Scrooge was right, of course. Dickens' stories were anti-Christian and anti-love, as sentiment always is. Never trust anyone who sees spirits. To paraphrase Scrooge, "Are there no Scriptures? Is there no Christ? Is there no consequence for wrong-doing?"

Jennifer Nicholson Graham on Compassion on National Review Online: "As a mother, I still worry about Tiffany and her brother, but, as a conservative, I know that as long as the neighborhood — the village — cared for them, her mother never would. Maybe, with the help of a jail and a poorhouse, the little family will get it together, discover the value of work. It's a long shot, but, as the magnet on my refrigerator says, 'Dreams come true at Christmas.'"