"How it snows!" said one of the aen, in a low tone.
"Snows, does it?" said Wardle,
"Rough, cold, night, sir," replied the man5 "and there's a wind
got up, that drifts it across the fields, in a thick white
cloudo
"What does Jem say?" inquired the old lady. "There ain't any
thing the matter, is there?"
"No, no, mother," replied Wardiep "he says there's a snowdrift,
and a wind that's piercing cold. I should know that, "by the
way it rumbles in the chimney,,"
"Ah!" said the old lady, "there was just such a wind, and just
such a fall of snow, a good many years back, I recollect - just
five years before your poor father died, it was Christmas eve,
too; and I remember that on that very night he told us the
story about the goblins that carried away old Gabriel Grub."
Isn't that a wonderful passage? With muted tone, the existence
of the snow is established. Wardle repeats the word "snow",
rolling it over his tongue. The first speaker then declares
that the wind has risen, It's still a simple wind, still ordi
nary snow. But luckily the old lady is deaf. She asks if any
thing is the matter. Of course something's the matter! The snow
is drifting wide and deep, 'the wind pierces bone and marrow.
Listen to it rumble in the chimney! The old woman now lays the
capstones from such a night of wind and snow she summons up her
poor dead husband to tell a tale.
And where are the ghosts and goblins? Where are your phantoms,
Dickens? The time has come! And there they are! There's the
graveyard! Into the cosy circle, which was too complaisanttoo
secure, slithers something of the monstrous world outside -
too little to spread consternation, yet just enough to send
cold shivers through this last citadel of cosiness.Come closer,
gentlemen! Closer, now! And a merry old Christmas to all yours!
VERANDER Uw gedachten en U verandert alles.
Charles Dickens sprak deze wijze woorden. Wij dragen door het
leven de ketenen, die wij zelf smeden. Wij benemen ons zelf de
kans onze hartewens vervuld te zien door de wrede wijze, waar
op wij onze eigen geest belemmeringen in de weg leggen.
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