title: A Child's History of England
author: Charles Dickens
description: Charles Dickens's early childhood was happy until his father was imprisoned for debt. The 12 - year - old Dickens then began working ten - hour days in a boot - blacking factory pasting labels on the jars of thick polish. The shocking conditions of the factory made a profound impression on him. His anger at his situation and at the conditions endured by working - class people became major themes in his fiction.
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  # Tom Tiddler's Ground
  
  
  ### Charles Dickens
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  CHAPTER I--PICKING UP SOOT AND CINDERS
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "And why Tom Tiddler's ground?" said the Traveller.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "Because he scatters halfpence to Tramps and such-like," returned
  
  
  the Landlord, "and of course they pick 'em up. And this being done
  
  
  on his own land (which it IS his own land, you observe, and were his
  
  
  family's before him), why it is but regarding the halfpence as gold
  
  
  and silver, and turning the ownership of the property a bit round
  
  
  your finger, and there you have the name of the children's game
  
  
  complete. And it's appropriate too," said the Landlord, with his
  
  
  favourite action of stooping a little, to look across the table out
  
  
  of window at vacancy, under the window-blind which was half drawn
  
  
  down. "Leastwise it has been so considered by many gentlemen which
  
  
  have partook of chops and tea in the present humble parlour."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The Traveller was partaking of chops and tea in t