A Christmas Carol Stave 5

Scrooge realizes that he is back in his room and that he now has a chance to make amends for the years of greed and cruelty he has spent. He is so excited at this second chance, that he doesn't know what to do first until he hears the church bells ringing. He is shouting merry Christmas and wishes for a happy New Year to his empty house and then he runs to the window and asks a small boy what day it is. The boy tells him that it's Christmas Day, and Scrooge sends him to the poultry shop around the corner to buy the biggest turkey the shopkeeper has with the promise of a large monetary reward when he returns. Scrooge awaits the poultry man to give him Cratchit's address. When he sees the size of the turkey he insists on hiring a cab for the poulterer to deliver the turkey to the Cratchit's home. He pays the young messenger handsomely all the while laughing as he hadn't in years.

Topic Tracking: Charity 9

Once Scrooge has taken care of his plans for the Cratchit's surprise, he dresses to visit his nephew. On his way, Scrooge is in such pleasant spirits that people greet him in the street. As he walks he sees one of the donations collectors from the previous day. He stops the man and insists on giving him a large donation. The collector is astounded by Scrooge's generosity, especially given the way he had behaved the previous day.

Topic Tracking: Regret 10
Topic Tracking: Charity 10

"[Scrooge] went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and fro, and patted the children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of houses, and up to the windows; and found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed that any walk -- that anything -- could give him so much happiness." Stave 5, pg. 121

Upon arriving at his nephew's home, Scrooge is almost afraid to knock on the door after he has been so cruel to Fred, but he does it anyway. When Fred realizes who has come to call, he is happy to see his uncle. Scrooge stays and enjoys the party just he did when he watched it with the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Topic Tracking: Regret 11

The next morning, Scrooge arrives early at work to wait for Cratchit who was supposed to be early as well. Bob comes in late and Scrooge pounces on his tardiness as if he is angry with him. Cratchit tries to apologize, but Scrooge cuts him off, insisting that he won't stand that sort of thing anymore and just to show Cratchit how serious he is, he is going to raise the man's salary. For a moment Bob believes that Scrooge has gone insane until Scrooge wishes him a merry Christmas. Scrooge tells his clerk that he will raise his salary and help his struggling family in any way that he can. They will discuss it in the afternoon, but first he wants Cratchit to stoke the office fires and buy more coal before another moment passes.

Topic Tracking: Greed 10
Topic Tracking: Charity 11

Scrooge kept his word to the ghosts and continued his Christmas spirit of generosity and kindness year round after that. Tiny Tim did not die, and Scrooge became very close to the Cratchit family. People laughed at the marked alteration in his personality, but Scrooge was happy with the change in himself. He met no other ghosts after his visitation by Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, and it was decided that he knew how to celebrate Christmas better than anyone did.