'Tis the season at SteynOnline: Don't miss our Steynamite specials, but, if you're beginning to fret over last posting dates, there's always a Mark Steyn Club Christmas gift membership, which can be digitally delivered as late as the small hours of Christmas morn. And, if you really want to treat your beloved this holiday, there's a stateroom waiting on the Mark Steyn Caribbean Cruise, when you can join a glittering array of special guests for an unforgettable week of sun, sea and civilisational collapse.
~Notwithstanding that I'm a little under the weather, here we go with Part Four of our Tale for Our Time - my serialisation of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol. Just a few days ago, we republished Steyn Club member Jamie Marsh's rave review from our first airing of this tale. You'll be heartened to know that Jamie appreciates it just as much years later:
I absolutely love this reading. This, The Wendigo, and Jekyll & Hyde have been my favorite Tales for Our Time. There must be something about the slightly spooky readings that I really like. But unlike the other two, A Christmas Carol has a famously happy ending. If you haven't listened to it yet I strongly recommend it.
Thank you, Jamie. I'm happy to hear it's stood the test of time.
In tonight's episode Ebenezer Scrooge revisits his younger self, and comes to see all the squandered opportunities of his life:
Scrooge and the Ghost again stood side by side in the open air.
"My time grows short," observed the Spirit. "Quick!"
This was not addressed to Scrooge, or to any one whom he could see, but it produced an immediate effect. For again Scrooge saw himself. He was older now; a man in the prime of life. His face had not the harsh and rigid lines of later years; but it had begun to wear the signs of care and avarice. There was an eager, greedy, restless motion in the eye, which showed the passion that had taken root, and where the shadow of the growing tree would fall.
He was not alone, but sat by the side of a fair young girl in a mourning-dress: in whose eyes there were tears, which sparkled in the light that shone out of the Ghost of Christmas Past.
Who is she? Members of The Mark Steyn Club can find out simply by clicking here and logging-in for Part Four of our tale. Earlier episodes can be found here.
If you're mulling a present for a loved one this holiday season, we have a special Steyn Club Gift Membership. You'll find more details here.
Please join me (as they say at GB News) tomorrow for Part Five of A Christmas Carol.
