The kind hand trembled . `` I will honour Christmas in my heart , and try to keep it all the year . I will live in the Past , the Present , and the Future . The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me . I will not shut out the lessons that they teach . Oh , tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone ! '' In his agony , he caught the spectral hand . It sought to free itself , but he was strong in his entreaty , and detained it . The Spirit , stronger yet , repulsed him . Holding up his hands in a last prayer to have his fate reversed , he saw an alteration in the Phantom 's hood and dress . It shrunk , collapsed , and dwindled down into a bedpost . STAVE FIVE THE END OF IT Yes ! and the bedpost was his own . The bed was his own , the room was his own . Best and happiest of all , the Time before him was his own , to make amends in ! `` I will live in the Past , the Present , and the Future ! '' Scrooge repeated as he scrambled out of bed . `` The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me . Oh , Jacob Marley ! Heaven and the Christmas Time be praised for this !
I say it XXXXX my knees , old Jacob ; on my knees ! ''
as before for in into of on that to within