Tom’s early life.

           Letusskipanumberofyears. 

           Londonwasfifteenhundredyearsold,andwasagreattown—forthatday. Ithadahundredthousandinhabitants—somethinkdoubleasmany. Thestreetswereverynarrow,andcrooked,anddirty,especiallyinthepartwhereTomCantylived,whichwasnotfarfromLondonBridge. Thehouseswereofwood,withthesecondstoryprojectingoverthefirst,andthethirdstickingitselbowsoutbeyondthesecond. Thehigherthehousesgrew,thebroadertheygrew. Theywereskeletonsofstrongcriss-crossbeams,withsolidmaterialbetween,coatedwithplaster. Thebeamswerepaintedredorblueorblack,accordingtotheowner’staste,andthisgavethehousesaverypicturesquelook. Thewindowsweresmall,glazedwithlittlediamond-shapedpanes,andtheyopenedoutward,onhinges,likedoors. 

           ThehousewhichTom’sfatherlivedinwasupafoullittlepocketcalledOffalCourt,outofPuddingLane. Itwassmall,decayed,andrickety,butitwaspackedfullofwretchedlypoorfamilies. Canty’stribeoccupiedaroomonthethirdfloor. Themotherandfatherhadasortofbedsteadinthecorner; butTom,hisgrandmother,andhistwosisters,BetandNan,werenotrestricted—theyhadallthefloortothemselves,andmightsleepwheretheychose. Thereweretheremainsofablanketortwo,andsomebundlesofancientanddirtystraw,butthesecouldnotrightlybecalledbeds,fortheywerenotorganised;theywerekickedintoageneralpile,mornings,andselectionsmadefromthemassatnight,forservice. 

           BetandNanwerefifteenyearsold—twins.Theyweregood-heartedgirls,unclean,clothedinrags,andprofoundlyignorant. Theirmotherwaslikethem. Butthefatherandthegrandmotherwereacoupleoffiends.