THE LOST DAUGHTER

Every morning I was expecting the newspaper to come because I was waiting greedily to read an ad that gave me some information about my relative who I didn’t know. Some years ago my parents told me that I had been born as a twin but my sister had been stolen immediately after our birth. What a shock for my parents. The police had been involved but without any results. Years went over. I felt lonely and sometimes I was captured in a big cave of sadness. I could never explain my feelings but I was missing something. In spite of that the hope still remained to find my second half.
That’s why I studied page by page very carefully. Stop! This headline seemed to be quite striking.
“Money makes people silent! Bride was fooled by her fiancé.”
The photo belonging to this article showed a couple and I could hardly believe my eyes. The bride looked exactly like me and she had the same birthmark on the same spot on her face. Unbelievable. Identically. The only difference was her dark hair.

Some minutes later I packed my suitcase and also took my photoalbum with me. A taxi brought me to the station and I went to Little Hampton by train. What a strange situation and what a strong desire. How would my sister react? Would she accept me?

After an hours journey I arrived and straightaway went to the kiosk nearby. A group of elderly women were putting their heads together, whispering, laughing, chatting and many “ahas” and “ohos” could be heard. I touched one on her shoulder showed her the couple’s photo and formed my question. Silence followed and astonished faces turned towards me. “Excuse me, could you please tell me where this woman lives and do you know her address?”
Silence again. Suddenly they burst out laughing.
“What a silly cow! Stupid girl. Mr. Rochester is such a softy! Typically for such a man. Rich and has an affair with the governess. The young thing believed his promises. ........But what do you want from her?”

“Mmh, well, I’m a reporter from a women’s magazine and I’d like to write an article about her.”

“Green Lane 701”, whispered one woman and immediately they put their heads together again and started chattering like crazy geese.


The nearer I came to my aim the bigger the tension was. Suddenly I stood in front of a big and luxurious house. Green Lane 701. My heart was beating extremely loud.
Step by step I walked up the stairs and pressed the call button.
Someone opened the door.
Jane!
My second half!
I had the feeling to see my mirror image.
None of us said a word.
We must have been standing there for at least ten minutes or even longer. Like frozen figures. Then my feelings overwhelmed me and I embraced her. Tears followed and we both sat down on the step and started telling our stories.
It was getting dark and we were hungry.
This was the best day of my life!

Doubtful

London (J.H.-R.K.) Yesterday a young boy called Oliver Twist (10) attracted big attention because he was suspected to having stolen things out of Mr. Brownlow´s pockets. For things he hadn’t done he should go into prison.

The day before Oliver Twist, who was trained to be a thief was allowed to get out onto the streets with to other thieves. Later these boys went to a rich looking man, who was standing neat a book shop. They grabbed things out of his pockets and when he turned round Mr.Brownlow saw Oliver Twist standing there. He screamed: “Hold on this boy he is a thief.” Many people were running after him till he got hold of by a man. The police came and took him to judge. There the judge wanted to lock up Oliver Twist. Hasn’t there been Mr. Brownlow, who changed his opinion because of how the judge was treating O.T. with him. One of these policemen told the London News: “Such children should be locked up, punished and not released. The evidences were all against him and for this reason it should be clear what we have to do with such a boy. Miss Turtle declared to this event: “If they looked a bit clearer they would be able to see that O.T. was very sick. He was so sick that he couldn’t stand. I cannot understand people, who are able to treat such a young boy like Oliver Twist. I only saw him standing there, doing nothing and at a moment's notice all the human beings were running behind him. I don’t like people, who suspect someone although he didn’t do anything.”

Interview with Professor Doctor Huffelpuff:

Interviewer:
Prof.Dr. Huffelpuff, you are an expert of historical events specifically the Victorian age, that’s why we are so glad to have this extraordinary chance to ask you some questions concerning this time.
Prof.Dr.Huffelpuff:
Thank you for inviting me and I love to give answers referring this topic.
Interviewer:
Well let’s start with our first question: What did the Victorian age chance and did it have a favourable or a negative effect on the society?
Prof. Dr. Huffelpuff:
In general one can say that this period of time can be compared with a revolution. So many things changed in every respect. For instance in science and technology the Victorians manifested the notion that one can create solutions to problems, that man can establish new ways in order to improve himself. The Victorian age lasted for a long time and it was a very powerful time. A very positive effect of that period of time is their sense of social responsibility.
Interviewer:
How were the children treated in that time?
Prof.Dr.Huffelpuff:
Poor children at the age of about five had to work in mines, factories... under really bad conditions. A few time later rules were fixed. One rule reads as follow: Children have to be more than ten years old in order to be allowed to work in a mine. But there were still children working in mines when Queen Victoria died in 1901. Poor families had to make their toys on their own, because they didn’t get the money for this. Differently from poor people, rich ones got a special room called nursery. There children played with expensive toys, ate, slept and got their own woman, who was called nanny, to look after them.
Interviewer:
Did all the children have the chance to get a good education and how were the circumstances at school?
Prof.Dr.Huffelpuff:
At first only a few people went to school, because the others had to work for money for their families. There schools existed that were workshops in reality. 1870 a school had to be in every country and village and all children had to attend a school. Boys and girls were separated. For example they had different doors to get into the school and sat in various rows. Children were punished with a cane or ruler when they didn’t listen to the teacher or for making an inkblot on their paper.
Interviewer:
Queen Victoria’s regim was a period of intensive industrialisation, urbanisation and social change.
What kind of role did the women play in that time?
Prof.Dr.Huffelpuff:
Women had a very important task because they had to be a model mother, wife and daughter. They had to keep a sharp eye on moral values. Those women had to be devout, respectable, busy and virtuous.
Interviewer:
Thank you very much Prof.Dr.Huffelpuff for your excellent explanations. We are looking forward to our next conversation that takes place in a month. Then we are going to talk about the Renaissance.
Prof.Dr.Huffelpuff:
It’s a pleasure for me to and you are always welcome.

Review of the book: " Jane Eyre"

The powerful book with the title “Jane Eyre” was written by Charlotte Bronte. This novel was first published in the Longman Simplified English series 1949, as well as the new edition 1990. “Jane Eyre” is an autobiographic novel. Having looked at her own life a bit, Charlotte Bronte got lots of inspirations and good ideas. In this novel aren’t only love, bad childhood with punishments mentioned, there has also been written about struggling to make a life for her own. The story generally takes place in England, specifically in Gateshead and Thornfield. In this novel Mrs. Reed and Mr. Rochester are often named. But the main character is Jane Eyre because she is telling us her life. Jane is direct and a not very good looking person. Mrs. Reed is a frustrating woman, lying and with a cold heart. Mr. Rochester is the opposite of Mrs. Reed. He has a nice nature and he is a good entertainer. Jane is punished by Mrs. Reed, whose dead husband was Jane’s uncle. She lives with her because her parents had died and her mother wanted that her brother Mr. Reed to parent her. Mrs. Reed deports Jane to the Lowood institution. There Jane meets Helen and they get friends. A little while later Helen died of fever and Jane’s loneliness gets back. She finishes the school and becomes a governess by a house in Thornfield. There she falls in love with the head of the household, Mr. Rochester. But he gets a terrible secret which can load their love. I like autobiographic books because reading about another person’s life is very interesting and impressing. One can have an exciting train of thought into another period of time and see the results of a bad blow on person’s life. The book kept me in suspense most of the time.