A POEM by Paul Curtis,
BASED ON THE STORY by
Charles Dickens “A
CHRISTMAS CAROL”
VERSE 3 – CALLING ON A
NEPHEW
In the afternoon he
turned his steps in another direction
Towards his nephew's
house to accept his invitation
He passed the door a
dozen times before his visit
When he found the
courage he made a dash at it
He asked the girl “Is
your master at home, my dear?”
“Yes, sir.” She
replied in a voice polite and clear
“Where is he, my
love?” He said with some finesse.
“He's in the
dining-room, along with my mistress
I'll show you
up-stairs, if you please.” The girl said
“Thank you. He knows
me, he’s my nephew Fred”
Scrooge said, his hand
already on the dining-room lock.
“I'll go in here, my
dear.” He entered without a knock
He sidled his face in,
round the door silent and supple
Fred and his young
wife were looking at the laden table
The table was spread
in great array for the festivities
And the young
housekeeper doubtful about her abilities
“Fred!” said Ebeneezer
Scrooge a little fainthearted.
Dear heart alive, how
his niece by marriage started.
Scrooge forgot about
her sitting in the quiet corner
With footstool, or he
would not have startled her
“Why bless my soul!”
cried Fred, “Who's that there?”
“It's I. Your Uncle
Scrooge. I have come to dinner.
Does the invitation
hold? Will you let me in, Fred?”
“Let you in? I
couldn’t be happier,” the nephew said
When uncle and wife
were introduced Scrooge hesitated
And said “May god
forgive me for the years I’ve wasted”
Let him in indeed Fred
could not have been happier
He was at home nothing
could have been heartier
Scrooge saw that his
niece looked just the same.
So did Topper and the
plump sister when they came
There was wonderful
happiness and much partying.
But he was early at
his counting house next morning.
VERSE 4 – BACK TO THE
COUNTING HOUSE
Oh he was early there.
If he could only be there first
And catch Bob Cratchit
come late! And see him cursed
That was the thing
Scrooge had set his heart upon
And so he did and he sat
and saw nine o’clock gone
The clock struck nine.
No Bob. A quarter past. No Bob.
It was undoubtedly so
that he was tardy for his job
He was full eighteen
minutes behind his usual time
Bob knew that to
Scrooge it was a cardinal crime
Bob’s hat was off even
before he opened the door
His comforter too was
taken off his neck before
Scrooge sat with his
door wide open, so he might see
As Bob Cratchit crept
in toward his desk silently
He was on his stool in
a jiffy and picked up his pen
An accustomed voice
growled “What time is this then?”
“What do you mean by
coming here this time of day?”
Bob’s heart sank as he
thought he was about to pay
“I am behind my time,”
said Bob “I'm very sorry, sir”
“You are” observed
Scrooge. “Yes. I think you are.
Step this way, if you
please Mr. Cratchit” he said
“It's only once a
year, sir, It shall not be repeated.
I was making rather
merry yesterday, sir.” he pleaded
“Now, I'll tell you
what, my friend,” Scrooge said
“I am not going to
stand this sort of thing anymore”
He continued, leaping
from his stool “And therefore,”
Then he dug Bob in the
arm with his finger quite firmly
And said “And
therefore I am about to raise your salary.”
Bob trembled, and
thought about calling a constable
Then Scrooge smiled
and he felt more uncomfortable
“A merry Christmas,
Bob,” He smiled and laughed again
He spoke with an
earnestness that could not be mistaken
“A merrier Christmas,
Bob, my good fellow, I fear”
He continued “Than I
have given you for many a year.
I'll raise your salary,
and assist your struggling family
I am in earnest Bob
and I mean to help you honestly
And we will discuss
your affairs this very afternoon,
Over a Christmas bowl
in the Saracens Head saloon
Make up the fires, and
buy another coalscuttle Bob
Before you dot another
I, cross another t or any job!”
VERSE 5 – THE END OF
IT
He was better than his
word. He did it all and more rather
And to Tiny Tim, who
did not die, he was a second father.
He became as good a
friend, and master, and man
As anyone in any city,
town, borough or world can
Some people laughed to
see the great alteration in him,
But Scrooge let them
laugh, and he little heeded them
He had no further
intercourse with any sort of Spirit
It was said if any man
alive had the knowledge of it
That scrooge knew very
well how to keep Christmas
And may that always be
truly said of us, and all of us!
Now our story of
Ebeneezer Scrooge’s redemption is done
And as Tiny Tim
observed, God Bless Us, Every One!
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