'I know what it is, Fred! I know!' she cried out. "It's your uncle Scro-o-o-o-oge!' Everyone laughed until they cried. What a wonderful game! What a clever idea of Fred's! But at last Fred dried his eyes, and said, "We've been very merry because of him, ai so I think we should drink to his health. Here's to Uncle Scrooge! A merry Christmas and a happy new year to the old man! Uncle Scrooge ‘To Uncle Scrooge!' they all cried, cheerfully lifting their glasses. Uncle Scrooge wanted to thank them, but the spirit hurried him away. The ghost seemed much older now: his brown hair had become grey. ‘Are spirits' lives so short?" asked Scrooge. ‘My life in this world ends at midnight tonight. Listen! It's a quarter to midnight now!' 'The church clock was striking the three quarters. ‘Excuse me for asking, spirit," said Scrooge, "but what are those strange things near your foot? ‘Oh man, look here!' said the spirit sadly, and brought out from under his robe two ghostly figures, a boy and a girl. They were thin and poorly dressed, with cold, mean eyes and dry, yellow skin, and their faces showed only a frightening and murderous hate. Scrooge had never seen anything so terrible or so sad. ‘These miserable children are Man's,' said the spirit ‘These miserable children are Man's said the spirit. The boy is Crime. The girl is Need. They will destroy Man if nothing is done about them.’ ‘Can't anyone help them?' cried Scrooge. ‘Are there no prisons?' said the spirit, turning on Scrooge for the last time with his own words. ‘Are there no workhouses?' The clock struck twelve. Scrooge looked, but could no longer see the ghost or the children. He was alone again.