▁that ▁was ▁considered ▁so ▁successful ▁with ▁The ▁Pick wick ▁Pap ers . ▁The ▁story ▁first ▁appeared ▁in ▁month ly ▁parts , ▁after ▁which ▁it ▁was ▁issued ▁in ▁one ▁volume . ▁Dick ens ▁began ▁writing ▁Nick le by ▁while ▁still ▁working ▁on ▁Oliver ▁Tw ist . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁Nicholas ▁Nick le by ' s ▁father ▁dies ▁unexpected ly ▁after ▁losing ▁all ▁of ▁his ▁money ▁in ▁a ▁poor ▁invest ment . ▁Nicholas , ▁his ▁mother ▁and ▁his ▁younger ▁sister , ▁Kate , ▁are ▁forced ▁to ▁give ▁up ▁their ▁comfortable ▁l ifest yle ▁in ▁Dev ons hire ▁and ▁travel ▁to ▁London ▁to ▁seek ▁the ▁aid ▁of ▁their ▁only ▁relative , ▁Nicholas ' s ▁uncle , ▁Ralph ▁Nick le by . ▁Ralph , ▁a ▁cold ▁and ▁r uth less ▁business man , ▁has ▁no ▁desire ▁to ▁help ▁his ▁dest itute ▁relations ▁and ▁h ates ▁Nicholas , ▁who ▁rem inds ▁him ▁of ▁his ▁dead ▁brother , ▁on ▁sight . ▁He ▁gets ▁Nicholas ▁a ▁very ▁low - pay ing ▁job ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁to ▁W ack ford ▁S que ers , ▁who ▁runs ▁the ▁school ▁D othe bo ys ▁Hall ▁in ▁York shire . ▁Nicholas ▁is ▁initially ▁w ary ▁of ▁S que ers ▁( a ▁very ▁un ple asant ▁man ▁with ▁one ▁eye ) ▁because ▁he ▁is ▁gru ff ▁and ▁violent ▁towards ▁his ▁young ▁charges , ▁but ▁he ▁tries ▁to ▁qu ell ▁his ▁susp ic ions . ▁As ▁Nicholas ▁bo ards ▁the ▁stage co ach ▁for ▁Gre ta ▁Bridge , ▁he ▁is ▁handed ▁a ▁letter ▁by ▁Ralph '