEPHEW. [He stands jacing SCROOGE.)Threats to Bobyou are the most . (Pauses] No. I shan't.other sound from you and you'n keep yourChristmas by losing your situation. [To theNEPHEW] You're qUite a powerful speaker. sir.I wonder you don't go into Parliament. 6My Christmas humor is intact . [PauselGod bless you, Uncle . [NEPHEW turns andstarts jor the door; he stops at CRATCHIT'Scage.) Merry Christmas. Bob Cratchit .NEPHEW.Don't be angry. Uncle. Corne! Dinewith us tomorrow.CRATCHIT. Merry Christmas to you sir, and aend of audiovery, very happy New Year . . .I'd rather see myself dead than seemyself with your family!Oh. fine.a perfection, just fine . . . to see the perfectpair of you: husbands. with wives and children to support . . . my clerk there earningfifteen shillings a week . . . and the perfectpair of you, talking about a Merry Christmas! [Pauses) I'll retire to Bedlam!7SCROOGE.Notice Scrooge'sdistaste forNEPHEW. But. why? Why?marriageSCROOGE. Why did you get married?Distaste for love? NEPHEW. Because I fell in love.SCROOGE. That, sir. is the only thing thatyou have said to me in your entire lifetimewhich is even more ridiculous than "MerryChristmas"! [Turnsjrom NEPHEW] Good afternoon.Nay, Uncle, you never came to seeme before I married either. Why give it as areason for not coming now?NEPHEW.SCROOGE.Good afternoon, Nephew!I want nothing from you: I asknothing of you: why cannot we be friends?NEPHEW.resolute - stubbornUncle,Let me hear an-SCROOGE. [To the CLERK]SCROOGE.Good afternoon!I am sorry with all my heart, to findyou so resolute. But I have made the trial inhomage to Christmas. and I'll keep myNEPHEW.honorSCROOGE. [Calling across to them)NEPHEW. [To CRATCHITjOh. mind him not, sir. He's get- Notice howoptimisticting on in years, and he's alone. He's noUcedBob isyour visit. I'll wa{tf':r your visit has warmedhim.CRATCBIT.NEPHEW.Him? Uncle Ebenezer Scrooge?Warmed? You are a better Christian than Iam. sir.CRATCBIT. [Openingthe door jar NEPHEW;two DO-GOODERS will enter. as NEPHEW exits)Good day to you. sir, and God bless.NEPHEW.God bless . [One man who en-ters is portly, the other is thin. Both arepleasant.)CRATcmT.6. Parliament (par' 1;:1 m;}nt): The national legislativebody of Great Britain. in some ways like the AmericanCongress.He's impossible!Can I help you, gentlemen?7. Bedlam. (bed' !;:Im): A hospital In London for thementally ill.

THIN MAN. [Carryinglooks aroundpapers and books:to SCROOGE] Scroogeand Marley's, I believe. Have I the pleasure ofaddressing Mr. Scrooge, or Mr. Marley?CRATCHITMr. Marley has been dead theseseven years. He died seven years ago thisvery night.SCROOGE.We have no doubt his liberalityis well represented by his surviving partnerPORTLY MAN. [Offers his calling card]SCROOGE. [Handingback the card:looked at] . Good afternoon.THIN MAN.un-This will take but a moment,sir .Ohhh. I see, I was afraid. fromwhat you said at first. that somethi!1g hadoccurred to stop them from their usefulcourse. [Pauses] I'm glad to hear it.SCROOGE.PORTLY MAN. Under the impression that theyscarcely furnish Christian cheer of mindor body to the multitude, a few of us areendeavoring to raise a fund to buy thePoor some meat and drink. and means ofwarmth. We choose this time, because it is atime, of all others, when Want is keenly felt.and Abundance rejOices. [Pen in hand; aswell as notepad] What shall I put you downfor, sir?SCROOGE.At this festive season of theyear, Mr. Scrooge, it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute, who suffergreatly at the present time. Many thousandsare in want of common necessities; hundreds of thousands are in want of commoncomforts, sir.SCROOGE.Are there no prisons?PORTLY MAN.Plenty of prisons.Poor wouldSCROOGE. And aren't the Union workhouseswork forstillin operation?room andboardTWN MAN. They are, Still. I wish that I couldsay that they are not.The Treadmill8 and the Poor Law9are in full vigor, then?to have plentyNothing!PORTLY MAN.those inpovertyWant andAbundance arepersonifiedPORTLY MAN.You Wish to be left anony-mous?SCROOGE.I wish to be left alone! (Pauses;turns away; turns back to theml Since youask me what I Wish, gentlemen. that is myanswer. I help to support the establishmentsthat I have mentioned:-they cost enough:and those who are-bad ff--rnust go there.Many can't go there; and manywould rather die.THIN MAN.SCROOGE. If they would rather die, they hadbetter do it, and decrease the surplus population. BeSides-excuse me-I don't knowthat.ThemeSCROOGE.THIN MAN.Both very busy. sir.8. the Treadmill (tred' mil'); A kind of mill wheelturned by the weight of persons treading stepsarranged around it: this devise was used to punishprisoners in jails.9. the Poor Law: A series of laws were passed inEngland from the 17th century on to help the poor:changes to the law in 1834 gave responsibility forthis relief to the national government but did notprovide much aid for the poor,Scrooge was of the belief that the govt. wouldtake care of the poor--he shouldn't have to do so.THIN MAN.But you might know it!It's not my business. It's enoughfor a man to understand his own business.and not to interfere with other people's. Reminder of hisimportance on hisMine occupies me constantly. Good afterjobnoon, gentlemen! (Scrooge turns his back onthe gentlemen and returns to his desk.lSCROOGE.PORTLY MAN.of the poor.But. sir, Mr. Scrooge . think

SCROOGE.[Turns suddenly to them. Pauses)Take your leave of my offices. sirs. while I amstill smiling.[The THI!'J MAN looks at the PORTLY MAN.They are undone. They shrug. They moveto door. Cratchit hops up to open it jorthem.]CRATCBIT.If quite convenient, sir.It's not convenient. and it's notfair. If I was to stop half-a-crown for it. you'dthink yourself ill-used. I'll be bound?small coinSCROOGE.smiles jaintly.][CRATCHITCRATCBIT. IGood day. sir . [To CRATCHIT) Amerry Christmas to you, sir .don't know, sir .THIN MAN.CRATCHIT. Yes. ACratchit, whohas little, iswilling to giveto the poorMerry Christmas to both ofyou .And yet. you don't think me illused. when I pay a day's wages for nowork .SCROOGE.CRATCBIT.PORTLY MAN.Merry Christmas .It's only but once a year .poor excuse for picking a man'spocket every 25th of December! But I suppose you must have the whole day. Be hereall the earlier the next morning!SCROOGE. Asilently squeezes something intothe hand oj the THIN MAN.][CRATCHITTHIN MAN.What's this?CRATCHIT.Shhhh .opens the door; wind and snowwhistle into the room.]CRATCHIT. Oh. I will. sir. I will. I promiseyou. And. sir . . .[CRATCHITTHIN MAN.Thank you, sir, thank you.Audio part2 endscloses the door and returns to hisworkplace. SCROOGE is at his own countingtable. He talks to CRATCHIT without lookingup.][CRATCHITSCROOGE. It's less of a time of year for beingmerry. and more a time of year for beingloony . if you ask me.Don't say it, Cratchit.SCROOGE.CRATCBIT.But let me wish you a .SCROOGE.Don't say it. Cratchit. I warnyou .CRATCBIT.SCROOGE.[CRATCHITSir!Cratchit!opens the door.]CRATCBIT. Allright. then, sir . well .[Suddenly] Merry Christmas. Mr. Scrooge![The clock's bell strikes six 0 ·clock.][And he runs out the door. shutting samebehind him. SCROOGE moves to his desk;gathering his coat. hat. etc. A BOY appearsWell. there it is. eh, six?at his window . . , . ]CRATCHIT.SCROOGE.WelL I don't know. sir .Saved by Six bells. are you?I must be going home . [Hesmufs out his candle and puts on his hat. JI hope you have a . very very lovely day tomorrow. sir .CRATCBIT.SCROOGE. Hmmm. Oh, you 11 be wanting thewhole, day tomorrow, I suppose?BOY. [Singing]"Away in a manger . "seizes his ruler and whacks at theimage oj the BOY outside. The BOY leaves.][SCROOGEBah! Humbug! Christmas! Bah!Humbug! (He shuts out the light.]SCROOGE.A note on the crossover. jollowing Scene 2:

will walk alone to his rooms jromhis offices. As he makes a long slow cross ojthe stage. the scenery should change.Christmas music will be heard. variouspeople will cross by SCROOGE. ojten smilinghappily.There will be occasional pleasant greetings tossed at him.SCROOGE. in contrast to all. will grumpand mumble. He will snap at passing boys.as might a horrid old hound.In short. SCROOGE'S sounds and movements will define him in contrast jrom allother people who cross the stage: he is themisanthrope. the malcontent. the miser. Heis SCROOGE.This statement oj SCROOGE'S character.by contrast to all other characters. shouldseem comical to the audience.During SCROOGE'S crossover to his rooms.snow should begin to jall. All passers-bywill hold their jaces to the sky. smiling. allowing snow to shower them lightly.SCROOGE. by contrast. will bat at the flakeswith his walking-stick. as might an insomniac swat at a sleep-stopping. middle-ojthe-night swarm oj mosquitoes. He willcomment on the blackness oj the night.and. finally. reach his rooms and his encounter with the magical specter: MARLEY.his eternal mate. I[SCROOGEScene SSCROOGE.No light at all . no moon .that is what is at the center of a ChristmasEve: dead black: void .[SCROOGEputs his key in the door's keyhole.He has reached his rooms now. The doorknocker changes and is now 1ARLEY'S jace.A musical sound: quickly: ghostly. 1AR LEY'S image is not at all angry. but looks atSCROOGE as did the old "'!ARLEY look atSCROOGE. The hair is curiously stirred: eyeswide open. dead: absent oj jocus. SCROOGEstares wordlessly here. Thejace. bejore hisvery eyes. does deliquesce. /0 It is a knockeragain. SCROOGE opens the door and checksthe back oj same. probably jar MARLEY'Spigtail. Seeing nothing but screws andnuts. SCROOGE rejuses the memory.lGrumpycharactercontrast withthose aroundhimBells ring asas a warningPooh. pooh![The sound oj the door closing resoundsthroughout the house as thunder. Everyroom echoes the sound. SCROOGE jastensthe door and walks across the hall to thestairs. trimming his candle as he goes; andthen he goes slowly up the staircase. Hechecks each room: sitting room. bedroom.Lumber-room. He looks under the soja. under the table: nobody there. He fixes hisevening gruel on the hob. 11 changes hisjacket. SCROOGE sits near the tiny lowflamedfire. sipping his gruel. There are various pictures on the walls: all oj them nowshow likenesses of MARLEY. SCROOGE blinkshis eyes.!Bah! Humbug!walks in a circle about the room.The pictures change back into their naturalimages. He sits down at the table injront ojthefire. A bell hangs overhead. It begins toring. oj its own accord. Slowly. surely. begins the ringing oj every bell in the house.They continue ringing jor nearly half aminute. SCROOGE is stunned by the phenomenon. The bells cecise their ringing allat once. Deep below SCROOGE. in the basement oj the house. there is the sound ojclanking, of some enormous chain beingdragged across the floors; and now up thestairs. We hear doors)1ying open.![SCROOGE10. deUquesce (del' I kwes') v.: Melt away.11. gruel (groo' Ill on the bob (hab): A thin brothwarming on a ledge at the back or side of thefireplace.

Bah still! Humbug still! This is not happening! I won't believe it!opens his mouth and screams aghosty. Jearful scream. The scream echoesabout each room oj the house. Batsfly. catsscreech, lightning flashes. SCROOGE standsand walks backwards against the wall.MARLEY stands and screams again. Thistime, he takes his head and lifts it Jromhis shoulders. His head continues toscream. MARLEY'S face again appears onevery picture in the room: all screaming.SCROOGE. on his knees beJore MARLEY.][MARLEYenters the room. He is horrible to look at: pigtail. vest, suit as usual.but he drags an enormous chain now, towhich is fastened cash-boxes. keys, padlocks. ledgers. deeds. and heavy pursesfashioned of steel. He is transparent. MARLEY stands opposite the stricken SCROOGE. J{MARLEY'S GHOSTHow now! 'Nhat do you want of me?MARLEY.SCROOGE.MARLEY.Mercy! Dreadful apparition, 12 mercy! 'Nhy, O!why do you trouble me so?Much!'Nho are you?Man of the worldly mind. do you believe in me. or not?MARLEY.Ask me who I was.SCROOGE.Who were you then?do. I must. But why do spiritssuch as you walk the earth? And why dothey come to me?SCROOGE. IMARLEY. In life. I was your business partner:Jacob Marley.SCROOGE. Isee . can you sit down?MARLEY. Ican.SCROOGE.Do it then.Marley'spurposeI shall. [MARLEY sits oppositein the chair across the table, atthe front of the fireplace.] You don't believein me.MARLEY.SCROOGE,SCROOGE. IMARLEY.don't.Why do you doubt your senses?Because every little thing affectsthem. A slight disorder of the stomachmakes them cheat. You may be an undigested bit of beef. a blot of mustard. a crumbof cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of graveabout you, whatever you are!SCROOGE.punMARLEY. It is required of every man that thespirit within him should walk abroad amonghis fellow-men, and travel far and wide: andif that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. [MARLEYscreams again; a tragic scream; from hisghosty bones. J I wear the chain I forged inlife. I made it link by link, and yard by yard.Is its pattern strange to you? Or would youknow, you, Scrooge. the weight and length ofthe strong coil you bear yourself? It was fullas heavy and long as this, seven ChristmasEves ago. \You have labored on it. since. It isa ponderous chain. End of part 1, scene 3[Terrified that a chain will appear about hisbody. SCROOGE spins and waves the unwanted chain away. None. oj course. appears. Sees "'!ARLEY watching him danceabout the room. MARLEY watches SCROOGE:silently.][There is a silence between them. SCROOGEis made nervous by it. He picks up a ,toothpick.]SCROOGE.Humbug! I tell you: humbug!12. apparition (ap' ;) ris-h' :m) n.: Ghost.Jacob. Old Jacob Marley, tell memore. Speak comfort to me, Jacob .

I have none to give. Comfort comesfrom other regions. Ebenezer Scrooge. and isconveyed by other ministers, to other kindsof men. A very little more, is all that is permitted to me. I cannot rest. I cannot stay. Icannot linger anywhere . {He moansagain.J my spirit never walked beyond ourcounting-hause-mark me!-in life my spiritnever roved beyond the narrow limits of ourmoney-changing hole: and weary journeys liebefore me!MARLEY.SCROOGE. Couldn't I take 'em all at once, andget it over. Jacob?Expect the second on the nextnight at the same hour. The third upon thenext night when the last stroke of twelve hasceased to vibrate. Look to see me no more.Others may, but you may not. And look that.for your own sake, you remember what haspassed.between us!MARLEY.SCROOGE. But you were always a good manof business, Jacob.MARLEY. [Screams word "business"; a}lashpot explodes with him.1 BUSINESS!!!Mankind was my business. The commonwelfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, benevolence. were. all. my business. [SCROOGE is quaking.J Hear me. Ebenezer Scrooge! My time is nearly gone.SCROOGE. I will. but don't be hard upon me.And don't be flowery. Jacob! Pray!Marley was abusinessmanand ignoredthe poor--asScrooge hasdoneHow is it that I appear before you ina shape that you can see, r may not telL Ihave sat invisible beside you many and manya day. That is no light part of my penance. Iam here tonight to warn you that you haveyet a chance and hope of escaping my fate. Achance and hope of my procuring. Ebenezer.MARLEY.You were always a good friend tome. Thank'ee!SCROOGE.MARLEY.You will be haunted by ThreeSpirits.Notice themotif of thenumber 3Would that be the chance andhope you mentioned. Jacob?SCROOGE.MARLEY. ItSCROOGE.is.[MARLEY places his head back upon hisshoulders. He approaches the window andbeckons to SCROOGE to watch. Outside thewindow, specters J3 jly by. carrying moneyboxes and chains. They make a corifusedsound of lamentation. MARLEY, after listening a moment. joins into their mourrifuldirge. He leans to the Window and }loarsout into the bleak. dark night. He is gone.]SCROOGE. [Rushing to the windowl Jacob!No. Jacob! Don't leave me! I'm frightened![He sees that MARLEY has gone. He looksoutside. He pulls the shutter closed, so thatthe scene is blocked from his uiew. Allsound stops. After a pause. he re-opens theshutter and all is quiet. as it should be onChristmas Eve. Carolers carol out oj doors.in the distance. SCROOGE closes the shutterand walks down the stairs. He examinesthe door by which MARLEY first entered.lNo one here at all! Did I imagine all that?Humbug! [He looks about the room. J I didimagine it. It only happened in my foulestdream-mind, didn't it? An undigested bitof .[Thunder and lightning in the room: suddenly)I think I'd rather not.Sorry! Sorry!Without their visits. you cannothope to shun the path I tread. Expect thefirst one tomorrow. when the bell tolls one.MARLEY.[There is silence again. The lightsJade out. J13. specters (spek' t;Jrz) n.: Ghosts.Marley tells Scrooge that he will see 3 ghosts over 3 nights; it really happens in one night./0

Scene 4due, promissory notes. I6 interest on investments: these are things that happen in thedaylightl [He returns to his bed.] Was this adream?[Christmas music. choral. "Hark the HeraldAngels Sing." sung by an onstage choir ojchildren, spotlighted. D.C. Above. SCROOGEin his bed. dead to the world. asleep. in hisdarkened room. It should appear that thechoir is singing somewhere outside of thehouse. of course. and a use of scriml4 isthus suggested. When the singing is ended.the choir should Jade out oj view and MARLEY should fade into view. in their place.lappears in his room. He speaks tothe audience. J[MARLEYYou see? He does not. with faith.believe in me fully, even still! Whatever will ittake to turn the faith of a miser from moneyto men?MARLEY.monologueMARLEY.(Directly to audience) From thispoint forth . I shall be quite visible to you.but invisible to him. [Smiles] He will feel mypresence. nevertheless. for. unless my sensesfail me completely. we are-you and I-witness to the changing of a miser: that one.my partner in life. in business. and in eter-.nity: that one: Scrooge. [Moves to staircase .below SCROOGE] See him now. He endeavorsto pierce the darkness with his ferret eyes. 15[To audience] See him. now. He listens forthe hour.symbolictime of 12Another quarter and it'll be oneand Marley's ghosty friends will come.[Pauses: listens] Where's the chime for one?[Ding. dong I A quarter past [Repeats] Halfpast! [Repeats I A quarter to it! But where'sthe heavy bell of the hour one? This is agame in which I lose my senses! Perhaps. ifI allowed myself another short doze .SCROOGE.MARLEY . . . .Doze. Ebenezer. doze.[A heavy bell thuds its one ring:. dull anddlifi,nitely one 0 'clock. There is a flash oflight. SCROOGE sits up. in a sudden. A handdraws back the curtains by his bed. He[The bells toll. SCROOGE is awakened andquakes as the hour approaches one 0 ·clock.but the bells stop their sound at the hour ojtwelve.}sees it. JSCROOGE.Midnight! Why thisisn't possible. It was past two when I went tobed. An icicle must have gotten into theclock's works! I couldn't have slept throughthe

A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Israel Horovitz Plot and Exposition Look For Writing Vocabulary GUIDE FOR READING A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley 1 Act I Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was born in Portsmouth, England. He took upon himsel