Riverside Edition. Oliver mingles with new Associates. Going to a Funeral for the Oliver becomes better acquainted with the Characters of his new In which Oliver is taken better Care of than he ever was before. Some new Acquaintances are introduced to the intelligent Reader; Comprising further Particulars of Oliver's stay at Mr. Brownlow's, with the remarkable Prediction which one Mr. Grimwig uttered concerning him, when he went out on an Errand Showing how very fond of Oliver Twist, the merry old Jew and Which contains the Substance of a pleasant Conversation between In which a mysterious Character appears upon the Scene; and Contains some introductory Particulars relative to a young Gentle- Containing the unsatisfactory Result of Oliver's Adventure; and Is a very short one, and may appear of no great Importance in its Place. But it should be read notwithstanding, as a Sequel to the last, and a Key to one that will follow when its Time 91 Introduces some respectable Characters with whom the Reader is An old Acquaintance of Oliver's, exhibiting decided Marks of Monks and Mr. Brownlow at length meet. Their Conversation, Affording an Explanation of more Mysteries than one, and com- OLIVER TWIST. CHAPTER I. TREATS OF THE PLACE WHERE OLIVER TWIST WAS BORN; AND OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES ATTENDING HIS BIRTH. 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. For a long time after it was ushered into this world of sorrow and trouble, by the parish surgeon, it remained a matter of considerable doubt whether the child would survive 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 couple of pages, they would have possessed the inestimable merit of being the most concise |