oliver Twist.docx
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oliver Twist.docx
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oliverTwist
OliverTwist
CHAPTERI
TREATSOFTHEPLACEWHEREOLIVERTWISTWASBORNANDOFTHECIRCUMSTANCESATTENDINGHISBIRTH
Amongotherpublicbuildingsinacertaintown,whichformanyreasonsitwillbeprudenttorefrainfrommentioning,andtowhichIwillassignnofictitiousname,thereisoneancientlycommontomosttowns,greatorsmall:
towit,aworkhouse;andinthisworkhousewasborn;onadayanddatewhichIneednottroublemyselftorepeat,inasmuchasitcanbeofnopossibleconsequencetothereader,inthisstageofthebusinessatallevents;theitemofmortalitywhosenameisprefixedtotheheadofthischapter.
Foralongtimeafteritwasusheredintothisworldofsorrowandtrouble,bytheparishsurgeon,itremainedamatterofconsiderabledoubtwhetherthechildwouldsurvivetobearanynameatall;inwhichcaseitissomewhatmorethanprobablethatthesememoirswouldneverhaveappeared;or,iftheyhad,thatbeingcomprisedwithinacoupleofpages,theywouldhavepossessedtheinestimablemeritofbeingthemostconciseandfaithfulspecimenofbiography,extantintheliteratureofanyageorcountry.
AlthoughIamnotdisposedtomaintainthatthebeingborninaworkhouse,isinitselfthemostfortunateandenviablecircumstancethatcanpossiblybefallahumanbeing,Idomeantosaythatinthisparticularinstance,itwasthebestthingforOliverTwistthatcouldbypossibilityhaveoccurred.Thefactis,thattherewasconsiderabledifficultyininducingOlivertotakeuponhimselftheofficeofrespiration,—atroublesomepractice,butonewhichcustomhasrenderednecessarytooureasyexistence;andforsometimehelaygaspingonalittleflockmattress,ratherunequallypoisedbetweenthisworldandthenext:
thebalancebeingdecidedlyinfavourofthelatter.Now,if,duringthisbriefperiod,Oliverhadbeensurroundedbycarefulgrandmothers,anxiousaunts,experiencednurses,anddoctorsofprofoundwisdom,hewouldmostinevitablyandindubitablyhavebeenkilledinnotime.Therebeingnobodyby,however,butapauperoldwoman,whowasrenderedrathermistybyanunwontedallowanceofbeer;andaparishsurgeonwhodidsuchmattersbycontract;OliverandNaturefoughtoutthepointbetweenthem.Theresultwas,that,afterafewstruggles,Oliverbreathed,sneezed,andproceededtoadvertisetotheinmatesoftheworkhousethefactofanewburdenhavingbeenimposedupontheparish,bysettingupasloudacryascouldreasonablyhavebeenexpectedfromamaleinfantwhohadnotbeenpossessedofthatveryusefulappendage,avoice,foramuchlongerspaceoftimethanthreeminutesandaquarter.
AsOlivergavethisfirstproofofthefreeandproperactionofhislungs,thepatchworkcoverletwhichwascarelesslyflungovertheironbedstead,rustled;thepalefaceofayoungwomanwasraisedfeeblyfromthepillow;andafaintvoiceimperfectlyarticulatedthewords,‘Letmeseethechild,anddie.’
Thesurgeonhadbeensittingwithhisfaceturnedtowardsthefire:
givingthepalmsofhishandsawarmandarubalternately.Astheyoungwomanspoke,herose,andadvancingtothebed’shead,said,withmorekindnessthanmighthavebeenexpectedofhim:
‘Oh,youmustnottalkaboutdyingyet.’
‘Lorblessherdearheart,no!
’interposedthenurse,hastilydepositinginherpocketagreenglassbottle,thecontentsofwhichshehadbeentastinginacornerwithevidentsatisfaction.
‘Lorblessherdearheart,whenshehaslivedaslongasIhave,sir,andhadthirteenchildrenofherown,andallon’emdeadexcepttwo,andtheminthewurkuswithme,she’llknowbetterthantotakeoninthatway,blessherdearheart!
Thinkwhatitistobeamother,there’sadearyounglambdo.’
Apparentlythisconsolatoryperspectiveofamother’sprospectsfailedinproducingitsdueeffect.Thepatientshookherhead,andstretchedoutherhandtowardsthechild.
Thesurgeondepositeditinherarms.Sheimprintedhercoldwhitelipspassionatelyonitsforehead;passedherhandsoverherface;gazedwildlyround;shuddered;fellback—anddied.Theychafedherbreast,hands,andtemples;butthebloodhadstoppedforever.Theytalkedofhopeandcomfort.Theyhadbeenstrangerstoolong.
‘It’sallover,Mrs.Thingummy!
’saidthesurgeonatlast.
‘Ah,poordear,soitis!
’saidthenurse,pickingupthecorkofthegreenbottle,whichhadfallenoutonthepillow,asshestoopedtotakeupthechild.‘Poordear!
’
‘Youneedn’tmindsendinguptome,ifthechildcries,nurse,’saidthesurgeon,puttingonhisgloveswithgreatdeliberation.‘It’sverylikelyitWILLbetroublesome.Giveitalittlegruelifitis.’Heputonhishat,and,pausingbythebed–sideonhiswaytothedoor,added,‘Shewasagood–lookinggirl,too;wheredidshecomefrom?
’
‘Shewasbroughtherelastnight,’repliedtheoldwoman,‘bytheoverseer’sorder.Shewasfoundlyinginthestreet.Shehadwalkedsomedistance,forhershoeswereworntopieces;butwhereshecamefrom,orwhereshewasgoingto,nobodyknows.’
Thesurgeonleanedoverthebody,andraisedthelefthand.‘Theoldstory,’hesaid,shakinghishead:
‘nowedding–ring,Isee.Ah!
Good–night!
’
Themedicalgentlemanwalkedawaytodinner;andthenurse,havingoncemoreappliedherselftothegreenbottle,satdownonalowchairbeforethefire,andproceededtodresstheinfant.
Whatanexcellentexampleofthepowerofdress,youngOliverTwistwas!
Wrappedintheblanketwhichhadhithertoformedhisonlycovering,hemighthavebeenthechildofanoblemanorabeggar;itwouldhavebeenhardforthehaughtieststrangertohaveassignedhimhisproperstationinsociety.Butnowthathewasenvelopedintheoldcalicorobeswhichhadgrownyellowinthesameservice,hewasbadgedandticketed,andfellintohisplaceatonce—aparishchild—theorphanofaworkhouse—thehumble,half–starveddrudge—tobecuffedandbuffetedthroughtheworld—despisedbyall,andpitiedbynone.
Olivercriedlustily.Ifhecouldhaveknownthathewasanorphan,lefttothetendermerciesofchurch–wardensandoverseers,perhapshewouldhavecriedthelouder.
CharlesDickens
OliverTwist
CHAPTERII
TREATSOFOLIVERTWIST’SGROWTH,EDUCATION,ANDBOARD
Forthenexteightortenmonths,Oliverwasthevictimofasystematiccourseoftreacheryanddeception.Hewasbroughtupbyhand.Thehungryanddestitutesituationoftheinfantorphanwasdulyreportedbytheworkhouseauthoritiestotheparishauthorities.Theparishauthoritiesinquiredwithdignityoftheworkhouseauthorities,whethertherewasnofemalethendomiciledin‘thehouse’whowasinasituationtoimparttoOliverTwist,theconsolationandnourishmentofwhichhestoodinneed.Theworkhouseauthoritiesrepliedwithhumility,thattherewasnot.Uponthis,theparishauthoritiesmagnanimouslyandhumanelyresolved,thatOlivershouldbe‘farmed,’or,inotherwords,thatheshouldbedispatchedtoabranch–workhousesomethreemilesoff,wheretwentyorthirtyotherjuvenileoffendersagainstthepoor–laws,rolledaboutthefloorallday,withouttheinconvenienceoftoomuchfoodortoomuchclothing,undertheparentalsuperintendenceofanelderlyfemale,whoreceivedtheculpritsatandfortheconsiderationofsevenpence–halfpennypersmallheadperweek.Sevenpence–halfpenny’sworthperweekisagoodrounddietforachild;agreatdealmaybegotforsevenpence–halfpenny,quiteenoughtooverloaditsstomach,andmakeituncomfortable.Theelderlyfemalewasawomanofwisdomandexperience;sheknewwhatwasgoodforchildren;andshehadaveryaccurateperceptionofwhatwasgoodforherself.So,sheappropriatedthegreaterpartoftheweeklystipendtoherownuse,andconsignedtherisingparochialgenerationtoevenashorterallowancethanwasoriginallyprovidedforthem.Therebyfindinginthelowestdepthadeeperstill;andprovingherselfaverygreatexperimentalphilosopher.
Everybodyknowsthestoryofanotherexperimentalphilosopherwhohadagreattheoryaboutahorsebeingabletolivewithouteating,andwhodemonstrateditsowell,thathehadgothisownhorsedowntoastrawaday,andwouldunquestionablyhaverenderedhimaveryspiritedandrampaciousanimalonnothingatall,ifhehadnotdied,four–and–twentyhoursbeforehewastohavehadhisfirstcomfortablebaitofair.Unfortunatelyfor,theexperimenalphilosophyofthefemaletowhoseprotectingcareOliverTwistwasdeliveredover,asimilarresultusuallyattendedtheoperationofHERsystem;forattheverymomentwhenthechildhadcontrivedtoexistuponthesmallestpossibleportionoftheweakestpossiblefood,itdidperverselyhappenineightandahalfcasesoutoften,eitherthatitsickenedfromwantandcold,orfellintothefirefromneglect,orgothalf–smotheredbyaccident;inanyoneofwhichcases,themiserablelittlebeingwasusuallysummonedintoanotherworld,andtheregatheredtothefathersithadneverknowninthis.
Occasionally,whentherewassomemorethanusuallyinterestinginquestuponaparishchildwhohadbeenoverlookedinturningupabedstead,orinadvertentlyscaldedtodeathwhentherehappenedtobeawashing—thoughthelatteraccidentwasveryscarce,anythingapproachingtoawashingbeingofrareoccuranceinthefarm—thejurywouldtakeitintotheirheadstoasktroublesomequestions,ortheparishionerswouldrebelliouslyaffixtheirsignaturestoaremonstrance.Buttheseimpertinenceswerespeedilycheckedbytheevidenceofthesurgeon,andthetestimonyofthebeadle;theformerofwhomhadalwaysopenedthebodyandfoundnothinginside(whichwasveryprobableindeed),andthelatterofwhominvariablysworewhatevertheparishwanted;whichwasveryself–devotiona
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