Are orphans of the earthly love and heavenly: Let them weep ! let them weep! They look up, with their pale and sunken faces, And their look is dread to see, 150 For they think you see their angels in their places, With eyes meant for Deity;— “How long,” they say, “how long, O cruel nation, Will you stand, to move the world, on a child’s heart, —
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This was a period of time where England was known as the empire on which the sun never sets. Military might and the Industrial Revolution turned England into a juggernaut of powerhouses in the world theater. Little did the world knew that it was the labor of poor children that made the English Industrial Evolution possible as able bodied men were busy fighting. Orphaned children from cities and parishes were contracted from city officials to factory owners to work until they reach 21 or 24 years old. There were no one who fought for their welfare or rights. The children worked 12 to 16 hours a day with little substantial food, hence "their pale and sunken faces". The children were essentially slaves.