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"Oh, Nell!" he burst out, "I's just soft, I is. Moment her brother, panting and breathless, stood before her. When she heard the patter of bare feet around the corner, and the next
Last stroke of the Town Hall clock, however, had scarcely died away Besides, she was hungry and cold, and there wasĪ great fear in her heart that something had befallen her brother. Had not come a sense of unutterable loneliness crept over the child,Īnd she began to cry. How none of them ever paused to notice her, shivering there in theĪt length the great clocks all around began to strike five, and Benny And she tried to picture their cheerful homes, with greatīlazing fires, and happy children running to greet them, and wondered The 'busses wereĬrowded with people outside and in, wrapped in huge warm overcoats, andĪll down Lord Street she watched the hurrying crowds bending their steps Still the minutes dragged along, and Benny came not. The time our story opens Nelly was nine years of age, and Benny, as we Each to each was more than all the world beside.
Knowing a parent's love, the affections of these two children had gone She could walk she had been sent into the streets with her brotherīenny, who was a year older, to get her living as best she could. She had only known a stepmother-a cruel,ĭrunken woman and, alas! her father was no better. Towns and cities but, on the contrary, there was an air of refinementĪbout her that was difficult to account for. She had none of that wolfishĮxpression that so often characterizes the street Arabs of our large Little Nelly Bates was a delicate-looking child, with a pale, thoughtfulįace, and big, round, dreamy-looking eyes. They know what it is to be cold and hungry like me?"Īnd the child moved a little farther into the shadow of the church, toĮscape the keen cold blast that swept up from the river. Much trouble to take off their gloves to get at the coppers. I hope he's sold all his fusees."Īnd she looked wistfully at the unsold matches lying in her lap. It'll make it feel aīit warmer, I reckon," she went on, "for it's terrible cold. "I'm glad as how they's lightin' the lamps, anyhow. Him? He said he'd be here when the clock struck four."Īnd she wrapped her tattered clothes more closely around her, and lookedĮagerly down Lord Street and up and down Castle Street. "I wish Benny would come," said she to herself. But a fog had hung all over Liverpool since morning,Īnd everything was as damp and dismal as it well could be and now,Īs evening came on, the fog had settled into a downright drizzle,Ĭonverting the streets into what seemed to Nelly Bates (who wasĬrouched in the shadow of St. T was getting dark, though the Town Hall clock had only just Sympathy for the poor little waifs of our streets, I shall have my Permanent and attractive style it now assumes, it shall awaken any In its serial form, I am rejoiced and thankful and if, in the more
Some of them are alive to-day, others have gone to their rest.įor the interest my little story has awakened in both old and young, Perks and Joe Wrag, Granny and Eva Lawrence, are drawn from life. The grouping of the characters that figure in the story is purelyįictitious, but not the characters themselves. Those of whom "Perks" so justly complained. While in the streets temptation is being continually put in their way by Many of them try hard to earn an honest living, though they find it aĭifficult matter, especially when at home they receive no encouragement, They are not all bad, as many people seem to think. Getting to know them in their homes, I was glad to stopĪnd speak to them in the streets, and give them a word of sympathy andĮncouragement. Homes-if such haunts of wretchedness be worthy of that name-that Iįelt that interest in, and sympathy for them, that I have experiencedĮver since. It was not until I had seen the little Arabs of the streets in their Where I became acquainted with some of the originals of this story. Me frequently into some of the poorest neighbourhoods of that town, My pastoral work, during a three years' residence in Liverpool, called TO My Bairns (GOD BLESS THEM!) THIS LITTLE BOOK IS DEDICATED WITH MUCH AFFECTION. LONDON FREDERICK WARNE AND CO., BEDFORD STREET, STRAND.īENNY AND NELLY BATES IN THE HUT OF JOE WRAG. Memory of Edgar, John and Kenneth Graham - three brothers "This etext edition of 'Her Benny' is dedicated to the Produced by Clare Graham and Marc D'Hooghe atĪvailable by Europeana and the Bodleian Library of Oxford.) *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HER BENNY *** With this eBook or online at Title: Her Benny Re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withĪlmost no restrictions whatsoever. The Project Gutenberg EBook of Her Benny, by Silas Kitto Hocking The Project Gutenberg eBook of Her Benny, by Silas K.