Oliver twist – poverty and the city

Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to
refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictitious name, there is 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 as it can be
of no possible consequence to the reader, in this stage of the business at all events; the
item of mortality whose name is prefixed to the head of this chapter.