



Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England




Dusty Diamonds Cut and Polished, by R.M. Ballantyne.

First published 1884

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As so often with Ballantyne there are two concurrent stories in this
book.  In one of these we meet two little stray and homeless boys in the
vicinity of Whitechapel in the East-End of London. These two are rescued
from the streets, trained up and sent to Canada to live as part of a
farmer's family there.

The other story concerns the mother of one of the boys, with too many
children, a drink-habit, and a wife-beating and criminal husband:
plainly there's not much going for her, but her eldest daughter manages
to bring life together for the family.  The bad father, on his release
from jail, deserts his wife, which is no bad thing; the wife takes the
Blue Ribbon and gives up drinking; a couple of well-to-do gentlemen take
an interest in the family; and finally they all emigrate to Canada a