A Christmas Carol
Stave 1 – Marley’s Ghost A synopsis of the original with Mr Dickens words in italics and interjections (in script) from Global door who as online internet retailers of quality composite doors had the misfortune to supply a number of such doors to the residence of one of the books main characters Mr Ebenezer Scrooge.
“Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that”. The words with which Mr Dickens begins his wonderful story, Marley had in fact been dead for some seven years as Mr Scrooge took pleasure in advising our installation team when we supplied his new doors.
Mr Dickens proceeds to develop an initial stave in which Scrooge rejects a Xmas dinner invitation from his nephew, rejects donating to an unspecified charity, and only barely agrees to give his clerk Christmas day off and is defined as a thoroughly miserable and unrepentant character with a fondness for saying “Bah Humbug”. Mr Dickens description is better than we at Global could ever describe this man –
“Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.”
Scrooge “took his melancholy dinner in his usual melancholy tavern” and then returns to his home with images of his past partner playing on his consciousness when he reaches his front door – a Global Edwardian in black (six other colours are available) with black handles and for reasons best known to himself Mr Scrooge chose the largest chrome knocker in our range – again we let Mr Dickens take up the description
“Now, it is a fact, that there was nothing at all particular about the knocker on the door, except that it was very large.
And then let any man explain to me, if he can, how it happened that Scrooge, having his key in the lock of the door, saw in the knocker, without its undergoing any intermediate process of change — not a knocker, but Marley’s face.”
Global would at this point wish to advise that they can give no guarantees to any of our customers that they will see reflections of any third party in any of our door knockers neither do we accept any responsibility if you should do so.
Scrooge enters his residence
“He did pause, with a moment’s irresolution, before he shut the door; and he did look cautiously behind it first, as if he half-expected to be terrified with the sight of Marley’s pigtail sticking out into the hall.”
Scrooge is quite spooked by now Mr Dickens describes in detail how he checks everywhere throughout his home to ensure he is alone, which he is, but he does hear a number of noises including a –
“clanking noise, deep down below; as if some person were dragging a heavy chain over the casks in the wine merchant’s cellar. Scrooge then remembered to have heard that ghosts in haunted houses were described as dragging chains.
The cellar-door flew open with a booming sound, and then he heard the noise much louder, on the floors below; then coming up the stairs; then coming straight towards his door.
`It’s humbug still!’ said Scrooge. `I won’t believe it.’
His colour changed though, when, without a pause, it came on through the heavy door, and passed into the room before his eyes. Upon its coming in, the dying flame leaped up, as though it cried `I know him; Marley’s Ghost!’ and fell again.”
Global door would at this point wish to advise that all of our doors are, factory manufactured to stringent quality control criteria and comprise –
- a reinforced hardwood frame
- a solid thermally insulated polyurethane foam core slab
- a 2mm thick durable GRP through coloured skin to prevent warp, twist bow etc
- a thickness of 44mm which adds to the strength and creates a strong secure door.
the thickness of 44mm (which does make them heavier) gives our doors a strength and durability the equivalent of any timber door, we have sought the appropriate accreditations to back our claims all our doors are accredited to both “Secured by design” and PAS 23 &24 which involves independent testing by third parties we are therefore very dubious that any ghost could pass through one of our doors and if this is proven to be the case the case we shall seek redress with the testing authorities.
“`How now!’ said Scrooge, caustic and cold as ever. `What do you want with me?’
`Much!’ — Marley’s voice, no doubt about it.
`Who are you?’
`Ask me who I was.’
`Who were you then?’ said Scrooge, raising his voice. `You’re particular, for a shade.’ He was going to say `to a shade,’ but substituted this, as more appropriate.
`In life I was your partner, Jacob Marley.’ “
As there are no further references to the quality of Global composite doors from this point onwards in the book and as we hopefully have cleared our good name we shall interject no more.
The scene is set; the revelations of Marley’s Ghost are compelling and form the basis of the remainder of this wonderful story so eloquently told by Mr Dickens.