Silas K. Hocking (1850–1935)

Sad in parts but ultimately things pretty well work out.
Ralph Penlogan, the son of a poor but honest farmer, is at firm enmity with Sir John Hamblyn, the local squire, who has been sharp, ruthless and cruel in his business practices and done the Penlogan family no end of harm. But Ralph finds that his disgust for Sir John does not prevent him from admiring the Hamblyn daughter, Dorothy. Naturally she is far above him in station and wealth. She's also slightly immature, but only because she's not been brought up to think beyond the moment.
This is the story of the falling...and rising...and falling...and rising tides of Ralph Penlogan's fortune, and the growing up of Dorothy. It also becomes the story of Ralph's quiet but admirable sister Ruth and the storekeeper, several years her senior, who unobtrusively falls in love with her and proves himself a friend in time of need.… (meer)

This review is from: Her Benny: A Tale of Victorian Liverpool (Paperback)
Her Benny did not inspire me too much I have to say, It was written by Silas Hocking, a man of the church. It was written in 1829, so had a far different feel to it than we would expect today! and I suppose should be taken into account.
Benny and Nelly are street urchins, badly abused by their parents and sent out to sell matches day after day on the streets of Liverpool. It is the story of how they struggle to survive, to make a better life for themselves. Running away from home and befriending Joe, a lighter upper for the district. It is full of religious advice on how to live a good and honest life, (which is good, in its way) but I found it more like a pamphlet for the church. It is, I suppose written with children in mind and is meant to be an example to them, but a little too emphatic for my tastes today.
However I did get caught up in the childrens lives and was willing them to get through, so it can't have been all bad!… (meer)