‘Three more children snatched from their beds! Queen Victoria’s word on the scandal. Child kidnapper still at large,’ cried a newspaper seller in the busy, London street.
An eclectic group of Londoners huddled around him, waving their money and chattering excitedly while they stood in line for the latest edition of The Times. Nearby, their children played and fought, waiting impatiently for their parents without a care in the world. They oozed happiness. They regarded the simple act of buying a newspaper with amused interest, just as they did everything else. Carriage rides through the park, fur coats for the ladies, monocles for the gentlemen, tasty hot food, and a loving family – all of these things were extravagances they took for granted. They lived a life of luxury. For them, it was
