Chapter 4

           Ingreatfamilies,whenanadvantageousplacecannotbeobtained,eitherinpossession,reversion,remainder,orexpectancy,fortheyoungmanwhoisgrowingup,itisaverygeneralcustomtosendhimtosea.Theboard,inimitationofsowiseandsalutaryanexample,tookcounseltogetherontheexpediencyofshippingoffOliverTwist,insomesmalltradingvesselboundtoagoodunhealthyport.Thissuggesteditselfastheverybestthingthatcouldpossiblybedonewithhim:theprobabilitybeing,thattheskipperwouldfloghimtodeath,inaplayfulmood,somedayafterdinner,orwouldknockhisbrainsoutwithanironbar;bothpastimesbeing,asisprettygenerallyknown,veryfavouriteandcommonrecreationsamonggentlemanofthatclass.Themorethecasepresenteditselftotheboard,inthispointofview,themoremanifoldtheadvantagesofthestepappeared;so,theycametotheconclusionthattheonlywayofprovidingforOlivereffectually,wastosendhimtoseawithoutdelay.

           Mr.Bumblehadbeendespatchedtomakevariouspreliminaryinquiries,withtheviewoffindingoutsomecaptainorotherwhowantedacabin-boywithoutanyfriends;andwasreturningtotheworkhousetocommunicatetheresultofhismission;whenheencounteredatthegate,nolessapersonthanMr.Sowerberry,theparochialundertaker.

           Mr.Sowerberrywasatallgaunt,large-jointedman,attiredinasuitofthreadbareblack,withdarnedcottonstockingsofthesamecolour,andshoestoanswer.Hisfeatureswerenotnaturallyintendedtowearasmilingaspect,buthewasingeneralrathergiventoprofessionaljocosity.Hisstepwaselastic,andhisfacebetokenedinwardpleasantry,asheadvancedtoMr.Bumble,andshookhimcordiallybythehand.

           ‘Ihavetakenthemeasureofthetwowomenthatdiedlastnight,Mr.Bumble,’saidtheundertaker.

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