Workhouse Characters, and other sketches of the life of the poor.

The author assembles a series of short sketches and dramatic scenes that portray inmates and visitors of workhouses and related institutions, offering intimate portraits of individuals affected by poverty, ill-health, addiction, marital constraints, and institutional care. Drawing on newspaper pieces and observation, the sketches range from personal anecdotes to moral and legal commentary, noting reforms such as old-age pensions and changes to marital authority while documenting lingering cruelties and bureaucratic indifference. Character studies combine sympathy, local wit, and social critique to illuminate the everyday realities of the poor and the institutions that govern them.