On Christmas Eve in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by four ghosts: Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. The ghosts tell Scrooge that his own selfishness has caused him to suffer over the years, and they encourage him to change his ways. Scrooge's transformation into a kinder person leads him to donate money to help those in need, which changes his life forever. As a result, he is granted three wishes by the spirit of Christmas Future. His first wish is to travel through time, which he does to see how his legacy affects future generations. Jacob Marley returns as a ghost in 1866, when Scrooge is visited again by the three ghosts. This time, they show him that his former business partner, Fezziwig, has been invited to appear before a grand jury in New York City. Realizing that this means that Fezziwig will be unable to attend his annual party, Scrooge travels to New York to warn him about the investigation. However, when he arrives at Fezziwig's house, he finds that everyone including Fezziwig has vanished! Believing that something terrible has happened, Scrooge returns home alone on Christmas Day.