_In which a miser has a change of heart and has a happy Christmas
after all._
While the Cratchits were having their merry Christmas dinner,
old Mr. Scrooge had gone home and gone to bed. “All this is
foolishness,” he said, “and a waste of time and money. I wish there
was no such thing as Christmas,” and with that he went to sleep.
Mr. Scrooge had some disagreeable dreams on Christmas Eve. In one
of them he dreamed that a Christmas spirit showed him his clerk’s
home. He saw them all gathered around the fire, and heard them
drink his health, and Tiny Tim sing a song. Not a word of abuse for
Mr. Scrooge who had been so hard on Bob Cratchit.
How Mr. Scrooge spent Christmas Day we do not know, but on
Christmas night he had more dreams and again he saw his poor
clerk’s home. In his dream he saw the mother was busy, and as she
sewed tears dropped on her sewing now and then. The children were
sad, and up stairs was the father with his face hidden in his hands
as he sat beside a little bed on which lay the figure of Tiny Tim,
white and still.
“My little child--my precious child!” sobbed the poor father. Then
into the ear of Mr. Scrooge whispered the dream spirit:
“Tiny Tim died because his father was too poor to give him the
necessary things to make him well. YOU kept him poor.”
The father kissed the cold little face, then went down stairs, took
his hat and went out with a wistful glance at the little crutch in
the corner.
Mr. Scrooge saw all of this and many more strange and sad things;
but wonderful to relate, he awoke the next morning feeling like a
different man--feeling as he had never felt before.
“I hope everybody had a Merry Christmas, and here’s a Happy New
Year to all the world!”
Poor Bob Cratchit was late the next morning and expected to be
roundly abused. But no such thing. His master shook hands with
him and told him he was going to raise his salary, and asked
affectionately after Tiny Tim. Bob could scarcely believe his eyes
or ears, but it was all true. Mr. Scrooge had had a change of heart
and mind. His dreams had shown him that he was wrong, and that
Christmas was a good time after all.
Such doings as the Cratchits had on New Year’s day had never been
before in their home. Mr. Scrooge had sent such a turkey for
dinner! Tiny Tim had his share, too; for Tiny Tim did not die.
Mr. Scrooge became a second father to him from that day; he wanted
for nothing, and grew up strong and healthy. Mr. Scrooge loved him,
and well he might, for was it not Tiny Tim who had unconsciously
touched his hard heart through his Christmas dream, causing him to
become a good and happy man?