Fred's Christmas Visit

Scrooge's cheerful nephew, Fred, bursts into the counting-house, exclaiming 'A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!' Scrooge retorts with his characteristic 'Bah! Humbug!' and launches into a tirade against Christmas, calling it a time for paying bills without money and finding oneself a year older and not an hour richer. Fred, undeterred, eloquently defends Christmas as a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time, the only time when men and women open their shut-up hearts freely. He invites Scrooge to dine with him and his wife the next day, but Scrooge refuses with a rude and vulgar expression. Fred leaves without anger, bestowing the season's greetings on the clerk, who returns them cordially, much to Scrooge's annoyance.