A Christmas Story
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As Scrooges nephew departs, two gentlemen come in. They are collecting donations to ease the comfort of the poor at Christmas this year. Scrooge asks if there are not prisons, workhouses, and government programs in place to aid the poor. Scrooge believes that he does his part by contributing to those institutions. The collectors insist that many of the poor do not have access to that form of aid and many others are so proud that they would rather die than receive help that way. Scrooge answers with, “If they would rather die, . . . they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.” Stave 1, pg. 63
Topic Tracking: Charity 1
As the cold, gray day is drawing to a close, a young boy suffering with cold and hunger begins to sing a carol at the counting house door, but Scrooge scares him away. Scrooge complains because Cratchit expects to have all of Christmas Day off of work with pay, but he agrees to it provided that Cratchit comes in even earlier than usual on the day after Christmas. Cratchit excitedly hurries home to his family.
As Scrooge is putting his key into the lock of his front door, he notices that the knocker seems to glow and he recognizes in it the shape of Marleys face. Briefly startled, he looks down again and the knocker has resumed its usual lion shape. Then, as he climbs the dark, wide staircase to his bedroom, Scrooge believes he glimpsed a locomotive hearse steaming up the stairs in front of him.