E. Nesbit / ENesbit
The father of three children is falsely imprisoned, accused of spying, and the three are set out to prove his innocence. In doing so, they are obliged to move to a place near a railway station, where they meet an Old Gentlemen who rides the same train every day, and helps them in their quest. They also befriend a Russian exile who has been persecuted by the Tsar for his writings in support of poor people, and the grandson of the Old Gentleman, who is badly injured in a railway tunnel. This classic of young people’s literature influenced many subsequent authors, and continues to be a vivid reading experienced to this day.