STAVE 3: THE SECOND OF THE THREE SPIRITS

Awaking in the middle of a loud snore, and sitting up in bed to get his thoughts together, Scrooge felt he had awakened in the nick of time. He began to notice a ghostly light shining from the adjoining room, and shuffled in his slippers to the door.

Inside, his room had been transformed. The walls and ceiling were hung with plants. A mighty blaze went roaring up the chimney. Sitting at his ancient roll-top desk was a jolly Giant, carrying a glowing torch high up, to shed its light on Scrooge, peeping in at the door.

"Come in. " exclaimed the Ghost. "Come in. and know me better. I am the Ghost of Telecommuting Present. Look upon me. "

Scrooge did so. It was clothed in one simple green robe, trimmed with white fur. Its dark brown curls set off a genial face, sparkling eye, and cheery smile.

"Spirit, " said Scrooge, " conduct me where you will. I went forth earlier under protest, but learned a lesson which is working now. Tonight, if you have anything to teach me, I am ready to profit by it. "

The Spirit smiled slightly, and said simply: "Touch my robe. "

The lightest touch transported Scrooge to the city streets on a snowy morning. All around them, emerging from scores of by-streets, lanes, and nameless turnings, came innumerable people carrying their briefcases and paperwork to their employers’ offices. The sight of these trudging people appeared to interest the Spirit very much, for he stood with Scrooge beside the roadway and sprinkled incense from his torch on every person he could reach. It was an uncommon torch, for everyone touched by it stopped, turned around, and went back home.

"What will they do there? " asked Scrooge.

"Whatever they would do at their regular office, " replied the Spirit. "In this modern world, thousands of successful employees are able to work as Telecommuters. If I had my way, there’d be one more among their number! "

They went on, invisible, into the suburbs of the town. The Spirit led him straight to Bob Cratchit’s home, and stopped to bless the modest dwelling with the sprinkling of his torch.

Then up rose Mrs. Cratchit, and laid the table.

The whole family seemed to rejoice in the imminent arrival of their father, who Scrooge knew spent so much time away from home at the company warehouse.

As the oldest daughter, Martha, entered, Mrs. Cratchit looked up, kissed her a dozen times, and exclaimed: "I’m glad you’ve come so early, my dear! "

"We had a lot of work last night, " replied the girl, " and more to do this morning. But I brought it home with my laptop, and I can finish it here, after dinner. "

"That’s wonderful, " said Mrs. Cratchit. "In my day, we’d have had to stay late and come in early. It’s so much more convenient when you can do the same work at home. Now sit here, near the fire, and have a cup of tea while we talk. "

"No, no. There's father coming back from the grocery, " cried the two young Cratchits, who were everywhere at once. "Hide, Martha, hide. "

So Martha hid herself, and in came Bob, with Tiny Tim upon his shoulder.

"Why, where's our Martha. " cried Bob Cratchit, looking round.

"Not coming, " said Mrs. Cratchit.

"Not coming. " said Bob, suddenly sad. "Not coming. "

"She has to work. "

"Like me at Scrooge & Marley, " replied the father. "That’s a shame. I thought her company understood the advantages of telecommuting. "

Martha didn't like to see him disappointed, especially only for a joke; so she came out from behind the closet door, and ran into his arms with a happy smile.

"God bless us, every one. " said Tiny Tim.

By this time it was getting dark, and snowing pretty heavily; and as Scrooge and the Spirit went along the streets, the brightness of the roaring fires in kitchens, parlors, and all sorts of rooms, was wonderful.

It was a great surprise to Scrooge to hear a hearty laugh, and to recognize it as his own nephew's. There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humor. Whenever Scrooge's nephew laughed, his wife laughed as heartily as he. And their assembled friends also roared out lustily.

"Ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha, ha. "

"He said that Telecommuting was a humbug, as I live. " cried Scrooge's nephew. "He believed it too. "

"More shame for him, Fred. " said Scrooge's niece.

She was very pretty: with a dimpled face and the sunniest pair of eyes you ever saw.

"He has a good job, " hinted Scrooge's niece. "At least you always tell me so. "

"What of that, my dear. " said Scrooge's nephew. "His power and position are of no use if he won’t use them to do any good for his company and for those who work for him. "

As Scrooge pondered those words, he saw the world around him go dark. He became dizzy, and felt himself falling backwards into darkness.

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