Set in New York City in the mid-nineteenth century, this novel follows a young orphan boy who is taken in by a kindly rag-picker and exposed to the harsh realities of life in the city. The book offers a vivid portrait of the struggles faced by the urban poor and explores the themes of poverty, social justice, and the search for identity.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.