Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens [first ebook reader .txt] 📗

of knowledge, and becoming attached to him, more and more, as his nature developed itself, and showed the thriving seeds of all he wished him to become⁠—how he traced in him new traits of his early friend, that awakened in his own bosom old remembrances, melancholy and yet sweet and soothing⁠—how the two orphans, tried by adversity, remembered its lessons in mercy to others, and mutual love, and fervent thanks to Him who had protected and preserved them⁠—these are all matters which need not to be told. I have said that they were truly happy; and without strong affection and humanity of heart, and gratitude to that Being whose code is Mercy, and whose great attribute is Benevolence to all things that breathe, happiness can never be attained.

Within the altar of the old village church there stands a white marble tablet, which bears as yet but one word: Agnes. There is no coffin in that tomb; and may it be many, many years, before another name is placed above it! But, if the spirits of the Dead ever come back to earth, to visit spots hallowed by the love⁠—the love beyond the grave⁠—of those whom they knew in life, I believe that the shade of Agnes sometimes hovers round that solemn nook. I believe it none the less because that nook is in a Church, and she was weak and erring.

Endnotes

Or were virtually, then. ↩

Colophon

Oliver Twist
was published between 1857 and 1859 by
Charles Dickens.

This ebook was produced for
Standard Ebooks
by
David Grigg,
and is based on a transcription produced in 1996 by
Peggy Gaugy and Leigh Little
for
Project Gutenberg
and on digital scans available at the
Internet Archive.

The cover page is adapted from
His First Offence,
a painting completed in 1896 by
Dorothy Stanley.
The cover and title pages feature the
League Spartan and Sorts Mill Goudy
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The League of Moveable Type.

The first edition of this ebook was released on
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