Oliver Twist

one anciently common to most towns, great or small: to wit, a workhouse; and in this workhouse was born; on a day and date which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch

ve to bear any name at all; in which case it is somewhat more than probable that these memoirs would never have appeared; or, if they had, that being comprised within a co

nd for some time he lay gasping on a little flock mattress, rather unequally poised between this world and the next: the balance being decidedly in favour of the latter. Now, if, during this brief period, Oliver had been surrounded by careful grandmothers, anxious aunts, experienced nurses, and doctors of profound wisdom, he would most inevitably and indubitably have been killed in no time. There being nobody by, however, but a pauper old woman, who was rendered rather misty by an unwonted allowance of beer; a

h was carelessly flung over the iron bedstead, rustled; the pale face of a young woman was raised feebl

f his hands a warm and a rub alternately. As the young woman spoke, he rose, and advan

not talk abo

epositing in her pocket a green glass bottle, the contents of w

r own, and all on 'em dead except two, and them in the wurkus with me, she'll know better than to tak

spects failed in producing its due effect. The patient sh

er hands over her face; gazed wildly round; shuddered; fell back-and died. They chafed her breast, hands, and

. Thingummy!' said

e cork of the green bottle, which had fallen out on the

deliberation. 'It's very likely it will be troublesome. Give it a little gruel if it is.' He put on his hat, and,

She was found lying in the street. She had walked some distance, for her shoes wer

left hand. 'The old story,' he said, shaking hi

ing once more applied herself to the green bottle, sat down on

d have been hard for the haughtiest stranger to have assigned him his proper station in society. But now that he was enveloped in the old calico robes which had grown yellow in the same service, he was ba

s an orphan, left to the tender mercies of church-warde