Children! Children! Continue to eat you breakfast but listen while I’m talking.
Johnny Sunderland! Get back to your place and eat you cornflakes and stop messing around.
As you know, this institution is called an orphanage although not everyone here is an orphan. Some of you have parents but you’ve ended up here for different reasons. Some of your parents are on drugs; some of you are here because your parents didn’t like you; some of you are here simply because your parents are too sick to take proper care of you.
That is the case for Johnny Sunderland. His mother was dying of cancer so Johnny came here to be cared for properly. Johnny Sunderland! Would you sit down and stop messing around. Listen, because this announcement concerns you.
I want you to be particularly nice to Johnny today because his mother died last night. Johnny Sunderland, sit down! I will see you in my office after you’ve finished breakfast.
Weave a Web 
If Dickens wrote short stories?
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Except – this story is actually true!
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How unthinking and cruel. Sounds like Oliver!
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Yes – actually a school friend of mine was brought up in an orphanage, and the Reverend Sister appeared one breakfast and announced they were all to pray for the repose of Mrs X who died last night. And that was the first and only information the kid ever received!
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I had my own horrible nun when I attended parochial school for a year.
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My nun was the cat’s pyjamas!
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Well, that was very Christian. That poor young lad, I would imagine your school friend felt that all his life.
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He used to wet his bed!
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Poor sod.
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😢😢😢😢
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Cold. I highly recommend “They Caged the Animals At Night”. If you haven’t read it.
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Thanks for the recommendation. I shall pursue.
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That is a throwback of sorts to Oliver Twist. Did Johnny have enough cornflakes in his bowl?
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Please sir, he’d like some more.
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I’m glad this important event has now been captured and shared. Poor Johnny Sunderland. The world can be cruel and ignorance and self-importance can make a cruel world crueller.
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Thanks Simon. It’s amazing how many, on reading this story, go straight to Oliver Twist! It shows even today the power of Dickens in challenging human and legal conditions.
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Again apologies if my need to formulate a polarised argument cuts across my own belief in enjoying a book for the book’s sake. One of the things about a law degree is the practice of arguing whichever case you end up with. Barristers are often likened to taxi cabs and are not allowed to pick and choose their fares. I do appreciate your encouragement and look forward to not needing to be quite so strident in my (apparent) views. Having said that, as a student of both law and literature and as a huge fan of Charles Dickens, I really enjoyed writing it. All good wishes and hope that you are keeping well in these troubling times. Simon
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