One morning--it was winter--the sun shone down from the sky, and melted
the snow and ice in the street and on the tops of the houses, so that it
came tumbling down upon the sidewalks, and the streets were overflowing
with the great flood. Charley was looking out of the window to see it
fall, and the people dodge and scamper along to save themselves from the
great slides that would have been very dangerous if they had hit any one
on the head. He was thinking too of the poor little ragged boys, as they
went by, some with matches, some with newspapers, and some with their
hats in their hands begging, and he wished in his heart that he could do
something to help them all; but he was but a little boy, and scarcely
knew how to take care of himself. As he continued to watch the
passers-by, there came along a poor chimney-sweep, with his soot-bag
and brush; his feet were very red, and looked as if they were bitten
with the frost, for his shoes only half-covered his poor swollen feet,
and he had no stockings on. His blanket that hung over his shoulders was
black as the chimney, and his face looked like soot.
[Illustration: CHIMNEY-SWEEP]
Charley was watching him as he went along crying, "Sweep, ho! sweep!"
when down came one of these great slides right upon his head.
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