A Christmas Carol. The original manuscript

Оглавление

Dickens Charles. A Christmas Carol. The original manuscript

PREFACE

STAVE I. MARLEY'S GHOST

STAVE II. THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS

STAVE III. THE SECOND OF THE THREE SPIRITS

STAVE IV. THE LAST OF THE SPIRITS

STAVE V. THE END OF IT

Отрывок из книги

I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.

December, 1843.

.....

Up Scrooge went, not caring a button for that: darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it. But before he shut his heavy door, he walked through his rooms to see that all was right. He had just enough recollection of the face to desire to do that.

Sitting room, bed-room, lumber-room. All as they should be. Nobody under the table, nobody under the sofa; a small fire in the grate; spoon and basin ready; and the little saucepan of gruel (Scrooge had a cold in his head) upon the hob. Nobody under the bed; nobody in the closet; nobody in his dressing-gown, which was hanging up in a suspicious attitude against the wall. Lumber-room as usual. Old fire-guard, old shoes, two fish-baskets, washing-stand on three legs, and a poker.

.....