Oliver Twist

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.