Scenes 1-7:
Scene 1: THE ROYAL EXCHANGE
Royal Exchange - the Royal Exchange was founded in London in the 16th century during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, though this original structure was destroyed by fire twice before the new (and current) structure was built in 1844 and opened by Queen Victoria in 1845, two years after the first publication of Dickens' A Christmas Carol novella (1843). The space was used as a place to exchange goods (stockbrokers were not allowed in due to their "coarse manners" and so did business at nearby locations, including coffeehouses); the center of the building was a quadrangle where merchants and tradesman could do business. Today, the Exchange is still a place of business, though of a different sort: it is a retail center, filled with shops.
Charwomen - women employed to clean houses or offices; i.e. "chore-woman"
Royal Exchange - the Royal Exchange was founded in London in the 16th century during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, though this original structure was destroyed by fire twice before the new (and current) structure was built in 1844 and opened by Queen Victoria in 1845, two years after the first publication of Dickens' A Christmas Carol novella (1843). The space was used as a place to exchange goods (stockbrokers were not allowed in due to their "coarse manners" and so did business at nearby locations, including coffeehouses); the center of the building was a quadrangle where merchants and tradesman could do business. Today, the Exchange is still a place of business, though of a different sort: it is a retail center, filled with shops.
Charwomen - women employed to clean houses or offices; i.e. "chore-woman"
LONDON TOWN CAROL
Beadle - a minor parish officer who acted as usher and kept order during church services. In England, it came to refer to a kind of "parish constable of the Anglican church." A famous Dickensian beadle is Mr. Bumble in Oliver Twist (1837), who oversees the parish workhouse and orphanage.
A JOLLY GOOD TIME
Charity Men - men collecting donations for charity.
Fa la la la! - archaic vocal scat syllables, reminiscent of madrigals of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. This particular phrase, nowadays, can be recognized in the traditional Christmas Carol Deck the Halls, which can be dated back to a 16th Welsh carol (though the English lyrics date to 1862).
Rup a bup bum! - vocal scat syllables meant to evoke the sound a drum makes when struck. This particular phrase echoes the famous refrain from The Little Drummer Boy Christmas Carol, first recorded as Carol of the Drum in 1951 by K.K. Davis based on a traditional Czech carol.
Hip Hip Hoorah! - a cheer to celebrate something or someone, first recorded in the context of giving a toast in the early 19th century.
"Giving out gifts is so much fun / on Christmas Eve!" - the tradition of exchanging gifts on Christmas was still relatively new in Victorian England, perpetuated in particular by Albert, the Prince Consort of Queen Victoria who said it was Christmas, and not the more traditional New Years, that was "a day for the exchange of presents, as marks of mutual affection and good-will". Albert is also credited for introducing the Christmas tree to England in 1840 (following an older custom from his native Germany).
Beadle - a minor parish officer who acted as usher and kept order during church services. In England, it came to refer to a kind of "parish constable of the Anglican church." A famous Dickensian beadle is Mr. Bumble in Oliver Twist (1837), who oversees the parish workhouse and orphanage.
A JOLLY GOOD TIME
Charity Men - men collecting donations for charity.
Fa la la la! - archaic vocal scat syllables, reminiscent of madrigals of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. This particular phrase, nowadays, can be recognized in the traditional Christmas Carol Deck the Halls, which can be dated back to a 16th Welsh carol (though the English lyrics date to 1862).
Rup a bup bum! - vocal scat syllables meant to evoke the sound a drum makes when struck. This particular phrase echoes the famous refrain from The Little Drummer Boy Christmas Carol, first recorded as Carol of the Drum in 1951 by K.K. Davis based on a traditional Czech carol.
Hip Hip Hoorah! - a cheer to celebrate something or someone, first recorded in the context of giving a toast in the early 19th century.
"Giving out gifts is so much fun / on Christmas Eve!" - the tradition of exchanging gifts on Christmas was still relatively new in Victorian England, perpetuated in particular by Albert, the Prince Consort of Queen Victoria who said it was Christmas, and not the more traditional New Years, that was "a day for the exchange of presents, as marks of mutual affection and good-will". Albert is also credited for introducing the Christmas tree to England in 1840 (following an older custom from his native Germany).
Keen - usually it means interested or eager, but it's more likely here to mean "excellent" or "wonderful" (as in 1900s slang).
"We'll work forever fo' yer!" - "fo' yer" meaning "for you". In this line, Alan Mencken is creative in his use of the likely Cockney dialect of a charwoman to rhyme with the previous line, "What a kind employer!"
"Thank the lord and bless and keep the Queen!" - the Queen, here, referring to Queen Victoria who reigned over Great Britain from 1819 (inheriting the throne at 18) to 1901.
"Charity's what we wealthy do on Christmas Eve!" - this, too, is a relatively new tradition in the Victorian era. Many scholars argue that Dickens is largely responsible for solidifying Christmas traditions as we know them today, as well as the modern impression of "Victorian Christmas". Giving to the poor during the holiday season was a relatively new concept during Dickens' time.
"We'll work forever fo' yer!" - "fo' yer" meaning "for you". In this line, Alan Mencken is creative in his use of the likely Cockney dialect of a charwoman to rhyme with the previous line, "What a kind employer!"
"Thank the lord and bless and keep the Queen!" - the Queen, here, referring to Queen Victoria who reigned over Great Britain from 1819 (inheriting the throne at 18) to 1901.
"Charity's what we wealthy do on Christmas Eve!" - this, too, is a relatively new tradition in the Victorian era. Many scholars argue that Dickens is largely responsible for solidifying Christmas traditions as we know them today, as well as the modern impression of "Victorian Christmas". Giving to the poor during the holiday season was a relatively new concept during Dickens' time.
"...should be boiled in his own pudding." - "pudding" here referring to Christmas pudding (or plum pudding); a rich steamed pudding served at Christmas, originating from medieval England, containing suet and eggs, dried fruit, brandy, and many spices. Despite sometimes being called "plum pudding," this has no actual plums in it ("plum" in pre-Victorian English, referred to raisins). Typically, the pudding is aged from between one month to a year; due to the high alcohol content, it does not spoil during this time. Victorians would put the batter in a basin and then steam it, rather than hang it in a cloth in a cloth hung from a hook to dry out. Unlike some other holiday treats, pudding was all-accessible as it did not require an oven, an appliance most poor families did not have, to make. Nowadays, puddings can be bought at the supermarket pre-made, and reheated as desired. The tradition of pudding presentation is also important: Once turned out of its basin, decorated with holly, doused in brandy (or occasionally rum), and flamed (or "fired"), the pudding is brought to the table ceremoniously, and greeted with a round of applause. This is seen in Dickens' A Christmas Carol: "Mrs. Cratchit entered – flushed, but smiling proudly – with the pudding, like a speckled cannon-ball, so hard and firm, blazing in half of half-a-quarter of ignited brandy, and bedight with Christmas holly stuck into the top".
"...And buried with a stake of holly through his heart." - holly typically has a connection to Christmas, harkening back to the early Christmas carol "The Holly and the Ivy" (holly representing Jesus and ivy representing the Virgin Mary). Angie Mostellar outlines the ties to Christianity: "Christians have identified a wealth of symbolism in [holly's] form. The sharpness of the leaves help to recall the crown of thornsworn by Jesus; the red berries serve as a reminder of the drops of blood that were shed for salvation; and the shape of the leaves, which resemble flames, can serve to reveal God's burning love for His people. Combined with the fact that holly maintains its bright colors during the Christmas season, it naturally came to be associated with the Christian holiday."
Humbug! - here used to mean "nonsense". It also can mean a hoax, imposition, or fraud/sham. In slang, it also meant to deceive or cheat.
"Are there no workhouses?" - a workhouse was a poorhouse where paupers/debtors earned their keep through labor. After the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, the unemployment level very high in England; that, combined with poor harvests led the government to discourage the provision of relief to anyone who refused to enter a workhouse. According to VictorianWeb.org, the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 was responsible for the erection of 554 new workhouses throughout England and Wales, and the Royal Commission of this act suggested the separation of groups (by gender, age, and fitness); this recommendation led to designs like Sampson Kempthorne's (see photo), which are cruciform, allowing men, women, children, and elderly inmates to be separated. The Royal Commission also meant that families, upon entering the workhouse, would be separated automatically. Life in a workhouse was intended to be harsh, to deter the able-bodied poor and to ensure that only the truly destitute would apply. Many died in these workhouses due to the rough conditions.
Humbug! - here used to mean "nonsense". It also can mean a hoax, imposition, or fraud/sham. In slang, it also meant to deceive or cheat.
"Are there no workhouses?" - a workhouse was a poorhouse where paupers/debtors earned their keep through labor. After the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, the unemployment level very high in England; that, combined with poor harvests led the government to discourage the provision of relief to anyone who refused to enter a workhouse. According to VictorianWeb.org, the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 was responsible for the erection of 554 new workhouses throughout England and Wales, and the Royal Commission of this act suggested the separation of groups (by gender, age, and fitness); this recommendation led to designs like Sampson Kempthorne's (see photo), which are cruciform, allowing men, women, children, and elderly inmates to be separated. The Royal Commission also meant that families, upon entering the workhouse, would be separated automatically. Life in a workhouse was intended to be harsh, to deter the able-bodied poor and to ensure that only the truly destitute would apply. Many died in these workhouses due to the rough conditions.
NOTHING TO DO WITH ME
Abhor - regard with disgust or hatred
"Taking off a day" - during the Victorian era, Christmas was yet to be as "premier" of a holiday as it is nowadays. It was a relatively new thing, during Dickens' time, that Christmas Day and "Boxing Day" (the day after, December 26) were observed as holidays off from work. Scrooge, here, only offers Bob Crachit Christmas Day off.
Abhor - regard with disgust or hatred
"Taking off a day" - during the Victorian era, Christmas was yet to be as "premier" of a holiday as it is nowadays. It was a relatively new thing, during Dickens' time, that Christmas Day and "Boxing Day" (the day after, December 26) were observed as holidays off from work. Scrooge, here, only offers Bob Crachit Christmas Day off.
Scene 2: THE STREETS OF LONDON
Cockney - a variation of the British accent attributed typically to working-class Londoners who grew up in East London within earshot of the Bow Bells. Dick Van Dyke's character, Bert the chimneysweep, in Disney's Mary Poppins film (1964) speaks with an exaggerated attempt at cockney (though this attempt has been fondly criticized).
Fishmonger - someone who sells raw fish and seafood.
Turbot - a species of European flatfish of inshore, brackish waters (North Atlantic, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea).
Sprat - small, oily fish of the herring family
guv'ner! - a British, informal form of address, sometimes applied to a business or pub owner or a member of the upper class.
Christmas trees - as mentioned earlier, Christmas trees were new in Victorian England, having first been brought from German tradition into British fad by Albert in 1840. According to Michael Patrick Hearn, "there are no Christmas trees in A Christmas Carol [Dickens' original novella], perhaps because they were a German tradition and not an English one at the time."
Cockney - a variation of the British accent attributed typically to working-class Londoners who grew up in East London within earshot of the Bow Bells. Dick Van Dyke's character, Bert the chimneysweep, in Disney's Mary Poppins film (1964) speaks with an exaggerated attempt at cockney (though this attempt has been fondly criticized).
Fishmonger - someone who sells raw fish and seafood.
Turbot - a species of European flatfish of inshore, brackish waters (North Atlantic, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea).
Sprat - small, oily fish of the herring family
guv'ner! - a British, informal form of address, sometimes applied to a business or pub owner or a member of the upper class.
Christmas trees - as mentioned earlier, Christmas trees were new in Victorian England, having first been brought from German tradition into British fad by Albert in 1840. According to Michael Patrick Hearn, "there are no Christmas trees in A Christmas Carol [Dickens' original novella], perhaps because they were a German tradition and not an English one at the time."
Pantomime - pantomime is a theatrical entertainment, mainly for children, that involves music, topical jokes, and slapstick comedy and is based on a fairy tale or nursery story, usually produced around Christmas.
Sandwichboard man - the carrier of an advertising sign consisting of two placards fastened together at the top with straps supported on the shoulders of the wearer. The sandwich board was a popular form of advertising in the 19th century, when merchants and tradesmen hired men to carry the placards up and down the streets (sometimes on horseback), promoting their goods and services to those passing by. According to the Encyclopedia Britanica, Charles Dickens was the first to refer to such sign carriers as "sandwich men".
Lamplighter - person employed to light street gaslights by hand.
"rags and bones" man - a rag-and-bone-man scavenges unwanted household items and sells them to merchants. Traditionally this was a task performed on foot, with the collected materials (which included rags, bones, and various metals) kept in a small bag slung over the shoulder.
skinflint - a miser, a person who spends as little as possible
Sandwichboard man - the carrier of an advertising sign consisting of two placards fastened together at the top with straps supported on the shoulders of the wearer. The sandwich board was a popular form of advertising in the 19th century, when merchants and tradesmen hired men to carry the placards up and down the streets (sometimes on horseback), promoting their goods and services to those passing by. According to the Encyclopedia Britanica, Charles Dickens was the first to refer to such sign carriers as "sandwich men".
Lamplighter - person employed to light street gaslights by hand.
"rags and bones" man - a rag-and-bone-man scavenges unwanted household items and sells them to merchants. Traditionally this was a task performed on foot, with the collected materials (which included rags, bones, and various metals) kept in a small bag slung over the shoulder.
skinflint - a miser, a person who spends as little as possible
YOU MEAN MORE TO ME
Poulterer - a dealer in poultry and game.
Shillings - a former British coin and monetary unit equal to one twentieth of a pound or twelve pence.
Sovereign - a former British gold coin worth one pound sterling, now only minted for commemorative purposes.
"And to hell with your trees and your rice!" - "trees" here referencing Christmas and "rice" relating to marriage and the tradition of throwing rice at a wedding couple.
Cross - annoyed or irritable.
Parliament - (in the UK) the highest legislature, consisting of the sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. Here, Scrooge is suggesting Fred go into politics as he speaks so passionately and prettily.
Street urchin - a mischievous young child, especially one who is poorly or raggedly dressed.
"Otherwise I'm sure to get the sack!" - to "get the sack" is to be fired or dismissed from employment.
Gruel - a thin liquid food of oatmeal or other kind of meal boiled in milk or water.
Poulterer - a dealer in poultry and game.
Shillings - a former British coin and monetary unit equal to one twentieth of a pound or twelve pence.
Sovereign - a former British gold coin worth one pound sterling, now only minted for commemorative purposes.
"And to hell with your trees and your rice!" - "trees" here referencing Christmas and "rice" relating to marriage and the tradition of throwing rice at a wedding couple.
Cross - annoyed or irritable.
Parliament - (in the UK) the highest legislature, consisting of the sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. Here, Scrooge is suggesting Fred go into politics as he speaks so passionately and prettily.
Street urchin - a mischievous young child, especially one who is poorly or raggedly dressed.
"Otherwise I'm sure to get the sack!" - to "get the sack" is to be fired or dismissed from employment.
Gruel - a thin liquid food of oatmeal or other kind of meal boiled in milk or water.
Scene 3: SCROOGE'S PARLOUR. NIGHT.
Dressing gown - a long loose robe, typically worn after getting out of bed or bathing. The regular wearing of a dressing gown by men about the house is derived from the 18th-century wearing of the banyan, garments worn by men in the 18th century influenced by Persian and Asian clothing. According to the Gentleman's Gazette: "These robes were only worn inside and sometimes called called Indian or Persian gowns due to their Eastern origin and Oriental cut, was similar to a kimono...By the 1860’s the dressing gown had mostly evolved into its current shape, cut with a broad rolling shawl collar, which reached almost to the waist and a string or a sash. In the beginning of the twentieth century, central heating was still an uncommon luxury and consequently, most robes were primarily functional and necessary to stay warm while at home." Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous protagonist, Sherlock Holmes, was known to have worn a dressing-gown frequently.
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Dressing gown - a long loose robe, typically worn after getting out of bed or bathing. The regular wearing of a dressing gown by men about the house is derived from the 18th-century wearing of the banyan, garments worn by men in the 18th century influenced by Persian and Asian clothing. According to the Gentleman's Gazette: "These robes were only worn inside and sometimes called called Indian or Persian gowns due to their Eastern origin and Oriental cut, was similar to a kimono...By the 1860’s the dressing gown had mostly evolved into its current shape, cut with a broad rolling shawl collar, which reached almost to the waist and a string or a sash. In the beginning of the twentieth century, central heating was still an uncommon luxury and consequently, most robes were primarily functional and necessary to stay warm while at home." Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous protagonist, Sherlock Holmes, was known to have worn a dressing-gown frequently.
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Scene 4: SCROOGE'S BEDROOM. NIGHT.
THE LIGHTS OF LONG AGO [PART I]
Law Courts - a lower court, where all the criminal proceedings start. Some civil matters are also decided here, notably family proceedings like the one in the following scene involving young Ebenezer witnessing his father being sentenced to debtor's prison. The Victoria Law Courts were built by Birmingham firm, John Bowen and Sons, and opened in 1891 by Prince & Princess of Wales.
Acolytes - assistants or followers
THE LIGHTS OF LONG AGO [PART I]
Law Courts - a lower court, where all the criminal proceedings start. Some civil matters are also decided here, notably family proceedings like the one in the following scene involving young Ebenezer witnessing his father being sentenced to debtor's prison. The Victoria Law Courts were built by Birmingham firm, John Bowen and Sons, and opened in 1891 by Prince & Princess of Wales.
Acolytes - assistants or followers
Scene 5: THE LAW COURTS.
Tableaux - here, multiple scenes
"You will go to prison for non-payment of debts." - those who fell into debt, like Ebenezer's father, were sent to debtor's prison. Destitute persons unable to pay a court-ordered judgment would be sentenced to these prisons until they had worked off their debt via labor or secured outside funds to pay the balance; the product of their labor went towards both the costs of their incarceration and their accrued debt. Dickens' own father, John Dickens, was was forced by his creditors into the Marshalsea debtors' prison in Southwark, London in 1824. Marshalsea was a notorious prison that housed a variety of prisoners over the centuries, including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition, but it became known, in particular, for its incarceration of the poorest of London's debtors. Over half the population of England's prisons in the 18th century were in jail because of debt.
"Tut, tut." - a sound used to express disapproval in English.
Tableaux - here, multiple scenes
"You will go to prison for non-payment of debts." - those who fell into debt, like Ebenezer's father, were sent to debtor's prison. Destitute persons unable to pay a court-ordered judgment would be sentenced to these prisons until they had worked off their debt via labor or secured outside funds to pay the balance; the product of their labor went towards both the costs of their incarceration and their accrued debt. Dickens' own father, John Dickens, was was forced by his creditors into the Marshalsea debtors' prison in Southwark, London in 1824. Marshalsea was a notorious prison that housed a variety of prisoners over the centuries, including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition, but it became known, in particular, for its incarceration of the poorest of London's debtors. Over half the population of England's prisons in the 18th century were in jail because of debt.
"Tut, tut." - a sound used to express disapproval in English.
THE LIGHTS OF LONG AGO [PART II]
Mistletoe - according to Deborah Whipp, mistletoe is "a parasitic plant which grows amongst the branches of trees and shrubs. It is an evergreen featuring small, yellowish flowers and white berries. Druid priests held the plant sacred and used it in their winter celebrations 200 years before the birth of Christ. The plant was revered since it remained green year long – even through cold, harsh winters – despite the fact that it is not rooted in soil. It was seen as a symbol of fertility and used as a medicinal cure for various ills... Mistletoe was the magical ingredient in the kissing ball or kissing bough in Victorian England". Kissing balls had very specific rules, such as a gentleman may give only as many kisses as there are berries on the bough and after each kiss a berry must be removed. If a woman were to refuse a kiss under mistletoe, it was said she should not expect any marriage proposals within the next year! In general, due to its pagan origins and ties to fertility, mistletoe was not allowed in churches.
Mistletoe - according to Deborah Whipp, mistletoe is "a parasitic plant which grows amongst the branches of trees and shrubs. It is an evergreen featuring small, yellowish flowers and white berries. Druid priests held the plant sacred and used it in their winter celebrations 200 years before the birth of Christ. The plant was revered since it remained green year long – even through cold, harsh winters – despite the fact that it is not rooted in soil. It was seen as a symbol of fertility and used as a medicinal cure for various ills... Mistletoe was the magical ingredient in the kissing ball or kissing bough in Victorian England". Kissing balls had very specific rules, such as a gentleman may give only as many kisses as there are berries on the bough and after each kiss a berry must be removed. If a woman were to refuse a kiss under mistletoe, it was said she should not expect any marriage proposals within the next year! In general, due to its pagan origins and ties to fertility, mistletoe was not allowed in churches.
Scene 6: A FACTORY, NEAR A GIANT MACHINE.
boot-making machine - by the latter half of the 19th century, most boots were made by machine rather than tailored to each customer by hand. "Machine", here, does not correlate quite with what we think of as machines today; rather, it refers to sewing machines that cut down on craft-time that used to be entirely by hand. In between the sewing and finishing, workers would work as "table hands" and/or paste pieces of the boot together in preparation for sewing, etc. Bootmaking was often a task more for working-class women as they were paid less wages than men, something that was very appealing to employers. It's an interesting choice to put young Ebenezer here as it's reminiscent of young Charles Dickens, who left school to work putting labels on cans of boot blacking to pay for his board and help support his family when he was about twelve. The wretched conditions and long hours with little pay made a great impression on him that can be clearly seen in his later works highlighting the struggles of the poor.
boot-making machine - by the latter half of the 19th century, most boots were made by machine rather than tailored to each customer by hand. "Machine", here, does not correlate quite with what we think of as machines today; rather, it refers to sewing machines that cut down on craft-time that used to be entirely by hand. In between the sewing and finishing, workers would work as "table hands" and/or paste pieces of the boot together in preparation for sewing, etc. Bootmaking was often a task more for working-class women as they were paid less wages than men, something that was very appealing to employers. It's an interesting choice to put young Ebenezer here as it's reminiscent of young Charles Dickens, who left school to work putting labels on cans of boot blacking to pay for his board and help support his family when he was about twelve. The wretched conditions and long hours with little pay made a great impression on him that can be clearly seen in his later works highlighting the struggles of the poor.
Scene 7: MR. FEZZIWIG'S BANK.
EMILY - interestingly, Scrooge's old love is named "Belle" in the original novella, though this is only learnt after her husband calls her so - "Belle, I saw an old friend of yours this afternoon." - Scrooge never calls her by name and when she first appears, she is only referenced as "a fair, young girl in a mourning-dress." Some adaptations lengthen her name to Isabelle. It is unclear why the writers of this adaptation chose to change the name.
"Oi - shove off!" - British version of "hey, go away!"
MR. FEZZIWIG'S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BALL
pay a call - to visit
galavant - to wander about seeking pleasure or diversion
Vicars - people acting as a parish priest in place of a rector, or as a representative of a religious community to which tithes belong
Haberdashers - a person dealing in goods for dressmaking/sewing
Friendly tarts - flirtatious women
Porters - a person in charge of the entrance (here, of the bank)
Candelabra - plural of candelabrum; a large, branched candlestick holder for several candles or lamps.
A PLACE CALLED HOME
"Never get into debt, never..." - this line harkens back to the flashback showing young Ebenezer's father going to debtor's prison.
He places ring on her finger. - this ring is likely just a simple, gold band, as Ebenezer is not that well off at this point. The well-off and noble families in England had, by the Victorian era, were starting to give diamond rings as engagement rings.
EMILY - interestingly, Scrooge's old love is named "Belle" in the original novella, though this is only learnt after her husband calls her so - "Belle, I saw an old friend of yours this afternoon." - Scrooge never calls her by name and when she first appears, she is only referenced as "a fair, young girl in a mourning-dress." Some adaptations lengthen her name to Isabelle. It is unclear why the writers of this adaptation chose to change the name.
"Oi - shove off!" - British version of "hey, go away!"
MR. FEZZIWIG'S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BALL
pay a call - to visit
galavant - to wander about seeking pleasure or diversion
Vicars - people acting as a parish priest in place of a rector, or as a representative of a religious community to which tithes belong
Haberdashers - a person dealing in goods for dressmaking/sewing
Friendly tarts - flirtatious women
Porters - a person in charge of the entrance (here, of the bank)
Candelabra - plural of candelabrum; a large, branched candlestick holder for several candles or lamps.
A PLACE CALLED HOME
"Never get into debt, never..." - this line harkens back to the flashback showing young Ebenezer's father going to debtor's prison.
He places ring on her finger. - this ring is likely just a simple, gold band, as Ebenezer is not that well off at this point. The well-off and noble families in England had, by the Victorian era, were starting to give diamond rings as engagement rings.
Works referenced, quoted, and paraphrased:
- Altogetherchristmas.com
- Angie Mostellar's Christmas (Itasca Books 2008).
- Dictionary.reference.com
- Encyclopedia Britannica (2016)
- Gentlemansgazette.com
- Jerry White's London in the Eighteenth Century: A Great and Monstrous Thing (Random House 2012)
- Michael Patrick Hearn's The Annotated Christmas Carol (W. W. Norton & Company, Inc 1976)
- Victorianlondon.org
- Victorians.co.uk
- Victorianweb.org
- Wikipedia.org