‘But you were always a good man of business, Jacob,’ faultered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself.

“Business!” cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again.

“Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”

UPDATE! Read about Dickens’ revision to this very passage right here, right now!