THE CLEAN CONSCIENCE OF A DIRTY SWEEP:
McGUFFEY'S "LITTLE CHIMNEY
SWEEP" AND ANOTHER
by GEORGE
L. PHILLIPS
Assistant Professor of English, San
Diego State College
When by good fortune I come upon a
story about a little chimney
sweeper, one of Lamb's "tender
novices, blooming through their
first nigritude, the maternal washings
not quite effaced from the
cheek," going sturdily about his
business of cleaning soot out of
foul chimneys, my heart misses a few
beats as I follow him, on the
printed page, carrying out his
fuliginous duties all day, until, with
a few coppers in his pocket, he
staggers under his soot bag at
evening to his master's cellar, where,
after he has chewed some
coarse bread and gnawed a meatless
bone, he falls asleep between
two bags of soot until the matutinal
crowing of the cock sends
him, unwashed and unfed, back to his
tortuous flues. And if one
of these "dim specks-poor blots-innocent
blacknesses" happens
to be an American urchin, native or
naturalized, then my interest
in his career is doubly tender, for we
do not have in this country
so many sweep boys in our literature
that we can afford to let one
pass without a respectful inquiry into
his origin and his activities.
Some years ago in the 1853 edition of
McGuffey's Newly Revised
First Reader1 I met a little sootikin in "The Lit-tie Chim-ney
Sweep"
who, by valiantly withstanding Satan's
snare to steal a handsome
gold watch, won kind words and good
deeds from the owner.
Very recently I came upon another sweep
boy who underwent the
same trial successfully and received in
consequence the protection
of a generous patroness; only this
little fellow was called "The
1 William H. McGuffey, Newly Revised Eclectic First
Reader: Containing Pro-
gressive Lessons in Reading and
Spelling (Cincinnati, 1844), Lessons
LII and LIII,
pp. 94-96. The story also appears in the
same work with copyright of 1853.
Harvey C. Minnich in William Holmes
McGuffey and the Peerless Pioneer McGuffey
Readers (Oxford,
Ohio, 1928) lists the story as No. XL in the First Reader; and
Life, July 20, 1942, states that it appeared in McGuffey's New
Second Reader.
However, an examination of The Newly
Revised Eclectic Second Reader, Third
Reader, Fourth Reader, and The New Fifth Eclectic Reader, all published
in Cin-
cinnati by Sargeant, Wilson, and Hinkle
and copyrighted in 1853, except for the
last, which bears the year 1857, has
failed to reveal "The Lit-tle Chim-ney Sweep."
265
266 Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
Honest Chimney-Sweeper." He was
found in an eight-page chap-
book, bound with thirty-eight other
stories in prose and verse
between leather covers marked Tales.2
So similar is the narrative
in both of these apologues that I
believe a comparison might be of
interest to sweepophile and
non-sweepophile alike.
Without benefit of a title page or a
table of contents or even
consecutive pagination, the four,
eight, and sixteen-page pamphlets
of varying sizes of print seem to have
been sewed together between
the leather covers in haphazard
fashion, as if a printer, tired of
seeing them gathering dust around the
corners of his shop had
decided to thrust them upon the world
as quickly and cheaply as
possible. Twenty-two of them bore the
name of I. Davis of 25
Grosvenor-st., Stalybridge, as their
printer; two claimed William
Walker of Otley;3 and one
proclaimed William Tyler of Bolt-court,
London. Only one of the thirty-nine
pieces, "A Dialogue on the
Origin of Sunday Schools, and the
Benefits Resulting from Those
Benevolent Institutions," could
boast its maker, Joseph Hibbert,
teacher of the Flowery-field Infant
School, and the date of its
publication, 1841.4 But if
these waifs lacked a parental stamp and
a common printer and publisher, they
shared with the McGuffey
stories a definite purpose: to instruct
their youthful readers how to
attain moral perfection, and to
interest them in art, for even the
shortest four-page tale had its
illustration.
Hemmed in between "Modern Youthful
Martyrs" and "The Red-
Hot Poker," "The Honest
Chimney-Sweeper" has three engraved
illustrations for its eight pages of
verse. The first picture shows
a gentleman in knee breeches and dress
coat arguing with a work-
ingman and his wife who are standing
before a blazing fire in the
fireplace of their comfortable cottage.
Two small sweep boys,
their brushes and soot bags on the
floor, listen intently to the
2 This
collection holds a second story on sweepdom, "The Christian Slave, or
The Tale of the Sweep's Boy (written
by a Youth)," which, in nineteen four-line
stanzas, describes how a stepmother
drove the unwanted youth from his parental
home and how he fell into the wicked
clutches of a sooty sweep who starved and
beat him to keep him submissive.
3 I am grateful to Dr. Harry B. Weiss,
authority on early American children's
books, for pointing out to me that
William Walker of Otley was in the printing
business as early as 1809.
4 "The Honest Chimney-Sweeper"
lacks name of author, printer, and date of
publication.
The Clean Conscience of a Dirty
Sweep 267
heated discussion. The second depicts a
ragged, sooty-faced boy,
wearing the cap of his profession, with
its brass plate providing
the name and address of his master, and
carrying his brush. He
is watching sadly and shyly several
well-dressed, clean school
children conning their lessons. In the
third, a half-grown schoolboy
is leaning an elbow on a large volume
placed on a flat rock and
waving with his free arm a large banner
marked "Finis." Except
for the last picture, the illustrations
are in no way related to the
story they are supposedly embellishing.
Outside of the fact that "The
Lit-tle Chim-ney Sweep" is in prose
and "The Honest
Chimney-Sweeper" in verse, the manner of pre-
senting the stories shows perhaps the
most obvious difference
between them. Whereas the former starts
with action in the first
paragraph, the latter is like the
medieval apologue set in a frame
of prologue and epilogue and is made to
serve as an illustration
for a text. The opening lines of the
introductory material begin
with an exhortation to the young:
Children, you often have been told,
Whose eye does all your ways behold;
Who, when your nightly slumbers spread,
Watches and guards your weary head;
And marks your busy steps by day,
Engaged in learning, work, or play,
Surveys your actions, right and wrong;
Hears every whisper of your tongue;
And in your heart's remotest folds,
Each secret thought and wish beholds.
You could not find the secret spot
Where God's omniscience reaches not.
But this is nothing new I tell,
The solemn truth you know full well;
You know-but does your conduct show
Its proper weight and influence too?
Some tempting toy should you behold,
Sweetmeat or trinket, lace or gold,
When Satan whispers in your ear,
"Go, take it, child, nor danger
fear;
Enjoy the thing you love so well,
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268 Ohio
State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly No eye can see, no tongue can tell:" Then does your conscience quick reply, "But God beholds it with his eye, Nor would I for the world offend So great a God, so kind a Friend!" Perhaps you stand in fear of blame, You shrink from punishment or shame; But could you dare the truth deny, Conceal your fault and tell a lie? Did truth and conscience thus prevail, And cause temptation's power to fail? This is the proper use indeed, Of all you hear, and learn, and read. Such application to enforce, A simple tale I'll now rehearse:- With the introduction out of the way, let us look at
the stories themselves. |
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"The Lit-tle Chim-ney Sweep" Some time a-go, there was a lit-tle chim-ney sweep, who had to sweep a chim-ney in the house of a ver-y rich la-dy. The lit-tle sweep went up at the kitch-en fire place, and came down in the cham- ber. When he got in-to the cham-ber, he found him-self all a-lone. He stop-ped a mo-ment to look round up-on the rich things he saw there. As he look-ed on the top of the ta-ble, he saw a fine gold watch, with gold seals to it. |
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"The Honest Chimney-Sweeper" A little chimney-sweeper lad Set forth to ply his sooty trade, A stately mansion as he pass'd A servant call'd him in, in haste, To mount, with scraper, bag, and broom, The flue of madam's dressing-room; The neat apartment, as he enter'd, The youth to peep about him ventur'd. What brilliance met his wand'ring gaze, The ruby's glow, the diamond's blaze, And gold and pearls in grand display. Midst velvets rich, and satins gay! Their varied charms by turns invited, But most a glittering watch delighted. Its curious works pure gold encas'd, With sparkling brilliants richly grac'd. |
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The Clean Conscience of a Dirty Sweep 269 |
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He had nev-er seen a-ny thing so beau-ti-ful be-fore, and he took it up in his hands. As he list-en-ed to hear it tick, it be-gan to play sweet mu-sic. He then thought, that if it was on-ly his own, how rich he would be; and then he thought he might hide it in his blank-et. "Now," said he, "if I take it, I shall be a thief-and yet no bod-y sees me. No bod-y? Does not God see me? Could I ev-er a-gain be good? Could I then ev-er say my pray-ers again to God? And what should I do when I come to die?" While the lit-tle sweep was think-ing a-bout tak-ing the la-dy's watch, he felt cold all o-ver, and trem-bled with fear. "No," said he, "I can not take this watch. I would rath-er be a sweep and al- ways be poor, than steal." And down he laid the watch, and crept up the chim-ney. |
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Ah me! he thought, (as near he drew, To feast upon a closer view,) If 'twere but mine! that one rich treasure Would make me happy beyond measure, So neat and useful; or, if sold, 'Twould fetch almost a mint of gold! If I should take it, who's to know? I heard the servant go below. He paus'd, and listen'd, look'd around, But no one else in sight was found; Then once more vent'ring to approach, With hasty, longing, trembling touch, He seized the tempting, glittering toy, And felt a momentary joy; But soon a gleam of conscience stole Across the young transgressor's soul: "What! shall I dare a thief to be, And forfeit my integrity; My peace of conscience, and good name; Victim of guilt, remorse, and shame! What! though no human witness nigh, Have I forgot the All-seeing eye, That marks each act? How could I dare Protection ask, or kneel in prayer? Or, if death's solemn call should come, How could I bear to hear my doom? Could I in that dread hour possess One ray of hope, one gleam of peace?" These thoughts repell'd the fatal snare; The watch replaced, with trembling care, The boy retiring breathed his prayer; "O God! forgive the sinful thought, Blot out the half-committed fault; Let the rich blood for sinners spilt, My conscience cleanse from secret guilt; And 0, henceforth my heart incline |
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270 Ohio
State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly |
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Now the la-dy who own-ed the watch was just in the next room, and she could look through, and see and hear all that pass-ed. She did not say a-ny thing to the boy then, but let him go a-way. The next day she sent for him, and when he came, she said to him, "Well, my lit-tle friend, why did you not take my watch yes-ter-day?" The lit-tle sweep then fell up-on his knees and told the la-dy all a-bout it. Now, as the lit-tle sweep did not steal the gold watch, nor tell a-ny sto-ries a-bout it, the la-dy let him stay and live in her house. For ma-ny years she sent him to school, and when he grew up, he be-came a good man, and nev-er for-got the com-mand- ment which says, "Thou shalt not steal." Had he ta-ken the la-dy's watch, he would have sto-len. Then he would have been sent to jail. |
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To dread the first approach of sin; Make me with poverty content, The lot that thou hast wisely sent; And rather let me starve or die, Than dare defraud or tell a lie!" The danger 'scaped, poor lad! 'twas well; But I have something more to tell: The lady, though by him unseen, Meanwhile in the next room had been, Had watch'd his conflict, heard his prayer, Resolved to take him in her care; She gave him learning, clothes, and food, And he turn'd out a servant good. 'Twas well that principles instill'd E'en on this lowly sweeper's child Had check'd temptations fatal power, And saved him in the trying hour, Gain'd him protection, favour, friends, And prosper'd all his worldly ends. |
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The Clean Conscience of a Dirty Sweep 271 |
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Let no lit-tle boy or girl ev-er take things with-out leave, for it is stealing; and they who steal are thi-eves. |
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But more, far more, if taught in youth To feel the power of saving truth; Brought humbly to the throne of grace For pardon, purity, and peace; By sweet experience led to prove The worth of Christ's redeeming love; And live a life of holiness, And die a death of heavenly peace. Oh! had he yielded to the foe, And stole the watch when tempted so, Through steps of vice and misery soon, He might have reach'd an awful doom! |
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Both stories conclude with a gentle admonition to
their youthful readers not to sin. In "The Lit-tle Chim-ney
Sweep" this exhortation is the only occasion when the reader has been
personally addressed; in "The Honest Chimney-Sweeper" it serves
as the epilogue and thus rounds out the moral lesson: |
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"The Lit-tle Chim-ney Sweep" You can not steal the small- est pin, with-out its be-ing seen by that eye which nev-er sleeps. |
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"The Honest Chimney-Sweeper" By his example, on your breast, Dear child, be serious thoughts impress'd, Dread the first wish of sin, nor dare A moment tamper with the snare; But to temptation still reply, "I cannot sin, for God is by." |
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Is McGuffey's little sweep, who carries a blanket,
an item of sweeping paraphernalia peculiar to the American
funnel-scourer, a native American climbing-boy, a clergy imp
"of our own growth," or has he been brought over the Atlantic and
transplanted with a simpler setting and American spelling? Did McGuffey
"borrow" the tale without acknowledging the source in the
same way as the editor of the Publications of the American Tract
Society "borrowed" about 1830 the moral story, "The Chimney
Sweeper," from a Penrith chapbook, The History of William Black, A
Chimney Sweeper, and
as the editor of the New England Farmer in 1822 |
272
Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
"borrowed" the amusing poem,
"The Lawyer and the Chimney
Sweeper," from a Glasgow chapbook
where it was almost con-
cealed under the glittering story of The
History of Cinderella, or,
The Little Glass Slipper, To Which
Is Added, The Babes in the
Wood? Or did the unknown author of "The Honest Chimney-
Sweeper" make use of McGuffey's
material? Did both stories share
a common parent? Or did chance alone
give us two such similar
narratives appearing on either side of
the Atlantic Ocean within
a few years of one another? In all
probability, however, McGuffey
followed the common practice of many
other American publishers
of children's books; he
"borrowed."