Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse, and when he arrived in this hard world, it was very doubtful whether he would live beyond the first three minutes.
Oliver
Twist
was
born
in
a
workhouse
,
and
when
he
arrived
in
this
hard
world
,
it
was
very
doubtful
whether
he
would
live
beyond
the
first
three
minutes
.
He lay on a hard little bed and struggled to start breathing.
He
lay
on
a
hard
little
bed
and
struggled
to
start
breathing
.
Oliver fought his first battle without much assistance from the two people present at his birth.
Oliver
fought
his
first
battle
without
much
assistance
from
the
two
people
present
at
his
birth
.
One was an old woman, who was nearly always drunk, and the other was a busy local doctor, who was not paid enough to be very interested in Oliver's survival.
One
was
an
old
woman
,
who
was
nearly
always
drunk
,
and
the
other
was
a
busy
local
doctor
,
who
was
not
paid
enough
to
be
very
interested
in
Oliver
's
survival
.
After all，death was a common event in the workhouse，where only the poor and homeless lived．
After
all，death
was
a
common
event
in
the
workhouse，where
only
the
poor
and
homeless
lived．
However, Oliver managed to draw his first breath, and then announced his arrival to the rest of the workhouse by crying loudly.
However
,
Oliver
managed
to
draw
his
first
breath
,
and
then
announced
his
arrival
to
the
rest
of
the
workhouse
by
crying
loudly
.
His mother raised her pale young face from the pillow and whispered, "Let me see the child, and die."
His
mother
raised
her
pale
young
face
from
the
pillow
and
whispered
,
``
Let
me
see
the
child
,
and
die
.
''
The doctor turned away from the fire, where he had been warming his hands.
The
doctor
turned
away
from
the
fire
,
where
he
had
been
warming
his
hands
.
"You must not talk about dying yet," he said to her kindly.
``
You
must
not
talk
about
dying
yet
,
''
he
said
to
her
kindly
.
He gave her the child to hold.
He
gave
her
the
child
to
hold
.
Lovingly, she kissed the baby on its forehead with her cold white lips, then stared wildly around the room, fell back--and died.
Lovingly
,
she
kissed
the
baby
on
its
forehead
with
her
cold
white
lips
,
then
stared
wildly
around
the
room
,
fell
back
--
and
died
.
"Poor dear!"
``
Poor
dear
!
''
said the nurse, hurriedly putting a green glass bottle back in the pocket of her long skirt.
said
the
nurse
,
hurriedly
putting
a
green
glass
bottle
back
in
the
pocket
of
her
long
skirt
.
The doctor began to put on his coat.
The
doctor
began
to
put
on
his
coat
.
"The baby is weak and will probably have difficulties," he said.
``
The
baby
is
weak
and
will
probably
have
difficulties
,
''
he
said
.
"If so, give it a little milk to keep it quiet."
``
If
so
,
give
it
a
little
milk
to
keep
it
quiet
.
''
Then he looked at the dead woman.
Then
he
looked
at
the
dead
woman
.
"The mother was a good-looking girl.
``
The
mother
was
a
good-looking
girl
.
Where did she come from?"
Where
did
she
come
from
?
''
"She was brought here last night," replied the old woman.
``
She
was
brought
here
last
night
,
''
replied
the
old
woman
.
"She was found lying in the street.
``
She
was
found
lying
in
the
street
.
She'd walked some distance, judging by her shoes, which were worn to pieces.
She
'd
walked
some
distance
,
judging
by
her
shoes
,
which
were
worn
to
pieces
.
Where she came from, where she was going to, or what her name was, nobody knows."
Where
she
came
from
,
where
she
was
going
to
,
or
what
her
name
was
,
nobody
knows
.
''
The doctor lifted the girl's left hand.
The
doctor
lifted
the
girl
's
left
hand
.
"The old story," he said sadly, shaking his head.
``
The
old
story
,
''
he
said
sadly
,
shaking
his
head
.
"No wedding ring, I see.
``
No
wedding
ring
,
I
see
.
Ah!
Ah
!
Good night."
Good
night
.
''
And so Oliver was left with only the drunken nurse.
And
so
Oliver
was
left
with
only
the
drunken
nurse
.
Without clothes, under his first blanket, he could have been the child of a king or a beggar.
Without
clothes
,
under
his
first
blanket
,
he
could
have
been
the
child
of
a
king
or
a
beggar
.
But when the woman dressed him later in rough cotton clothes, yellow with age, he looked exactly what he was--an orphan in a workhouse, ready for a life of misery, hunger, and neglect.
But
when
the
woman
dressed
him
later
in
rough
cotton
clothes
,
yellow
with
age
,
he
looked
exactly
what
he
was
--
an
orphan
in
a
workhouse
,
ready
for
a
life
of
misery
,
hunger
,
and
neglect
.
Oliver cried loudly.
Oliver
cried
loudly
.
If he could have known that he was a workhouse orphan, perhaps he would have cried even more loudly.
If
he
could
have
known
that
he
was
a
workhouse
orphan
,
perhaps
he
would
have
cried
even
more
loudly
.
There was no one to look after the baby in the workhouse, so Oliver was sent to a special "baby farm" nearby.
There
was
no
one
to
look
after
the
baby
in
the
workhouse
,
so
Oliver
was
sent
to
a
special
``
baby
farm
''
nearby
.
There, he and thirty other children rolled around the floor all day, without the inconvenience of too much food or too much clothing.
There
,
he
and
thirty
other
children
rolled
around
the
floor
all
day
,
without
the
inconvenience
of
too
much
food
or
too
much
clothing
.
Mrs Mann, the old woman who "looked after" them, was very experienced.
Mrs
Mann
,
the
old
woman
who
``
looked
after
''
them
,
was
very
experienced
.
She knew what was good for children, and a full stomach was very dangerous to their health.
She
knew
what
was
good
for
children
,
and
a
full
stomach
was
very
dangerous
to
their
health
.
She also knew what was good for herself, so she kept for her own use the money that she was given for the children's food.
She
also
knew
what
was
good
for
herself
,
so
she
kept
for
her
own
use
the
money
that
she
was
given
for
the
children
's
food
.
The board responsible for the orphans sometimes checked on the health of the children, but they always sent the beadle, a kind of local policeman, to announce their visit the day before.
The
board
responsible
for
the
orphans
sometimes
checked
on
the
health
of
the
children
,
but
they
always
sent
the
beadle
,
a
kind
of
local
policeman
,
to
announce
their
visit
the
day
before
.
So whenever the board arrived, of course, the children were always neat and clean.
So
whenever
the
board
arrived
,
of
course
,
the
children
were
always
neat
and
clean
.
This was the way Oliver was brought up.
This
was
the
way
Oliver
was
brought
up
.
Consequently, at the age of nine he was a pale, thin child and short for his age.
Consequently
,
at
the
age
of
nine
he
was
a
pale
,
thin
child
and
short
for
his
age
.
But despite frequent beatings by Mrs Mann, his spirit was strong, which was probably the reason why he managed to reach the age of nine at all.
But
despite
frequent
beatings
by
Mrs
Mann
,
his
spirit
was
strong
,
which
was
probably
the
reason
why
he
managed
to
reach
the
age
of
nine
at
all
.
On Oliver's ninth birthday, Mr Bumble, the beadle, came to the house to see Mrs Mann.
On
Oliver
's
ninth
birthday
,
Mr
Bumble
,
the
beadle
,
came
to
the
house
to
see
Mrs
Mann
.
Through the front window Mrs Mann saw him at the gate, and turned quickly to the girl who worked with her.
Through
the
front
window
Mrs
Mann
saw
him
at
the
gate
,
and
turned
quickly
to
the
girl
who
worked
with
her
.
"Quick!
``
Quick
!
Take Oliver and those others upstairs to be washed!"
Take
Oliver
and
those
others
upstairs
to
be
washed
!
''
she said.
she
said
.
Then she ran out to unlock the gate which was always kept locked.
Then
she
ran
out
to
unlock
the
gate
which
was
always
kept
locked
.
Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse, and when he arrived in this hard world, it was very doubtful whether he would live beyond the first three minutes. He lay on a hard little bed and struggled to start breathing.  Oliver fought his first battle without much assistance from the two people present at his birth. One was an old woman, who was nearly always drunk, and the other was a busy local doctor, who was not paid enough to be very interested in Oliver's survival. After all，death was a common event in the workhouse，where only the poor and homeless lived．  However, Oliver managed to draw his first breath, and then announced his arrival to the rest of the workhouse by crying loudly. His mother raised her pale young face from the pillow and whispered, "Let me see the child, and die."  The doctor turned away from the fire, where he had been warming his hands. "You must not talk about dying yet," he said to her kindly. He gave her the child to hold. Lovingly, she kissed the baby on its forehead with her cold white lips, then stared wildly around the room, fell back--and died. "Poor dear!" said the nurse, hurriedly putting a green glass bottle back in the pocket of her long skirt.  The doctor began to put on his coat. "The baby is weak and will probably have difficulties," he said. "If so, give it a little milk to keep it quiet." Then he looked at the dead woman. "The mother was a good-looking girl. Where did she come from?"  "She was brought here last night," replied the old woman. "She was found lying in the street. She'd walked some distance, judging by her shoes, which were worn to pieces. Where she came from, where she was going to, or what her name was, nobody knows."  The doctor lifted the girl's left hand. "The old story," he said sadly, shaking his head. "No wedding ring, I see. Ah! Good night."  And so Oliver was left with only the drunken nurse. Without clothes, under his first blanket, he could have been the child of a king or a beggar. But when the woman dressed him later in rough cotton clothes, yellow with age, he looked exactly what he was--an orphan in a workhouse, ready for a life of misery, hunger, and neglect.  Oliver cried loudly. If he could have known that he was a workhouse orphan, perhaps he would have cried even more loudly.  There was no one to look after the baby in the workhouse, so Oliver was sent to a special "baby farm" nearby. There, he and thirty other children rolled around the floor all day, without the inconvenience of too much food or too much clothing. Mrs Mann, the old woman who "looked after" them, was very experienced. She knew what was good for children, and a full stomach was very dangerous to their health. She also knew what was good for herself, so she kept for her own use the money that she was given for the children's food. The board responsible for the orphans sometimes checked on the health of the children, but they always sent the beadle, a kind of local policeman, to announce their visit the day before. So whenever the board arrived, of course, the children were always neat and clean.  This was the way Oliver was brought up. Consequently, at the age of nine he was a pale, thin child and short for his age. But despite frequent beatings by Mrs Mann, his spirit was strong, which was probably the reason why he managed to reach the age of nine at all.  On Oliver's ninth birthday, Mr Bumble, the beadle, came to the house to see Mrs Mann. Through the front window Mrs Mann saw him at the gate, and turned quickly to the girl who worked with her.  "Quick! Take Oliver and those others upstairs to be washed!" she said. Then she ran out to unlock the gate which was always kept locked.