Historia De La Tributacion En America

answered to both names. He did not care what name they called him. The only thing that mattered to him was the business, and making money.
Oh! He was a hard, clever, mean old man, Scrooge was!
There was nothing warm or open about him. He lived a secretive, lonely life, and took no interest in other people at all. The cold inside him made his eyes red, and his thin lips blue, and his voicehigh and cross. It put white frost on his old head, his eyebrows and his chin. The frost in his heart made the air around him cold, too. In the hottest days of summer his office was as cold as ice, and it was just as cold in winter.
Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with a happy smile, 'My dear Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me?' No poor man asked himfor money, nochildren asked him the time, no man or woman ever, in all his life, asske him the way. Animals as well as people were afraid of him. Dogs used to hide in doorways when they saw him coming. But what did Scrooge care! It was just what he wanted. He liked being on the edge of people's busy lives, while warning everyone to keep away form him.

One Christmas Eve, old Scrooge was working busily in hisoffice. It was cold, frosty, foggy weather. Outside it was already dark, although it was only three o 'clock in the afternoon, and there were candles in all the office windows. The fog covered everything, like a thick grey blanket.
Scrooge kept his office door open, in order to check that his clerk, Bob cratchit, Was working. Bob spent his days in a dark little room, a kind of cupboard, next to hisemployer's office. Scrooge had a very small fire, but Bob's fire was much smaller. It was very cold in the cupboard, and Bob had to wear his long white scarf to try to keep warm.
'Merry Christmas, uncle! God bless you!' cried a happy voice. Scrooge's nephew had arrived.
' Bah!' said Scrooge crossly. 'Humbug!'
'Christmas is humbug! Surely you don't mean that, uncle!' said his nephew.
'I do,'said Scroope. ' Why do you call it "merry" Christmas? You're too poor to be merry'.

'Well,' replied the nephew, smiling, 'why are you so cross? you're too rich to be unhappy.'
'of course I'm cross,' answered the uncle, 'when I live in a world full of stupid peole like you! you say "merry Christmas" ! But what is Christmas? Just a time when you spend too much, when you find yourself a yearolder and not an hour richer, when you have to pay your bills.

Everyone who goes around saying "Merry Christmas" should have his tongue cut out. Yes, he should!'
'Uncle! please don't say that!' said the nephew. 'I' ve always thought of Christmas as a time to be helpful an kind to other people. It's the only time of the year when men and women open their heart freely to each other. And so, uncle,although I've never made any money from it, I think Christmas has been and will be a good time for me! And I say, God bless Christmas!'

Bob, in the cupboard, agreed loudly, without thinking.
He immediately realized his mistake, and went quickly back to his work, but Scrooge had heard him.
'If I hear another sound from you,' said Scrooge, 'you' ll lose your job! '
'Don't be anrywhith him, uncle,' said the nephew.
'Come and have dinner with us tomorrow.'
'But why won't you come? why?'
'Because Christmas is humbug! Good afternoon!'
'Iwant nothing from you. I ask nothing of you why can't we be friend?'
'Good afternoon!' said Scrooge.
'I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you like this. I have never wanted to argue with you.But I came to see you and invite youbecause it's Christmas, and so I'll say, a merry Christmas, uncle!'
'Good afternoon,' said Scrooge.
'And a happy new year!'

'Good afternoon!' said Scrooge.
His nephew left the room, without an angry word, stopping only to wish Bob Cratchit a merry Christmas.
Then two other gentlemen came in. They were large, round, comfortable-looking men, with books and papers in their hands.
'This is...