{"id":31676,"date":"2020-11-28T21:17:15","date_gmt":"2020-11-29T04:17:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/?page_id=31676"},"modified":"2020-11-28T22:54:27","modified_gmt":"2020-11-29T05:54:27","slug":"charitable-giving","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/x\/dickens-in-days\/charitable-giving\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 3 – Charitable Giving"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Dickens<\/a>His nephew left the room without an angry word, notwithstanding. He stopped at the outer door to bestow the greetings of the season on the clerk, who, cold as he was, was warmer than Scrooge; for he returned them cordially.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s another fellow,\u201d muttered Scrooge; who overheard him: \u201cmy clerk, with fifteen shillings a week, and a wife and family, talking about a merry Christmas<\/a>. I\u2019ll retire to Bedlam.\u201d<\/p>\n

This lunatic, in letting Scrooge\u2019s nephew out, had let two other people in. They were portly gentlemen, pleasant to behold, and now stood, with their hats off, in Scrooge\u2019s office. They had books and papers in their hands, and bowed to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cScrooge and Marley\u2019s, I believe,\u201d said one of the gentlemen, referring to his list. \u201cHave I the pleasure of addressing Mr. Scrooge, or Mr. Marley?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Marley has been dead these seven years,\u201d Scrooge replied. \u201cHe died seven years ago, this very night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no doubt his liberality is well represented by his surviving partner,\u201d said the gentleman, presenting his credentials.<\/p>\n

It certainly was; for they had been two kindred spirits. At the ominous word \u201cliberality,\u201d Scrooge frowned, and shook his head, and handed the credentials back.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge,\u201d said the gentleman, taking up a pen, \u201cit is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre there no prisons?\u201d asked Scrooge.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlenty of prisons,\u201d said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the Union workhouses?\u201d demanded Scrooge. \u201cAre they still in operation?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are. Still,\u201d returned the gentleman, \u201cI wish I could say they were not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?\u201d said Scrooge.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth very busy, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course,\u201d said Scrooge. \u201cI\u2019m very glad to hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude,\u201d returned the gentleman, \u201ca few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing!\u201d Scrooge replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wish to be anonymous?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish to be left alone,\u201d said Scrooge. \u201cSince you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don\u2019t make merry myself at Christmas<\/a> and I can\u2019t afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned\u2014they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMany can\u2019t go there; and many would rather die.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they would rather die,\u201d said Scrooge, \u201cthey had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides\u2014excuse me\u2014I don\u2019t know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you might know it,\u201d observed the gentleman.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not my business,\u201d Scrooge returned. \u201cIt\u2019s enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people\u2019s. Mine occupies me constantly. Good afternoon, gentlemen!\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing clearly that it would be useless to pursue their point, the gentlemen withdrew. Scrooge resumed his labours with an improved opinion of himself, and in a more facetious temper than was usual with him.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

His nephew left the room without an angry word, notwithstanding. He stopped at the outer door to bestow the greetings of the season on the clerk, who, cold as he was, was warmer than Scrooge; for he returned them cordially. \u201cThere\u2019s another fellow,\u201d muttered Scrooge; who overheard him: \u201cmy clerk, with fifteen shillings a week, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"parent":31663,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"pageWithContainerAndSidebar.php","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","iawp_total_views":19,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-31676","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/x\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/31676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/x\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/x\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/x\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/x\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/x\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/31676\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/x\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/31663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/x\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}