Selina Bunbury (1802–1882)

Written in the 19th century, it is cloyingly sentimental and outrageously Christian. In the first story, a “fat gentleman” gives starving little orphan Fanny a half-sovereign instead of a sixpence. When she discovers that he has accidentally given her more money (20x as much, for those of us what don’t know their crazy moon currency) she runs after him and gives it back. He’s like ho ho ho, thanks little girl—here’s the sixpence I owed you. You don’t get a reward, because you only did your Christian duty and to reward you for only doing your duty would be silly. And she’s like, oh, I guess I’ll just starve in the street then. And all the other street people are like, wow, what a wise man! He sure showed her not to break the 10th commandment! Then she goes to her starving grandmother and the following conversation takes place:
“"But, grandmother," said Fanny, "when I saw that pretty half-sovereign dropping down to his purse, I could not help wishing he would give it to me."
"And what commandment did you break then, my child?"
"Not the eighth--if I had kept the half-sovereign I should have broken it," said Fanny, "for that says, thou shalt not steal—what commandment did I break, grandmother; for I did not steal?"
"When we desire to have what is not ours Fanny, what do we do? We covet; do we not?"
"Oh! yes--thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods," cried Fanny, "that is the tenth commandment; and that half-sovereign was my neighbor's goods, and that fat gentleman was my neighbor.””
Oh Victorians, why you so crazy? The rest of the stories are at least as horrifying as this one. It’s like a trainwreck.… (altro)