Yellow , meagre , ragged , scowling , wolfish ; but prostrate , too , in their humility . Where graceful youth should have filled their features out , and touched them with its freshest tints , a stale and shrivelled hand , like that of age , had pinched , and twisted them , and pulled them into shreds . Where angels might have sat enthroned , devils lurked , and glared out menacing . No change , no degradation , no perversion of humanity , in any grade , through all the mysteries of wonderful creation , has monsters half so horrible and dread . Scrooge started back , appalled . Having them shown to him in this way , he tried to say they were fine children , but the words choked themselves , rather than be parties to a lie of such enormous magnitude . `` Spirit ! are they yours ? '' Scrooge could say no more . `` They are Man 's , '' said the Spirit , looking down upon them . `` And they cling to me , appealing from their fathers . This boy is Ignorance . This girl is Want . Beware of them both , and all of their degree , but most of all beware this boy , for on his brow I see that written which is Doom , unless the writing be erased . Deny it ! '' cried the Spirit , stretching out its hand towards the city . `` Slander those who tell it ye ! Admit it for your factious purposes , and make it worse ! And bide the end ! '' `` Have they no refuge or resource ? ''
cried XXXXX .
Scrooge Slander children choked devils features girl perversion purposes shreds