SCROOGE and MARLEY (Deceased) by Paul Curtis (the first e reader .txt) 📕

night
By the virtue that it was surrounded by a lack of light
Though it was tall and stately fear filled scrooge’s head
And the presence of it filled him with a solemn dread
Surprisingly it was a very motionless and silent spirit
And reluctantly Scrooge was prompted to question it
"Are you the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come?" he said
The Spirit did not answer, but nodded with its head
"You will show me things that have not happened yet,
But will happen in the time before us, is that so, Spirit?"
The slightest movement of its head could be perceived
An inclination was the only answer Scrooge received
Although by this time well used to ghostly company
Scrooge feared the dark and silent phantom greatly
So much so that his legs trembled beneath his body
And when he prepared to follow it his steps were heavy
Scrooge exclaimed, "I fear you Ghost of the Future!"
More than any spirit I have seen more than any specter
But as I know spirit that to do me good is your plan
And as I hope to live my life and to be another man
From what I was, I am prepared to bear you company,
And do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?"
It gave him no reply. The hand pointed straight on
"Lead on spirit,” said Scrooge tiredly. "Just Lead on.
The night is waning fast, and it is precious time to me,
So lead on" The Phantom moved off effortlessly


VERSE 2 – THE PLACE OF MERCHANT’S

The phantom’s shadow seemed to carry scrooge along
Then suddenly they were in amongst the city’s throng
They didn’t enter it they just seemed to enter the city
The city actually sprang up about them in reality
But they were in its heart amongst the merchants
With the chinking of money and mongers chants
The Spirit stopped beside a knot of businessmen
They were known to Scrooge who’d met them often
Observing the spirit stop Scrooge halted his walk
The spirit pointed so scrooge listened to their talk.
"No," said a great fat man with a even fatter head,
"I don't know much about it, I only know he's dead."
"When did he die?" inquired another. "Last night"
The general tone was not at all grave but rather light
"What was the matter with him?" asked a third,
"I thought he'd never die." Not even a little absurd
"God knows," said the first, yawning in assent
"What about his money?" asked a red-faced gent
"I haven't heard, perhaps he left it to his company”
He said “all I know is that He hasn't left it to me."
They responded with a laugh to this pleasantry
"It will be a very cheap funeral more than likely,"
Said the same speaker "for on my life I don't know
Of anybody who knew him who would want to go,
I suppose we could make up a party and volunteer?"
"Only if a lunch is provided," said one with a sneer
And then another laugh echoed around the mall
"Well, I am the most disinterested of you, after all,"
Said the first speaker,"I never ever eat lunch and
Black gloves are never ever seen upon my hand
But I will offer to go, if somebody else will also
I think I was his most particular friend you know”
With that the group broke up going separate ways
And The Speakers and the listeners strolled away
To mix with other groups. Scrooge knew the men
And looked towards the Spirit for some explanation

The Phantom did not speak yet glided on to a street
Its finger pointed to where two persons would meet
Scrooge listened, thinking it maybe the explanation
He knew these men who were now in conversation
They were great men of business and very wealthy
Of great importance and of good opinion worthy
Scrooge made a point of standing well in their esteem
But only in a business point of view it would seem
"How are you?" said one of the men "How are you?"
Returned the other. "Well!" said the first to be true
"Well Old Scratch has got his own at last, then hey."
"So I’m told," returned the second. “And so they say”
"Cold, isn't it." Said the first of the business men
"Seasonable for Christmas. Do you like skating”?
"No. No. Something else to think of. Good morning."
Not another word was said, that was their meeting,
That was their conversation, and then their parting.
Scrooge was surprised the Spirit thought important
Conversations apparently so trivial and insignificant
But feeling assured they must have some relevancy
He set himself to consider what it was likely to be
He reasoned they had no baring on Marley’s demise
Jacob died in the past so he didn’t see how it applies
He could not think of any person connected to him
And was at a loss to explain what had provoked them
But he did not doubt there was in the scenes content
Some moral to be learned for his own improvement
He resolved to treasure what he saw and every word
And to observe his shadow and act on what he heard
For he decided that the conduct of his future entity
Would render him the solution of these riddles easy
He looked about the merchants for his own figure
But another man stood in his corner in the future
But before the significance of this could sink in
The phantom stood beside him its hand pointing
When he roused himself from his thoughtful quest
And turned his full attention to his phantom guest
He felt the unseen eyes were looking at him keenly
It made him shudder, and feel very cold suddenly
They left the busy scene both familiar and known
And went instantly into an obscure part of the town


VERSE 3 – OLD JOE’S

Scrooge had never been here before and it didn’t suit
Although he knew it’s situation, and its bad repute
The ways were foul and narrow the houses squalid
The people wretched, drunken, ugly and slipshod
Offensive smells were disgorged from every alley
The whole quarter reeked of crime, filth, and misery
Far in this den of infamy was a rag and bone shop
To Scrooges surprise it was here the he had to stop
The floor within the shop had piles and heaps upon
Of rusty keys, nails, chains, hinges, and refuse iron
Sitting in among what he dealt in, by a charcoal stove
Was a seventy five year old and gray-haired cove
Screened from the cold air behind a curtain of rags
And smoked his pipe amidst piles of clothes and bags
The Phantom entered with scrooge close by his side
Just as a woman with a heavy bundle slunk inside
But she had scarcely entered, when another woman
Similarly laden came in closely followed by a man
It was clear that all four were known to each other
And they stood embarrassed eyeing one another
Then After quite a short period of blank astonishment
They all three burst into a laugh of nervous merriment
"Let the charwoman go first!" cried the first woman
"The laundress second and third the undertaker's man
After all Joe here’s a chance that all three haven’t met”
She continued “all together without us meaning it!"
"You couldn't have met in a better place," said old Joe
And removed his pipe from his mouth and said, “lets go
Come into the parlor, let me just shut the shop door
How it skreeks, there’s nothing here that’s rusted more
And I'm sure there's no bones here old as mine. Ha, ha!
We're suited to our calling, we're well matched we are
Come into the parlor then all it’s a cold, cold night
Come into the parlor." Joe said, “I’ll trim the light”
They all followed after the old rag and bone broker
The old man then raked the fire over with a poker
While he did this, the woman who had already spoken
Threw her bundle on the floor as a gesture or token
Then she sat down in a flaunting manner on a chair
And then she gave her two companions a defiant stair
"Well what odds then. Mrs. Dilber." said the woman.
"Everyone has a right to look to themselves if they can.
He always did." She said in a tone of self-righteousness
"True, indeed, No man more so " said the laundress
"Why then, who's to be the wiser? And who knows?
We're not going to pick holes in each other, I suppose?"
"No, indeed," said Mrs. Dilber and the man together
"We should hope not." Said the solemn old undertaker
"Very well, then! Who's the worse, goodness knows
For the loss of these things? Not a dead man, I suppose."
"No, indeed," said Mrs. Dilber, laughing nervously anew
"If he wanted to keep them after death, wicked old screw,"
Pursued the woman, "why wasn't he more natural in life?
If he had been, he'd have had somebody in his strife
To look after him when he was struck with Death,
Instead of lying alone gasping out his last breath"
"It's true it's a judgment on him," said Mrs. Dilber.
The woman replied "I wish it had been a bit heavier
And it would have been, you may depend upon it,
If I could have lain my hands on more I will admit
Open the bundle, old Joe, and let me know the value
You can speak plain old Joe in front of those two
I'm not afraid to be the first, nor for them to see
Come on then old Joe open the bundle and tell me
We knew we were helping ourselves before we met
I believe. It's no sin. Open the bundle, Joe. Let’s see it"
But the gallantry of her friends would not allow her
And the man stepped forward and produced his plunder
It wasn’t much, a pair of sleeve-buttons, A seal or two
A pencil case and a brooch all of them no great value.
Old Joe severally examined and appraised them all
Who chalked the sums he was to give on the wall
"That's yours done, and not another penny or so
Not if I was to be boiled for not doing it.” Said Joe
“Who's next?" Mrs. Dilber was next. Sheets a towel,
Sugar tongs, silver tea spoons, a little wearing apparel,
Her account was stated on the wall in the same way
"I always give too much to ladies it’s the price I pay
It's my weakness and that's the way I ruined myself,
That's yours said Joe Putting the goods on the shelf
If you asked me for a penny more than I’ve writ down
I'll repent of being so liberal and knock off half-a-crown."
"And now undo my bundle, Joe," said the first woman.
Joe went down on his knees difficult for an old man
And undid the bundle revealing something uncertain
"What do you call this?" said old Joe. "A Bed-curtain?"
"Ah”! She replied leaning forward her face cracking
"Bed-curtains Joe " continued the woman, laughing
"You don’t mean to say you took them down, so
Rings and all with him lying there?" asked old Joe
"Yes I do," replied the woman. "Why not though?"
"You were born to make your fortune," said Joe,
Joe laughed heartily" and you will certainly do it."
"I certainly shan't hold my hand, when I can get