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The Water…Babies

by Charles Kingsley





CHAPTER I



〃I heard a thousand blended notes; While in a grove I sate reclined; In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts Bring sad thoughts to the mind。

〃To her fair works did Nature link The human soul that through me ran; And much it grieved my heart to think; What man has made of man。〃

WORDSWORTH。


Once upon a time there was a little chimney…sweep; and his name was Tom。  That is a short name; and you have heard it before; so you will not have much trouble in remembering it。  He lived in a great town in the North country; where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep; and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend。 He could not read nor write; and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself; for there was no water up the court where he lived。  He had never been taught to say his prayers。  He never had heard of God; or of Christ; except in words which you never have heard; and which it would have been well if he had never heard。  He cried half his time; and laughed the other half。  He cried when he had to climb the dark flues; rubbing his poor knees and elbows raw; and when the soot got into his eyes; which it did every day in the week; and when his master beat him; which he did every day in the week; and when he had not enough to eat; which happened every day in the week likewise。  And he laughed the other half of the day; when he was tossing halfpennies with the other boys; or playing leap…frog over the posts; or bowling stones at the horses' legs as they trotted by; which last was excellent fun; when there was a wall at hand behind which to hide。  As for chimney…sweeping; and being hungry; and being beaten; he took all that for the way of the world; like the rain and snow and thunder; and stood manfully with his back to it till it was over; as his old donkey did to a hail… storm; and then shook his ears and was as jolly as ever; and thought of the fine times coming; when he would be a man; and a master sweep; and sit in the public…house with a quart of beer and a long pipe; and play cards for silver money; and wear velveteens and ankle…jacks; and keep a white bull…dog with one gray ear; and carry her puppies in his pocket; just like a man。  And he would have apprentices; one; two; three; if he could。  How he would bully them; and knock them about; just as his master did to him; and make them carry home the soot sacks; while he rode before them on his donkey; with a pipe in his mouth and a flower in his button…hole; like a king at the head of his army。  Yes; there were good times coming; and; when his master let him have a pull at the leavings of his beer; Tom was the jolliest boy in the whole town。

One day a smart little groom rode into the court where Tom lived。 Tom was just hiding behind a wall; to heave half a brick at his horse's legs; as is the custom of that country when they welcome strangers; but the groom saw him; and halloed to him to know where Mr。 Grimes; the chimney…sweep; lived。  Now; Mr。 Grimes was Tom's own master; and Tom was a good man of business; and always civil to customers; so he put the half…brick down quietly behind the wall; and proceeded to take orders。

Mr。 Grimes was to come up next morning to Sir John Harthover's; at the Place; for his old chimney…sweep was gone to prison; and the chimneys wanted sweeping。  And so he rode away; not giving Tom time to ask what the sweep had gone to prison for; which was a matter of interest to Tom; as he had been in prison once or twice himself。 Moreover; the groom looked so very neat and clean; with his drab gaiters; drab breeches; drab jacket; snow…white tie with a smart pin in it; and clean round ruddy face; that Tom was offended and disgusted at his appearance; and considered him a stuck…up fellow; who gave himself airs because he wore smart clothes; and other people paid for them; and went behind the wall to fetch the half… brick after all; but did not; remembering that he had come in the way of business; and was; as it were; under a flag of truce。

His master was so delighted at his new customer that he knocked Tom down out of hand; and drank more beer that night than he usually did in two; in order to be sure of getting up in time next morning; for the more a man's head aches when he wakes; the more glad he is to turn out; and have a breath of fresh air。  And; when he did get up at four the next morning; he knocked Tom down again; in order to teach him (as young gentlemen used to be taught at public schools) that he must be an extra good boy that day; as they were going to a very great house; and might make a very good thing of it; if they could but give satisfaction。

And Tom thought so likewise; and; indeed; would have done and behaved his best; even without being knocked down。  For; of all places upon earth; Harthover Place (which he had never seen) was the most wonderful; and; of all men on earth; Sir John (whom he had seen; having been sent to gaol by him twice) was the most awful。

Harthover Place was really a grand place; even for the rich North country; with a house so large that in the frame…breaking riots; which Tom could just remember; the Duke of Wellington; and ten thousand soldiers to match; were easily housed therein; at least; so Tom believed; with a park full of deer; which Tom believed to be monsters who were in the habit of eating children; with miles of game…preserves; in which Mr。 Grimes and the collier lads poached at times; on which occasions Tom saw pheasants; and wondered what they tasted like; with a noble salmon…river; in which Mr。 Grimes and his friends would have liked to poach; but then they must have got into cold water; and that they did not like at all。  In short; Harthover was a grand place; and Sir John a grand old man; whom even Mr。 Grimes respected; for not only could he send Mr。 Grimes to prison when he deserved it; as he did once or twice a week; not only did he own all the land about for miles; not only was he a jolly; honest; sensible squire; as ever kept a pack of hounds; who would do what he thought right by his neighbours; as well as get what he thought right for himself; but; what was more; he weighed full fifteen stone; was nobody knew how many inches round the chest; and could have thrashed Mr。 Grimes himself in fair fight; which very few folk round there could do; and which; my dear little boy; would not have been right for him to do; as a great many things are not which one both can do; and would like very much to do。  So Mr。 Grimes touched his hat to him when he rode through the town; and called him a 〃buirdly awd chap;〃 and his young ladies 〃gradely lasses;〃 which are two high compliments in the North country; and thought that that made up for his poaching Sir John's pheasants; whereby you may perceive that Mr。 Grimes had not been to a properly…inspected Government National School。

Now; I dare say; you never got up at three o'clock on a midsummer morning。  Some people get up then because they want to catch salmon; and some because they want to climb Alps; and a great many more because they must; like Tom。  But; I assure you; that three o'clock on a midsummer morning is the pleasantest time of all the twenty…four hours; and all the three hundred and sixty…five days; and why every one does not get up then; I never could tell; save that they are all determined to spoil their nerves and their complexions by doing all night what they might just as well do all day。  But Tom; instead of going out to dinner at half…past eight at night; and to a ball at ten; and finishing off somewhere between twelve and four; went to bed at seven; when his master went to the public…house; and slept like a dead pig; for which reason he was as piert as a game…cock (who always gets up early to wake the maids); and just ready to get up when the fine gentlemen and ladies were just ready to go to bed。

So he and his master set out; Grimes rode the donkey in front; and Tom and the brushes walked behind; out of the court; and up the street; past the closed window…shutters; and the winking weary policemen; and the roofs all shining gray in the gray dawn。

They passed through the pitmen's village; all shut up and silent now; and throug

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