By WSW (William Smith Williams)
Scene 1
*(Ghost of Christmas Present brings Scrooge to his nephew’s house)*
Nephew: Good evening, uncle! What winds bring you here?
Scrooge: Why, I–er–
Ghost: Oh, don’t try to deny it! This man loves Christmas! He lives for Christmas! He’d rather have Christmas every day of the year!
Scrooge: Bah, humbug! Christmas is a humbug! Nobody’s got any money for Christmas anymore. What’s Christmas to a bankrupt? Who can buy presents when he’s got no money?
Nephew: You–you–how can you say such things! Why, if I were as rich as you, I’d hire the whole Strand to entertain the poor of London!
Scrooge: Hire the Strand? Hire the Strand? Hire the Strand for paupers? What’s the use of the Strand? Tell me–what does it do for you, this wonderful Strand of yours?
Nephew: For me? Why, I don’t know–it–well, it’s got everything on it! You go along and there are shops on both sides, full of every kind of thing you can think of–boots, clothes, toys, presents–everything! And on Christmas Eve, it’s so bright with all the lights and decorated windows–why, it’s even better than Christmas morning!
Scrooge: Better than Christmas morning? Better than–why, the idea is perfectly ridiculous! How are you going to get any gifts if you’re not up at dawn Christmas morning?
Nephew: Why, I don’t know–they–well–they’ll come down the chimney, of course!
Ghost: Oh, how the ghost of Christmas Future laughs at you for saying that!
Nephew: What? What’s he laughing at?
Ghost: Because your gifts will not come down the chimney on Christmas morning. And what’s more, if you don’t take care, you won’t have anything under your roof on Christmas morning!
Scrooge: What? What do you mean?
Ghost: I mean that you will be a poor man, and you will have no friends, and no one will care for you, and you will die alone and forgotten.