Action Fenn, George Manville: The Lost Middy. V1. 8 Oct 2011

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George Manville Fenn (January 3, 1831, Pimlico - August 26, 1909, Isleworth) was a British writer.
He worked as a teacher in Lincolnshire, until he became printer, editor and publisher of various magazines. He had two sons and six daughters with his wife Susanna Leake, whom he had married in 1855.
He was editor and proprietor of Once a Week from 1873 until its demise in 1879 and then was entirely engaged in writing fiction. Most of his work consists of adventure stories for young readers, featuring Explorers, Smugglers, young Adventurers and Seamen. His adult novels offer critical social commentary on Victorian England, especially reconsidering economic questions.

Excerpt
For a good quarter of an hour by the big old eight-day clock in the corner did the boy work away, shaking the box till some coin or another was over the slit, and then operating with the knife-blade, trying and trying to get the piece of money up on edge so that it would drop through; and again and again, as the reward of his indefatigable perseverance, nearly succeeding, but never quite. For so sure as he pushed it up or tilted it down, the coin made a dash and glided away, making the drops of perspiration start out on the boy’s forehead, and forcing him into a struggle with his temper which resulted in his gaining the victory again, till that thin old half-crown was coaxed well into sight and forced flat against the knife-blade. The boy then began to manipulate the knife with extreme caution as he kept on making a soft purring noise, ah–h–h–h–ha! full of triumphant satisfaction, while a big curled-up tabby tom-cat, which had taken possession of the fellow chair to that occupied by Aleck, twitched one ear, opened one eye, and then seeing that the purring sound was only a feeble imitation, went off to sleep again.

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