The Hired Baby

“The Hired Baby” is a short story which gives a breathtaking snapshot of Victorian London life.

Liz, a young street rents a sickly newborn by the day from its grasping low-life parents, in the hope of attracting greater sympathy from passers by. She encounters mixed reactions, from cruel scorn to genuine charity. She visits a Catholic church, and is mystified as to why people pray to a statue of a woman with a baby. Over time, Liz develops a deep love for the sick baby, often denying herself food in order to buy milk for the infant. As the baby grows weaker, Liz’s life too seems to lose meaning and purpose, until one New Year’s Eve the situation comes to a head.