The poem tells the story of a child forced into labor after losing both parents. The child's father died working in a quarry, and the mother was left to support the family alone but was driven away from her job by the landlord. With no other options, the child was put to work under pressure at a young age to support the family. The poem asks whether banning child labor for those under 18 would be fair or wrong, and calls for helping to end the pressure that forces children into difficult work.