Stretton, Hesba 1832-1911 creator text utu 2015 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "Jessica's First Prayer" and "Jessica's Mother" by Hesba Stretton is a Victorian children's novel written in the late 19th century. The narrative focuses on a young girl named Jessica, who lives in poverty and faces the harsh realities of life, including neglect from her mother. The story explores themes of compassion, faith, and redemption as Jessica finds kindness from a coffee-stall keeper named Daniel and navigates her tumultuous home life. The opening portion of the book introduces readers to Jessica, a destitute child who, on a rainy day, watches the coffee-stall keeper from a distance with hungry eyes. Daniel, noticing her plight, offers her a warm cup of coffee and some bread, initiating a bond between them. Jessica shares that her mother has been absent and expresses a yearning for food and safety. The reader learns about her difficult home circumstances, characterized by neglect and the threat of danger from her mother. The stage is set for a tale that will delve into Jessica's struggles and her hopeful desire for a better life amidst adversity. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2015-10-01 Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) Original publication data not identified Christian life -- Juvenile fiction Friendship -- Juvenile fiction London (England) -- Juvenile fiction Poverty -- Juvenile fiction Prayer -- Juvenile fiction PZ Original publication data not identified https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50104 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50104 UtSlPG 260607 20260610134142.0 50104