_Scrooge._ Spirit, tell me if Tiny Tim will live. _Spirit._ I see a vacant seat in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the future, the child will die. _Scrooge._ No, no! Oh, no, kind Spirit; say he will be spared. _Spirit._ If these shadows remain unaltered by the future, none other of my race will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. _Scrooge._ My very words, when I was asked to give a trifle for the poor! _Spirit._ Man,—if man you be in heart, not adamant,—forbear that wretched cant until you have discovered what the surplus is, and where it is. Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be, that, in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless, and less fit to live, than this poor man's child. _Scrooge._ He must live! he must live! Poor Bob! poor Bob! _Spirit._ Come; look upon another picture. (_Music lively. Curtain rises upon picture of "Blind Man's Buff at_ NEPHEW FRED'S." _Characters in full evening costume,—gentlemen, white vests and white ties, black clothes; ladies, rich and tasty. In the_ C. _stands a gentleman, blindfolded, leaning forward, groping with his hands, the right hand just touching a young lady, who is half turned from him, but who is looking back with a smile upon her face. Beside her stands a gentleman with his finger upon his lip. Behind the blindfolded gentleman_, NEPHEW FRED, _with his head thrown back, his mouth open, as though laughing. On the_ L., _a young lady, leaning forward, with her fan to her lips; next her, a gentleman, holding the blindfolded gentleman by the coat-tail, his other hand upon his side, his head thrown back, and mouth open, as though laughing. A boy in front of the party, on his knees, with finger pointing up to the blindfolded gentleman._) _Scrooge._ Fred's house! _Spirit._ Ay, your nephew, making merry. If you listen, you will hear him say of his Uncle Scrooge, "He may rail at Christmas till he dies; but he can't help thinking better of it—I defy him—if he finds me going there in good temper, year after year, and saying, 'Uncle Scrooge, how are you?'" _Scrooge._ And I refused his invitation,—I refused it! I couldn't do it again, if I had the chance. O Fred, Fred! A merry Christmas, and God bless you! (_Front curtain descends quickly._) STAVE THREE. SCROOGE'S _office, as before. Back curtains drawn. The_ GHOST OF CHRISTMAS FUTURE _standing_, R., _pointing down_; SCROOGE _beside him_, L. _Mournful music._