CHAPTER	O
I	O
TREATS	O
OF	O
THE	O
PLACE	O
WHERE	O
OLIVER	O
TWIST	O
WAS	O
BORN	EVENT
AND	O
OF	O
THE	O
CIRCUMSTANCES	O
ATTENDING	O
HIS	O
BIRTH	EVENT
Among	O
other	O
public	O
buildings	O
in	O
a	O
certain	O
town	O
,	O
which	O
for	O
many	O
reasons	O
it	O
will	O
be	O
prudent	O
to	O
refrain	O
from	O
mentioning	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
which	O
I	O
will	O
assign	O
no	O
fictitious	O
name	O
,	O
there	O
is	O
one	O
anciently	O
common	O
to	O
most	O
towns	O
,	O
great	O
or	O
small	O
:	O
to	O
wit	O
,	O
a	O
workhouse	O
;	O
and	O
in	O
this	O
workhouse	O
was	O
born	O
;	O
on	O
a	O
day	O
and	O
date	O
which	O
I	O
need	O
not	O
trouble	O
myself	O
to	O
repeat	O
,	O
inasmuch	O
as	O
it	O
can	O
be	O
of	O
no	O
possible	O
consequence	O
to	O
the	O
reader	O
,	O
in	O
this	O
stage	O
of	O
the	O
business	O
at	O
all	O
events	O
;	O
the	O
item	O
of	O
mortality	O
whose	O
name	O
is	O
prefixed	O
to	O
the	O
head	O
of	O
this	O
chapter	O
.	O

For	O
a	O
long	O
time	O
after	O
it	O
was	O
ushered	EVENT
into	O
this	O
world	O
of	O
sorrow	O
and	O
trouble	O
,	O
by	O
the	O
parish	O
surgeon	O
,	O
it	O
remained	O
a	O
matter	O
of	O
considerable	O
doubt	O
whether	O
the	O
child	O
would	O
survive	O
to	O
bear	O
any	O
name	O
at	O
all	O
;	O
in	O
which	O
case	O
it	O
is	O
somewhat	O
more	O
than	O
probable	O
that	O
these	O
memoirs	O
would	O
never	O
have	O
appeared	O
;	O
or	O
,	O
if	O
they	O
had	O
,	O
that	O
being	O
comprised	O
within	O
a	O
couple	O
of	O
pages	O
,	O
they	O
would	O
have	O
possessed	O
the	O
inestimable	O
merit	O
of	O
being	O
the	O
most	O
concise	O
and	O
faithful	O
specimen	O
of	O
biography	O
,	O
extant	O
in	O
the	O
literature	O
of	O
any	O
age	O
or	O
country	O
.	O

Although	O
I	O
am	O
not	O
disposed	O
to	O
maintain	O
that	O
the	O
being	O
born	O
in	O
a	O
workhouse	O
,	O
is	O
in	O
itself	O
the	O
most	O
fortunate	O
and	O
enviable	O
circumstance	O
that	O
can	O
possibly	O
befall	O
a	O
human	O
being	O
,	O
I	O
do	O
mean	O
to	O
say	O
that	O
in	O
this	O
particular	O
instance	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
best	O
thing	O
for	O
Oliver	O
Twist	O
that	O
could	O
by	O
possibility	O
have	O
occurred	O
.	O

The	O
fact	O
is	O
,	O
that	O
there	O
was	O
considerable	O
difficulty	O
in	O
inducing	O
Oliver	O
to	O
take	O
upon	O
himself	O
the	O
office	O
of	O
respiration	O
,	O
--	O
a	O
troublesome	O
practice	O
,	O
but	O
one	O
which	O
custom	O
has	O
rendered	O
necessary	O
to	O
our	O
easy	O
existence	O
;	O
and	O
for	O
some	O
time	O
he	O
lay	O
gasping	EVENT
on	O
a	O
little	O
flock	O
mattress	O
,	O
rather	O
unequally	O
poised	O
between	O
this	O
world	O
and	O
the	O
next	O
:	O
the	O
balance	O
being	O
decidedly	O
in	O
favour	O
of	O
the	O
latter	O
.	O

Now	O
,	O
if	O
,	O
during	O
this	O
brief	O
period	O
,	O
Oliver	O
had	O
been	O
surrounded	O
by	O
careful	O
grandmothers	O
,	O
anxious	O
aunts	O
,	O
experienced	O
nurses	O
,	O
and	O
doctors	O
of	O
profound	O
wisdom	O
,	O
he	O
would	O
most	O
inevitably	O
and	O
indubitably	O
have	O
been	O
killed	O
in	O
no	O
time	O
.	O

There	O
being	O
nobody	O
by	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
but	O
a	O
pauper	O
old	O
woman	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
rendered	O
rather	O
misty	O
by	O
an	O
unwonted	O
allowance	O
of	O
beer	O
;	O
and	O
a	O
parish	O
surgeon	O
who	O
did	O
such	O
matters	O
by	O
contract	O
;	O
Oliver	O
and	O
Nature	O
fought	EVENT
out	O
the	O
point	O
between	O
them	O
.	O

The	O
result	O
was	O
,	O
that	O
,	O
after	O
a	O
few	O
struggles	EVENT
,	O
Oliver	O
breathed	EVENT
,	O
sneezed	EVENT
,	O
and	O
proceeded	O
to	O
advertise	EVENT
to	O
the	O
inmates	O
of	O
the	O
workhouse	O
the	O
fact	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
burden	O
having	O
been	O
imposed	EVENT
upon	O
the	O
parish	O
,	O
by	O
setting	O
up	O
as	O
loud	O
a	O
cry	EVENT
as	O
could	O
reasonably	O
have	O
been	O
expected	O
from	O
a	O
male	O
infant	O
who	O
had	O
not	O
been	O
possessed	O
of	O
that	O
very	O
useful	O
appendage	O
,	O
a	O
voice	O
,	O
for	O
a	O
much	O
longer	O
space	O
of	O
time	O
than	O
three	O
minutes	O
and	O
a	O
quarter	O
.	O

As	O
Oliver	O
gave	O
this	O
first	O
proof	EVENT
of	O
the	O
free	O
and	O
proper	O
action	EVENT
of	O
his	O
lungs	O
,	O
the	O
patchwork	O
coverlet	O
which	O
was	O
carelessly	O
flung	O
over	O
the	O
iron	O
bedstead	O
,	O
rustled	EVENT
;	O
the	O
pale	O
face	O
of	O
a	O
young	O
woman	O
was	O
raised	EVENT
feebly	O
from	O
the	O
pillow	O
;	O
and	O
a	O
faint	O
voice	O
imperfectly	O
articulated	O
the	O
words	EVENT
,	O
'	O
Let	O
me	O
see	O
the	O
child	O
,	O
and	O
die	O
.	O
'	O

The	O
surgeon	O
had	O
been	O
sitting	O
with	O
his	O
face	O
turned	O
towards	O
the	O
fire	EVENT
:	O
giving	O
the	O
palms	O
of	O
his	O
hands	O
a	O
warm	EVENT
and	O
a	O
rub	EVENT
alternately	O
.	O

As	O
the	O
young	O
woman	O
spoke	EVENT
,	O
he	O
rose	EVENT
,	O
and	O
advancing	EVENT
to	O
the	O
bed	O
's	O
head	O
,	O
said	EVENT
,	O
with	O
more	O
kindness	O
than	O
might	O
have	O
been	O
expected	O
of	O
him	O
:	O
'	O
Oh	O
,	O
you	O
must	O
not	O
talk	O
about	O
dying	O
yet	O
.	O
'	O

'	O
Lor	O
bless	O
her	O
dear	O
heart	O
,	O
no	O
!	O
'	O

interposed	EVENT
the	O
nurse	O
,	O
hastily	O
depositing	EVENT
in	O
her	O
pocket	O
a	O
green	O
glass	O
bottle	O
,	O
the	O
contents	O
of	O
which	O
she	O
had	O
been	O
tasting	EVENT
in	O
a	O
corner	O
with	O
evident	O
satisfaction	O
.	O

'	O
Lor	O
bless	O
her	O
dear	O
heart	O
,	O
when	O
she	O
has	O
lived	O
as	O
long	O
as	O
I	O
have	O
,	O
sir	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
thirteen	O
children	O
of	O
her	O
own	O
,	O
and	O
all	O
on	O
'em	O
dead	O
except	O
two	O
,	O
and	O
them	O
in	O
the	O
wurkus	O
with	O
me	O
,	O
she	O
'll	O
know	O
better	O
than	O
to	O
take	O
on	O
in	O
that	O
way	O
,	O
bless	O
her	O
dear	O
heart	O
!	O

Think	O
what	O
it	O
is	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
mother	O
,	O
there	O
's	O
a	O
dear	O
young	O
lamb	O
do	O
.	O
'	O

Apparently	O
this	O
consolatory	O
perspective	EVENT
of	O
a	O
mother	O
's	O
prospects	O
failed	O
in	O
producing	O
its	O
due	O
effect	O
.	O

The	O
patient	O
shook	EVENT
her	O
head	O
,	O
and	O
stretched	EVENT
out	O
her	O
hand	O
towards	O
the	O
child	O
.	O

The	O
surgeon	O
deposited	EVENT
it	O
in	O
her	O
arms	O
.	O

She	O
imprinted	EVENT
her	O
cold	O
white	O
lips	O
passionately	O
on	O
its	O
forehead	O
;	O
passed	EVENT
her	O
hands	O
over	O
her	O
face	O
;	O
gazed	EVENT
wildly	O
round	O
;	O
shuddered	EVENT
;	O
fell	EVENT
back	O
--	O
and	O
died	EVENT
.	O

They	O
chafed	EVENT
her	O
breast	O
,	O
hands	O
,	O
and	O
temples	O
;	O
but	O
the	O
blood	O
had	O
stopped	EVENT
forever	O
.	O

They	O
talked	EVENT
of	O
hope	O
and	O
comfort	O
.	O

They	O
had	O
been	O
strangers	O
too	O
long	O
.	O

'	O
It	O
's	O
all	O
over	O
,	O
Mrs.	O
Thingummy	O
!	O
'	O

said	EVENT
the	O
surgeon	O
at	O
last	O
.	O

'	O
Ah	O
,	O
poor	O
dear	O
,	O
so	O
it	O
is	O
!	O
'	O

said	EVENT
the	O
nurse	O
,	O
picking	EVENT
up	O
the	O
cork	O
of	O
the	O
green	O
bottle	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
fallen	EVENT
out	O
on	O
the	O
pillow	O
,	O
as	O
she	O
stooped	EVENT
to	O
take	O
up	O
the	O
child	O
.	O

'	O
Poor	O
dear	O
!	O
'	O

'	O
You	O
need	O
n't	O
mind	O
sending	O
up	O
to	O
me	O
,	O
if	O
the	O
child	O
cries	O
,	O
nurse	O
,	O
'	O
said	EVENT
the	O
surgeon	O
,	O
putting	EVENT
on	O
his	O
gloves	O
with	O
great	O
deliberation	O
.	O

'	O
It	O
's	O
very	O
likely	O
it	O
_	O
will	O
_	O
be	O
troublesome	O
.	O

Give	O
it	O
a	O
little	O
gruel	O
if	O
it	O
is	O
.	O
'	O

He	O
put	EVENT
on	O
his	O
hat	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
pausing	EVENT
by	O
the	O
bed-side	O
on	O
his	O
way	O
to	O
the	O
door	O
,	O
added	EVENT
,	O
'	O
She	O
was	O
a	O
good-looking	O
girl	O
,	O
too	O
;	O
where	O
did	O
she	O
come	O
from	O
?	O
'	O

'	O
She	O
was	O
brought	EVENT
here	O
last	O
night	O
,	O
'	O
replied	EVENT
the	O
old	O
woman	O
,	O
'	O
by	O
the	O
overseer	O
's	O
order	EVENT
.	O

She	O
was	O
found	EVENT
lying	O
in	O
the	O
street	O
.	O

She	O
had	O
walked	EVENT
some	O
distance	O
,	O
for	O
her	O
shoes	O
were	O
worn	O
to	O
pieces	O
;	O
but	O
where	O
she	O
came	O
from	O
,	O
or	O
where	O
she	O
was	O
going	O
to	O
,	O
nobody	O
knows	O
.	O
'	O

The	O
surgeon	O
leaned	EVENT
over	O
the	O
body	O
,	O
and	O
raised	EVENT
the	O
left	O
hand	O
.	O

'	O
The	O
old	O
story	O
,	O
'	O
he	O
said	EVENT
,	O
shaking	EVENT
his	O
head	O
:	O
'	O
no	O
wedding-ring	O
,	O
I	O
see	EVENT
.	O

Ah	O
!	O

Good-night	O
!	O
'	O

The	O
medical	O
gentleman	O
walked	EVENT
away	O
to	O
dinner	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
nurse	O
,	O
having	O
once	O
more	O
applied	EVENT
herself	O
to	O
the	O
green	O
bottle	O
,	O
sat	EVENT
down	O
on	O
a	O
low	O
chair	O
before	O
the	O
fire	EVENT
,	O
and	O
proceeded	O
to	O
dress	EVENT
the	O
infant	O
.	O

What	O
an	O
excellent	O
example	O
of	O
the	O
power	O
of	O
dress	O
,	O
young	O
Oliver	O
Twist	O
was	O
!	O

Wrapped	O
in	O
the	O
blanket	O
which	O
had	O
hitherto	O
formed	O
his	O
only	O
covering	O
,	O
he	O
might	O
have	O
been	O
the	O
child	O
of	O
a	O
nobleman	O
or	O
a	O
beggar	O
;	O
it	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
hard	O
for	O
the	O
haughtiest	O
stranger	O
to	O
have	O
assigned	O
him	O
his	O
proper	O
station	O
in	O
society	O
.	O

But	O
now	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
enveloped	O
in	O
the	O
old	O
calico	O
robes	O
which	O
had	O
grown	O
yellow	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
service	O
,	O
he	O
was	O
badged	EVENT
and	O
ticketed	EVENT
,	O
and	O
fell	EVENT
into	O
his	O
place	O
at	O
once	O
--	O
a	O
parish	O
child	O
--	O
the	O
orphan	O
of	O
a	O
workhouse	O
--	O
the	O
humble	O
,	O
half-starved	O
drudge	O
--	O
to	O
be	O
cuffed	O
and	O
buffeted	O
through	O
the	O
world	O
--	O
despised	O
by	O
all	O
,	O
and	O
pitied	O
by	O
none	O
.	O

Oliver	O
cried	EVENT
lustily	O
.	O

If	O
he	O
could	O
have	O
known	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
an	O
orphan	O
,	O
left	O
to	O
the	O
tender	O
mercies	O
of	O
church-wardens	O
and	O
overseers	O
,	O
perhaps	O
he	O
would	O
have	O
cried	O
the	O
louder	O
.	O

CHAPTER	O
II	O
TREATS	O
OF	O
OLIVER	O
TWIST	O
'S	O
GROWTH	O
,	O
EDUCATION	O
,	O
AND	O
BOARD	O
For	O
the	O
next	O
eight	O
or	O
ten	O
months	O
,	O
Oliver	O
was	O
the	O
victim	O
of	O
a	O
systematic	O
course	O
of	O
treachery	O
and	O
deception	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
brought	EVENT
up	O
by	O
hand	O
.	O

The	O
hungry	O
and	O
destitute	O
situation	O
of	O
the	O
infant	O
orphan	O
was	O
duly	O
reported	EVENT
by	O
the	O
workhouse	O
authorities	O
to	O
the	O
parish	O
authorities	O
.	O

The	O
parish	O
authorities	O
inquired	EVENT
with	O
dignity	O
of	O
the	O
workhouse	O
authorities	O
,	O
whether	O
there	O
was	O
no	O
female	O
then	O
domiciled	O
in	O
'	O
the	O
house	O
'	O
who	O
was	O
in	O
a	O
situation	O
to	O
impart	O
to	O
Oliver	O
Twist	O
,	O
the	O
consolation	O
and	O
nourishment	O
of	O
which	O
he	O
stood	O
in	O
need	O
.	O

The	O
workhouse	O
authorities	O
replied	EVENT
with	O
humility	O
,	O
that	O
there	O
was	O
not	O
.	O

Upon	O
this	O
,	O
the	O
parish	O
authorities	O
magnanimously	O
and	O
humanely	O
resolved	EVENT
,	O
that	O
Oliver	O
should	O
be	O
'	O
farmed	O
,	O
'	O
or	O
,	O
in	O
other	O
words	O
,	O
that	O
he	O
should	O
be	O
dispatched	O
to	O
a	O
branch-workhouse	O
some	O
three	O
miles	O
off	O
,	O
where	O
twenty	O
or	O
thirty	O
other	O
juvenile	O
offenders	O
against	O
the	O
poor-laws	O
,	O
rolled	O
about	O
the	O
floor	O
all	O
day	O
,	O
without	O
the	O
inconvenience	O
of	O
too	O
much	O
food	O
or	O
too	O
much	O
clothing	O
,	O
under	O
the	O
parental	O
superintendence	O
of	O
an	O
elderly	O
female	O
,	O
who	O
received	O
the	O
culprits	O
at	O
and	O
for	O
the	O
consideration	O
of	O
sevenpence-halfpenny	O
per	O
small	O
head	O
per	O
week	O
.	O

Sevenpence-halfpenny	O
's	O
worth	O
per	O
week	O
is	O
a	O
good	O
round	O
diet	O
for	O
a	O
child	O
;	O
a	O
great	O
deal	O
may	O
be	O
got	O
for	O
sevenpence-halfpenny	O
,	O
quite	O
enough	O
to	O
overload	O
its	O
stomach	O
,	O
and	O
make	O
it	O
uncomfortable	O
.	O

The	O
elderly	O
female	O
was	O
a	O
woman	O
of	O
wisdom	O
and	O
experience	O
;	O
she	O
knew	O
what	O
was	O
good	O
for	O
children	O
;	O
and	O
she	O
had	O
a	O
very	O
accurate	O
perception	O
of	O
what	O
was	O
good	O
for	O
herself	O
.	O

So	O
,	O
she	O
appropriated	O
the	O
greater	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
weekly	O
stipend	O
to	O
her	O
own	O
use	O
,	O
and	O
consigned	O
the	O
rising	O
parochial	O
generation	O
to	O
even	O
a	O
shorter	O
allowance	O
than	O
was	O
originally	O
provided	O
for	O
them	O
.	O

Thereby	O
finding	O
in	O
the	O
lowest	O
depth	O
a	O
deeper	O
still	O
;	O
and	O
proving	O
herself	O
a	O
very	O
great	O
experimental	O
philosopher	O
.	O

Everybody	O
knows	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
another	O
experimental	O
philosopher	O
who	O
had	O
a	O
great	O
theory	O
about	O
a	O
horse	O
being	O
able	O
to	O
live	O
without	O
eating	O
,	O
and	O
who	O
demonstrated	O
it	O
so	O
well	O
,	O
that	O
he	O
had	O
got	O
his	O
own	O
horse	O
down	O
to	O
a	O
straw	O
a	O
day	O
,	O
and	O
would	O
unquestionably	O
have	O
rendered	O
him	O
a	O
very	O
spirited	O
and	O
rampacious	O
animal	O
on	O
nothing	O
at	O
all	O
,	O
if	O
he	O
had	O
not	O
died	EVENT
,	O
four-and-twenty	O
hours	O
before	O
he	O
was	O
to	O
have	O
had	O
his	O
first	O
comfortable	O
bait	O
of	O
air	O
.	O

Unfortunately	O
for	O
,	O
the	O
experimental	O
philosophy	O
of	O
the	O
female	O
to	O
whose	O
protecting	O
care	O
Oliver	O
Twist	O
was	O
delivered	O
over	O
,	O
a	O
similar	O
result	O
usually	O
attended	O
the	O
operation	O
of	O
_	O
her	O
_	O
system	O
;	O
for	O
at	O
the	O
very	O
moment	O
when	O
the	O
child	O
had	O
contrived	O
to	O
exist	O
upon	O
the	O
smallest	O
possible	O
portion	O
of	O
the	O
weakest	O
possible	O
food	O
,	O
it	O
did	O
perversely	O
happen	O
in	O
eight	O
and	O
a	O
half	O
cases	O
out	O
of	O
ten	O
,	O
either	O
that	O
it	O
sickened	O
from	O
want	O
and	O
cold	O
,	O
or	O
fell	O
into	O
the	O
fire	O
from	O
neglect	O
,	O
or	O
got	O
half-smothered	O
by	O
accident	O
;	O
in	O
any	O
one	O
of	O
which	O
cases	O
,	O
the	O
miserable	O
little	O
being	O
was	O
usually	O
summoned	O
into	O
another	O
world	O
,	O
and	O
there	O
gathered	O
to	O
the	O
fathers	O
it	O
had	O
never	O
known	O
in	O
this	O
.	O

Occasionally	O
,	O
when	O
there	O
was	O
some	O
more	O
than	O
usually	O
interesting	O
inquest	O
upon	O
a	O
parish	O
child	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
overlooked	O
in	O
turning	O
up	O
a	O
bedstead	O
,	O
or	O
inadvertently	O
scalded	O
to	O
death	O
when	O
there	O
happened	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
washing	O
--	O
though	O
the	O
latter	O
accident	O
was	O
very	O
scarce	O
,	O
anything	O
approaching	O
to	O
a	O
washing	O
being	O
of	O
rare	O
occurrence	O
in	O
the	O
farm	O
--	O
the	O
jury	O
would	O
take	O
it	O
into	O
their	O
heads	O
to	O
ask	O
troublesome	O
questions	O
,	O
or	O
the	O
parishioners	O
would	O
rebelliously	O
affix	O
their	O
signatures	O
to	O
a	O
remonstrance	O
.	O

But	O
these	O
impertinences	O
were	O
speedily	O
checked	O
by	O
the	O
evidence	O
of	O
the	O
surgeon	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
testimony	O
of	O
the	O
beadle	O
;	O
the	O
former	O
of	O
whom	O
had	O
always	O
opened	O
the	O
body	O
and	O
found	O
nothing	O
inside	O
(	O
which	O
was	O
very	O
probable	O
indeed	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
latter	O
of	O
whom	O
invariably	O
swore	O
whatever	O
the	O
parish	O
wanted	O
;	O
which	O
was	O
very	O
self-devotional	O
.	O

Besides	O
,	O
the	O
board	O
made	O
periodical	O
pilgrimages	O
to	O
the	O
farm	O
,	O
and	O
always	O
sent	O
the	O
beadle	O
the	O
day	O
before	O
,	O
to	O
say	O
they	O
were	O
going	O
.	O

The	O
children	O
were	O
neat	O
and	O
clean	O
to	O
behold	O
,	O
when	O
_	O
they	O
_	O
went	O
;	O
and	O
what	O
more	O
would	O
the	O
people	O
have	O
!	O