Strophe

 1   1|        a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing
 2   1| congenial frost. ~At length the hour of shutting up the counting-house
 3   1|        minute, but it seemed an hour. The bells ceased as they
 4   1|      the next night at the same hour. The third upon the next
 5   1|          or the lateness of the hour, much in need of repose;
 6   2|          So he listened for the hour. ~To his great astonishment
 7   2| resolved to lie awake until the hour was past; and, considering
 8   2|  Scrooge. ~"Ding, dong!'' ~"The hour itself,'' said Scrooge,
 9   2|             He spoke before the hour bell sounded, which it now
10   2|        that the weather and the hour were not adapted to pedestrian
11   2|     clock, which pointed to the hour of seven. He rubbed his
12   3|         minutes, a quater of an hour went by, yet nothing came.
13   3|        the clock proclaimed the hour; and which, being only light,
14   3|       fire, the ruddy glow, the hour of night, and they stood
15   3|         said Scrooge. "One half hour, Spirit, only one!'' ~It