Second Spirit. I am a brother of the little Spirit of Christmas Past who visited you before.
Scrooge. And are you going to show me all my past misdeeds?
Second Spirit. Not me. I am going to show you your present misdeeds. It is my mission to show you the love and comradeship of Christmas 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.