Principle and Practice: The Orphan Family

When a respectable Exeter merchant dies unexpectedly, his five children are left to fend for themselves with only modest means and the memory of his diligent upbringing. The eldest, Jane, at sixteen, must shoulder the role of head of household, balancing her own anxieties with a fierce desire to keep her siblings safe and hopeful. Her younger brother Charles, bright and industrious, offers a glimmer of optimism as he prepares to step into the trade their father intended for him.

Taken in temporarily by a family friend, Mr. Barker, the siblings receive frank counsel about their bleak finances and the urgent need for practical education. Together they devise a plan to turn their limited resources into a sustainable future, confronting everyday hardships without romantic embellishment. Listeners will be drawn into their earnest struggle for independence, honor, and mutual support.