A Christmas Carol Chapter 3 | The Second of the Three Spirits (Part 1)
Awaking, Scrooge found himself in his bedroom. There was no doubt about that. But it and the living room had undergone a surprising transformation. The walls and ceiling were so hung with living green, that it looked a perfect grove. The leaves of holly, mistletoe, and ivy reflected back the light, as if many little mirrors had been scattered there. Heaped upon the floor, to form a kind of throne, were turkeys, geese, game, 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, and great bowls of punch. Upon a couch sat a Giant glorious to see, who bore a glowing torch and who raised it high to shed its light on Scrooge, as he came peeping round the door.
"Come in, -- come in! And know me better, man! I am the Ghost of Christmas Present. Look upon me! You have never seen the like of me before!"
"Never."
"Have you never walked forth with the younger members of my family?" pursued the Phantom.
"I don't think I have, I am afraid I have not. Have you had many brothers, Spirit?"
"More than eighteen hundred."
"A tremendous family to provide for! Spirit, conduct me where you will. I went forth last night and I learnt a lesson which is working now. Tonight, if you have ought to teach me, let me profit by it."
"Touch my robe!"
Scrooge did as he was told. The room and its contents all vanished instantly, and they stood in the city streets upon a snowy Christmas morning. Scrooge and the Ghost passed on, invisible, straight to Scrooge's clerk's; The Spirit smiled, and stopped to bless Bob Cratchit's dwelling with the sprinklings of his torch. Then up rose Mrs. Cratchit, Cratchit's wife, dressed out in a twice-turned gown, brave in ribbons, which are cheap, but make a goodly show; and she laid the tablecloth, assisted by Belinda Cratchit, second of her daughters, also brave in ribbons. Master Peter Cratchit plunged a fork into the saucepan of potatoes, and, getting the corners of his shirt collar (Bob's private property, conferred upon his son and heir in honor of the day) into his mouth, rejoiced to find himself so gallantly dressed, and yearned to show his clothes in the fashionable Park. And now, two smaller Cratchits, boy and girl came in, screaming that outside the baker's they had smelt the goose, and thought it was theirs.
