Programming note: In an hour or so I'll be making my Monday appearance on "Tucker Carlson Tonight", live on Fox News at 8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific. Hope you'll tune in.
Meanwhile, for those who prefer me in non-visual form, here we go with Part Four of our brand new Tale for Our Time - my serialization of Charles Dickens' seasonal classic A Christmas Carol. 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. Steyn Club member Bob Belvedere, who figured prominently in our Sinatra centenary coverage, writes:
Thank you, Mark. This is Mrs. B's favorite Christmas tale.
I'm always trying to find new versions to show her, and this will save me for this year.
Happy to oblige, Bob.
If you, like Bob, are thinking of a gift for the missus this holiday season, or any other near and/or dear one, we've introduced a special Mark Steyn Christmas Gift Membership that lets you sign up a chum for the Steyn Club and then choose a personally autographed welcome gift for them - either one of two handsome hardback books or a couple of CDs. You'll find more details here - and scroll down to the foot of the order form for the choice of books/CDs..
See you on TV in an hour, and for Part Five of A Christmas Carol tomorrow.
