A poor chimney sweeper's boy was employed at the house of a lady of
rank to sweep the chimney of the room in which she usually dressed.
When finding himself on the hearth of a richly-furnished dressing room,
and perceiving no one there, he waited a few moments to take a view of
the beautiful things in the apartment.
A gold watch, richly set with diamonds, particularly caught his
attention, and he could not forbear taking it in his hand. Immediately
the wish rose in his mind, "Ah! if you had such a one!" After a pause,
he said to himself, "But if I take it I shall be a thief; and yet,"
continued he, "nobody would know it; nobody sees me--nobody! Does not
God see me, who is present everywhere?" Overcome by these thoughts, a
cold shivering seized him. "No," said he, putting down the watch, "I
would much rather be poor, and keep my good conscience, than rich and
become a rascal." At these words he hastened back into the chimney.
The lady, who was in the room adjoining, having overheard the
conversation with himself, sent for him the next morning, and thus
accosted him: "My little friend, why did you not take the watch
yesterday?" The boy fell on his knees, speechless and astonished. "I
heard every thing you said," continued her ladyship; "thank God for
enabling you to resist this temptation, and be watchful over yourself
for the future: from this moment you shall be in my service: I will
both maintain and clothe you: nay, more, procure you good instruction,
which will assist to guard you from the danger of similar temptations."
The boy burst into tears; he was anxious to express his gratitude, but
could not. The lady strictly kept her promise, and had the pleasure
of seeing this poor _chimney-sweeper_ grow up a good, pious and
intelligent man.
An Indian, being among his white neighbors, asked for a little tobacco
to smoke, and one of them, having some loose in his pocket, gave him
a handful. The day following the Indian came back, inquiring for the
donor, saying he had found a quarter of a dollar among the tobacco.
Being told that as it was given him he might as well keep it, he
answered, pointing to his breast, "I got a good man, and a bad man
here, and the good man say, 'It ain't yours; you must return it to its
owner:' the bad man say, 'Why, he gave it to you, and it is your own
now:' the good man say, 'That's not right; the tobacco is yours, not
the money:' the bad man say, 'Never mind, you got it, go buy some
dram:' the good man say, 'No, you must not do so:' so I don't know what
to do, and I think I go to sleep; but the good man and the bad keep
talking all night, and trouble me; and now I bring the money back I
feel good."
Another Indian related, that, having got some money, he was, on his
way home, tempted to stop at a tavern and buy some rum; "But," said
he, pointing to his breast, "I have a good boy and a bad boy here; and
the good boy say, 'John, don't you stop there: the bad one say, 'Poh,
John, never mind, you love a good dram:' the good boy say, 'No, John,
you know what a fool you made yourself when you got drunk there before,
don't do so again.' When I come to the tavern, the bad boy say, 'Come,
John, take one dram; it won't hurt you:' the good one say, 'No, John,
if you take one dram, then you take another:' then I don't know what to
do, and the good boy say, 'Run, John, hard as you can'--so I run away,
and then, be sure, I feel very glad."