In this
chapter, the Ghost of Christmas Present visits Scrooge and shows him what is happening all
around him at the present time. In addition to taking him to a bustling marketplace full of
food, and to the Cratchit residence where Scrooge sees his employee's many children, including
Tiny Tim who is ill and uses crutches, the Ghost brings him to a desolate landscape.
"What place is this?" asked Scrooge.
"A place where Miners live, who labour in the bowels of the earth," returned
the Spirit. "But they know me. See."A light shone from the window
of a hut, and swiftly they advanced towards it. Passing through the wall of mud and stone, they
found a cheerful company assembled round a glowing fire. An old, old man and woman, with their
children and their children's children, and another generation beyond that, all decked out gaily
in their holiday attire. The old man, in a voice that seldom rose above the howling of the wind
upon the barren waste, was singing them a Christmas song -- it had been a very old song when he
was a boy -- and from time to time they all joined in the . So surely as they raised their
voices, the old man got quite blithe and loud; and so surely as they stopped, his vigour sank
again.
In this scene, Scrooge is shown a group of people
whose daily lives are desolate and difficult (miners work underground and often live short lives
due to the dangers of their jobs, ranging from accidents to health problems from inhaling coal
dust). The Ghost shows him that such people nevertheless celebrate the Yuletide season with joy;
they dress in their finery and sing around the fire.
It could be said that
the old man seen here is a stand-in for Scrooge himself; the old man sings a song to the
children, and when they join in on the chorus he becomes more happy and animated. The children
invigorate him, much as Scrooge finds that his heart goes out to Tiny Tim, and is moved by his
loving disposition, despite the boy's illness.
The Ghost makes a point that
even these people whose lives are harsh can "see him"--this means they know how to
find the joy in their lives every day, and savor the moments of happiness when they come. This
is something Scrooge has not done in many years, and this Ghost's lesson for him is to
"seize the day" and enjoy every moment for what it is, not worrying about money or
focusing on small unpleasant tasks or annoyances. Scrooge takes this lesson to heart when he
tries his best at the end to improve the lives of people around him, especially Bob Cratchit and
his family.
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