Oliver's first job (4)

 

'Did you want  acoffin?' asked  Oliver , innocently.

 

The charity-boy looked at him fiercely. 'You'll be needing a coffin soon,Workhouse, if you make jokes like that ! I'm Mister Noah Claypole , and you're working under me. Now hutty up and opoen the curtains!  As he said this he kicked Oliver and entered the shop . He was a big , clumsy boy of about fourteen, with a large head and very small eyes. Added to these attractions were a red nose and dirty yellow trousers.

 

The boys went down to breakfast, which the girl Charlotte had made for them . She gave an extra piece of meat to Noah, then told  Oliver to hurry up as it was his job to look after the shop.

 

'Did you hear that , Workhouse?' shouted  Noah.

'He heard , Noah,' said Charlotte. 'Leave him alone.'

'Why?' asked Noah, 'All his relations have already left him alone . His mother and father aren't going to inerfere with him!' Charlotte and Noah both started laughing loudly,Oliver sat alone in the corner, eating old bits of bread.

 

Noah was a charity-boy, but not a workhouse orphan; he at least knew who his parents were . But for a long time all the local shop -boys had insulted him because he wore the uniform of a charity-boy. Now fortune had brought him a creature in an even lower position in society than himselt, Noah intended to repay to Oliver every insult he had vevr received, and to make the new boy's life a misery.

 

After a few weeks , Mr Sowerberry decided that he liked Oliver's appearance enough to train him in the undertaking business. Oliver's  permanent expression of sadness was very suitable, the undertaker thought, for collecting dead bodies from houses and accompanying the coffins to funerals.