I've not read anything with this style of writing or genre, I got the book as a gift, but I did like it and it's something I'll keep for a long time.

Despite the obvious drawbacks - melodramatic story line, a surfeit of religious instruction, the suffering of the (admittedly likeable) hero turned up to the nth degree, tear-jerking scenes always only a page away - this Victorian novel may present to the sophisticated reader of the 21st century, I found it to be sincere and affecting. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. A friend of ours, some years ago, came into considerable property in this neighbourhood, and employed a young man who was new to the work to collect the rents for him.Benny Bates and his wee sister Nelly live in the damp and dung ridden courts of inner city Liverpool (somewhere around Everton I think based on the description - no offence to Evertonians, I'm not inferring your streets are dung ridden now! Takes a little while to get used to the old phrases bit if I can do it at 10 then anyone can do it and enjoy this tale of old Liverpool.

Lawrence, and marriage with Eva, who gave him the shilling in his greatest hour of need, which he kept and never dared spend.

Still, it seems like perfect plot fodder for a farce about a Victorian character who follows people around, dying again and again. Her Benny, an improving story for young people about Liverpool street children, was first published in 1879. His pathetic little sister is already close to heaven, having pink spots on her cheeks and a constant cough.

And instantly, seizing a huge poker and waving it in the air, he shouted to the affrighted agent, with a terrible oath. Cuffs and kicks they reckon upon every day of their lives; and in this they are rarely disappointed, and a lad who by dodging or cunning can escape this daily discipline is looked upon by the others as ” ‘mazin’ cute. Eventually they are compelled to run away from home after one beating too many and are rescued by watchman friend Joe Ragg and the companionable Nanny (like Nana in Peter Pan but not a dog) who continue to keep a watchful eye over them as the roam the streets.This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. A story that is heart wrenching in parts and full of emotion throughout, I defy you not to tear up when reading this. Its form parallels, and was probably influenced by, Hogarth's well-known and widely distributed series of engravings of Industry and Idleness, which had also been aimed at the young.

The children that seem to fairly swarm in this neighbourhood are nearly all of a pale, sallow complexion, and of stunted growth. The harshness of life and death is brought easily to the minds eye of even a modern reader, and the book is certain to bring more than one tear to the eye of even the most cold hearted of readers. And a second time the affrighted agent fled, and gave up the situation at once, vowing he would never enter any one of those streets again while he lived. Although the author is obviously familiar with the conditions suffered by the urban poor, his characters lack psychological realism and illustrate doctrine rather than convince as real people. Benny has saved his 'angel's' life; now she reveals that she and her father have long known that he was innocent of the theft.Minor issues present such as mild cracking, inscriptions, inserts, light foxing, tanning and thumb marking. The overarching message is that even when you're starving and homeless you can always rely on prayer and that it's better to have faith than to steal a loaf of bread for your survival. In 1993 the novel was also adapted into a successful stage musical by Anne Dalton, [4] with a 25th anniversary revival in 2018.