hristmas of
today. I travel among the common people. My torch is their
benediction. If there is a slight quarrel or any misunderstandings on
Christmas Day, I simply throw on them the light of my torch. And then
they say it is a shame to quarrel on Christmas Day--the Day of Peace
and Love. And so it is! God bless it! God bless Christmas Day!

SCROOGE. And what do you intend to show me?

SECOND SPIRIT. I intend to show you the House of Happiness.

SCROOGE. Is it a wonderful palace of gold?

SECOND SPIRIT. It is a humble little kitchen. In fact, the kitchen of
your poor clerk, Bob Cratchit. Bob, with his fifteen shillings a
week--with his wife and six children--with his shabby clothes and his
humble, shabby manners--Bob, with his little four-roomed house, and
his struggle to keep the wolf from the door. The Ghost of the
Christmas Present blesses his abode. Behold!

_Bright, cheerful music._ SCROOGE _and_ SECOND SPIRIT _cross to R. The
rear curtains open, showing the interior of the Cratchit kitchen.
Everything neat, but showing extreme poverty. Fireplace C. rear.
Kettle boiling on crane. Table down L.C. with red cloth and lighted
lamp. Cupboard up R. Old chairs around stage. Several pots of bright
flowers in evidence. A bird in a cage is singing over the mantel._
PETER _discovered watching the potatoes boiling in the kettle at the
fireplace. Enter_ MRS. CRATCHIT _and_ BELINDA _from L._

MRS. CRATCHIT. Hurry, Belinda; we must set the table right away. How's
the taters, Peter?

PETER (_peeks in the kettle_). Boiling, mammy, boiling.

MRS. CRATCHIT. Here, carry the lamp over there.

BELINDA. Yes, ma'am. (_Puts lamp on cupboard._)

MRS. CRATCHIT. And now where's the white table cloth?

BELINDA (_getting it from cupboard_). Here it is, mammy. (_They place
castor, plates, knives, etc., on table during the following scene._)

MRS. CRATCHIT. Whatever has got your precious father, I wonder? He and
Tiny Tim's been at the church these three hours.

_Enter_ BOB _and_ BETTY _from R. They run down and kiss_ MRS.
CRATCHIT.

BOB. Oh, mumsy, we saw the goose, we did. We peeked in through the
bakery window and we saw the goose, we did.

BETTY. And we smelled him, too. And we went inside, we did. And the
baker asked us what was wantin'. And Bob said he wanted to know which
goose was the Cratchit goose.

BOB. And he pointed to the very biggest one, mumsy. Didn't he, Betty?

BETTY. And it was all nice and browny on top. An