Workhouse Characters, and other sketches of the life of the poor.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Nevinson, Margaret Wynne

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Workhouse Characters, and Other Sketches of the Life of the Poor" by Margaret Wynne Nevinson is a collection of social commentaries and narratives written in the early 20th century. The work delves into the lives of individuals residing in workhouses, providing poignant insights into the struggles and social issues faced by the impoverished. The characters depicted often represent the marginalized and forgotten members of society, illustrating the harsh realities of their existence. At the start of the book, the author introduces Eunice Smith, a once-promising scholar now reduced to a state of alcoholism and despair within the grim setting of a workhouse infirmary. The narrative reflects on Eunice's past achievements and her fall from grace, detailing her interaction with an old friend who witnesses her tragic decline. Through eloquent storytelling, Nevinson captures Eunice's story, highlighting themes of loss, societal neglect, and the weight of personal tragedy. The opening sets a tone of empathy and stark realism, inviting readers to engage deeply with the plight of those who navigate the complexities of poverty and despair. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

Eunice Smith: drunk

Detained by marital authority

A Welsh sailor

The vow

Blind and deaf

"And behold, the babe wept"

"Mary, Mary, pity women!"

The suicide

Publicans and harlots

Old Inky

A daughter of the state

In the phthisis ward

An Irish Catholic

An obscure conversationalist

Mothers

"Your son's your son"

"Too old at forty"

In the lunatic asylum

The sweep's legacy

An alien

"Widows indeed!"

The runaway

"A girl! God help her!"

On the permanent list

The pauper and the old-age pension

The evacuation of the workhouse.

Credits:

Produced by sp1nd, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 72.5 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2012-09-28