Many a Dickens child (4)
I believe the answer is:
waif
'many a dickens child' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for waif that I've seen before include "Forsaken child" , "Homeless child - thin person" , "Foundling" , "Be incongruous" , "An unowned or abandoned child" .)