Poor Jo! Page #2

"Poor Jo!" is a short story by Charles Dickens that appears in his larger work, "Bleak House." The tale revolves around Jo, a homeless and destitute young boy who lives in the shadow of London's oppressive poverty. As he navigates a grim world filled with injustice and suffering, Jo's innocence and resilience shine through starkly. The story highlights themes of social inequality, compassion, and the impact of the legal system on the lives of the most vulnerable members of society. Through Jo's plight, Dickens critiques the societal indifference to the plight of the poor and calls for empathy and reform.

• Children
• Short story

								

drew a breath his chest was very painful. "It draws," said Jo, "as heavy
as a cart."

Now, a certain young doctor who was very kind to poor people, was
walking through Tom-all-Alones one morning, when he saw a ragged figure
coming along, crouching close to the dirty wall. It was Jo. The young
doctor took pity on Jo. "Come with me," he said, "and I will find you a
better place than this to stay in," for he saw that the lad was very,
very ill. So Jo was taken to a clean little room, and bathed, and had
clean clothes, and good food, and kind people about him once more, but
he was too ill now, far too ill, for anything to do him any good.

"Let me lie here quiet," said poor Jo, "and be so kind anyone as is
passin' nigh where I used to sweep, as to say to Mr. Snagsby as Jo, wot
he knew once, is amoving on."

One day the young doctor was sitting by him, when suddenly Jo made a
strong effort to get out of bed.

"Stay, Jo--where now?"

"It's time for me to go to that there burying-ground."

"What burying-ground, Jo?"

"Where they laid him as was very good to me, very good to me indeed he
was. It's time for me to go down to that there burying-ground, sir, and
ask to be put along of him. I wants to go there and be buried. Will you
promise to have me took there and laid along with him?"

"I will indeed."

"Thankee, sir. There's a step there as I used to sweep with my broom.
It's turned very dark, sir, is there any light coming?"

"It's coming fast, Jo."

Then silence for a while.

"Jo, my poor fellow----!"

"I can hear you, sir, in the dark."

"Jo, can you say what I say?"

"I'll say anything you say, sir, for I knows it's good."

"Our Father."

"Our Father--yes, that's very good, sir."

"Which art in Heaven."

"Art in Heaven. Is the light a-coming, sir?"

"It's close at hand. Hallowed be Thy name."

"Hallowed be Thy"--

The light had come. Oh yes! the light had come, for Jo was dead.
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