Old Fezziwig in his warehouse laid down his pen
and looked up at the clock, which pointed to the
hour of seven. He rubbed his hands; adjusted his waistcoat;
laughed all over himself, from his shoes to his organ 5
of benevolence; and called out in a comfortable, oily, rich,
fat, jovial voice:
"Yo-ho, there! Ebenezer! Dick!"
Ebenezer came briskly in, followed by his fellow
'prentice. 10
"Yo-ho, my boys!" said Fezziwig. "No more work
to-night. Christmas Eve, Dick! Christmas, Ebenezer!
Let's have the shutters up," cried old Fezziwig, with a
sharp clap of his hands, "before a man can say Jack
Robinson." 15
You wouldn't believe how those two fellows went at it!
They charged into the street with the shutters--one, two,
three--had 'em in their places--four, five, six--barred
'em and pinned 'em--seven, eight, nine--and came back
before you could have got to twelve, panting like race 20
horses.
"Hilli-ho!" cried old Fezziwig, skipping down from his
desk with wonderful agility. "Clear away, my lads, and
let's have lots of room here! Hilli-ho, Dick! Chirrup,
Ebenezer!" 25
Clear away? There was nothing they wouldn't have
cleared away or couldn't have cleared away, with old
Fezziwig looking on. It was done in a minute. Every
movable was packed off, as if it were dismissed from public
life forevermore. The floor was swept and watered, the
lamps were trimmed, fuel was heaped upon the fire; and
the warehouse was as snug and warm, and dry and bright, 5
as any ballroom you would desire to see.
In came a fiddler with a music book, and went up to the
lofty desk, and made an orchestra of it. In came Mrs.
Fezziwig, one vast substantial smile. In came the three
Miss Fezziwigs, beaming and lovable. In came the six 10
young followers whose hearts they broke. In came all
the young men and young women employed in the business.
In came the housemaid with her cousin the baker. In
came the cook with her brother's particular friend the milkman
In came the boy from over the way, who was 15
suspected of not having enough to eat from his master. In
they all came, one after another--some shyly, some boldly,
some gracefully, some awkwardly, some pushing, some
pulling. In they all came, anyhow and everyhow.
Away they all went, twenty couples at once; down the 20
middle and up again; round and round in various stages
of affectionate grouping; old top couple always turning up
in the wrong place; new top couple starting off again as
soon as they got there; all top couples at last, and not a
bottom one to help them! 25
When this result was brought about, old Fezziwig,
clapping his hands to stop the dance, cried out, "Well
done!" Then there were more dances, and there were
forfeits, and more dances; and there was cake, and there
was a great piece of cold roast, and there was a great piece 30
of cold boiled, and there were mince pies and other delicacies.
But the great effect of the evening came after
the roast and the boiled, when the fiddler, artful dog, struck
up _Sir Roger de Coverley_. Then old Mr. Fezziwig stood
out to dance with Mrs. Fezziwig. Top couple, too, with
a good stiff piece of work cut out for them; three or
four and twenty pair of partners; people who were not to 5
be trifled with--people who would dance and had no
notion of walking.
But if they had been twice as many--aye, four times--old
Mr. Fezziwig would have been a match for them and
so would Mrs. Fezziwig. As to _her_, she was worthy to 10
be his partner in every sense of the term. If that's not
high praise, tell me higher and I'll use it. . . . And when
Mr. Fezziwig and Mrs. Fezziwig had gone all through the
dance--advance and retire, both hands to your partner,
bow and curtsy, thread the needle, and back to your place--Fezziwig 15
"cut" so deftly that he appeared to wink with
his legs, and came upon his feet again without a stagger.
When the clock struck eleven this domestic ball broke up.
Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig took their stations one on either
side of the door, and shaking hands with every person 20
individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a
Merry Christmas. When everybody had retired but the
two apprentices they did the same to them; and thus the
cheerful voices died away and the lads were left to their
beds--which were under a counter in the back shop. 25
--_A Christmas Carol._
1. _A Christmas Carol_ is a story everybody should
read and re-read. Why do you think it is so
popular? What is there about this selection that is
likable? How does it reflect the joy of the
Christmas season?
2. List the books you know that Dickens wrote.
Which have you read? Find some interesting facts
about Dickens's life and report these to the class.