The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes

The Renowned HISTORY OF Little GOODY TWO-SHOES; Commonly called, Old GOODY TWO-SHOES.

CHAP. I.

How and about Little Margery and her Brother.
CARE and Discontent shortened the Days of Little Margery's Father. -- He was forced from his Family, and seized with a violent Fever in a place where Dr. James's Powder was not to be had, and where he died miserably. Margery poor Mother survived the Loss of her Husband but a few Days, and died of a broken Heart, leaving Margery and her little Brother to the wide World; but, poor Woman, it would have melted your Heart to have seen how frequently she heaved up her Head, while she lay speechless, to survey with languishing Looks her little Orphans, as mush as to say, Do Tommy, do Margery, come with me. They cried, poor Things, and she sighed away her Soul; and I hope is happy. It would both have excited yoru Pity, and have done your Heart good, to have seen how fond these two little ones were of each other, and how, Hand in Hand, they trotted about. Pray see them. [There's a picture!] They were both very ragged, and Tommy had two Shoes, but Margery ha d but one. They had nothing, poor Things, to support them (not being in their own Parish) but what they picked from the Hedges, or got from the poor People, and they lay every Night in a Barn. Their Relations took no Notice of them; no, they were rich, an d ashamed to own such a poor little ragged Girl as Margery, and such a dirty little curl-pated Boy as Tommy Our Relations and Friends seldom take Notice of us when we are poor; but as we grow rich they grow fond. And this will always be the Case, while People love Money better than Virtue, or better than they do GOD Almighty. But such wicked Folks, who love nothing but Money, and are proud and despise the Poor, never come to any good in the End, as we shall see by and by.

CHAP. II
How and about Mr.Smith.
MR. Smith was a very worthy Clergyman, who lived in the Parish where Little Margery and Tommy were born; and having a Relation come to see him, who was a charitable good Man, he sent for these Children to him. The Gentlemen ordered Little Margery a new Pair of Shoes, gave Mr. Smith some Money to buy her Cloathes; and said he would take Tommy and make him a little Sailor; and accordingly had a Jacket and Trowsers made for him, in which he now appears. Pray look at him.

After some Days the Gentleman intended to go to London, and take little Tommy with him, of whom you will know more by and by, for we shall at a proper Time present you with some Part of his History, his Travels and Adventures.

The Parting between these two little Children was very affecting, Tommy cried, and Margery cried, and they kissed each other an hundred Times. At last Tommy thus wiped off her Tears with the End of his Jacket, and bid her cry no mo re, for that he would come to her again, when he returned from Sea. However, as they were so very fond, the Gentleman would not suffer them to take Leave of each other; but told Tommy he should ride out with him, and come back at Night. When night came, Little Margery grew very uneasy about her Brother, and after sitting up as late as Mr. Smith would let her, she went crying to Bed.

CHAP. III.
How Little Margery obtained the Name of Goody Two-Shoes, and what happened in the Parish.
AS soon as Little Margery got up in the Morning, which was very early, she ran all round the Village, crying for her Brother; and after some Time returned greatly distressed. However, at this Instant, the Shoemaker very opportunely came in with the new Shoes, for which she had been measured by the Gentleman's Order

Nothing could have supported Little Margery under the Affliction she was in for the Loss of her Brother, but the Pleasure she took in her two Shoes. She ran out to Mrs. Smith as soon as they were put on, and stroking down her ragge d Apron thus, [another picture], cried out, Two Shoes, Mame, see two Shoes. And so she behaved to all the People she met, and by that Means obtained the Name of Goody Two-Shoes, though her Playmates called her Old Goody Two-Shoes.

Little Margery was very happy in being with Mr. and Mrs. Smith, who were very charitable and good to her, and had agreed to breed her up with their Family; but as soon as that Tyrant of the Parish, that Graspall, heard of her being there, he applied first to Mr. Smith, and threatened to reduce his Tythes if he kept her; and after that he spoke to Sir Timothy, who sent Mr. Smith a peremptory Message by his Servant, that he should send back Meanwell's G irl to be kept by her Relations, and not harbour her in the Parish. This so distressed Mr. Smith that he shed Tears, and cried, Lord have Mercy on the Poor!

The Prayers of the Righteous fly upwards, and reach unto the Throne of Heaven, as will be seen in the Sequel.

Mrs. Smith was also greatly concerned at being thus obliged to discard poor Little Margery. She kissed her and cried; as also did Mr. Smith, but they were obliged to send her away; for the People who had ruined her Father could at any Time have ruined them.

CHAP. IV
How Little Margery learned to read, and by Degrees taught others.
LITTLE Margery saw how good, and how wise Mr. Smith was, and concluded, that this was owing to his great Learning, therefore she wanted of all Things to learn to read. For this Purpose she used to meet the little Boys and Girls as they ca me from School, borrow their Books, and sit down and read till they returned. By this Means she soon got more Learning than any of her Playmates, and laid the following Scheme for instructing those who were more ignorant than herself. She found, that only the following Letters were required to spell all the Words in the World; but as some of these Letters are large and some small, she with her Knife cut out of several Pieces of Wood ten Setts of each of these:

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z.
And six Setts of these:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
And having got an old Spelling-book, she made her Companions set up all the Words they wanted to spell, and after that she taught them to compose Sentences. You know what a Sentence is, my Dear, I will be good, is a Sentence; and is made up, as you see, of several Words.

The usual Manner of Spelling, or carrying off the Game, as they called it, was this: Suppose the Word to be spelt was Plumb Pudding (and who can suppose a better) the Children were placed in a Circle, and the first brought the Letter P, the next l, the next u, the next m, and so on till the Whole was spelt; and if any one brought a wrong Letter, he was to pay a Fine, or play no more. This was at their Play; and every Morning she used to go round to teach the Children with th ese Rattle-traps in a Basket, as you see in the Print. [Another picture!]I once went her Rounds with her, and was highly diverted, as you may be, if you please to look into the next Chapter.

CHAP. V.
How Little Two-Shoes became a trotting Tutoress, and how she taught her young Pupils.
IT was about seven o'Clock in the Morning when we set out on this important Business, and the first House we came to was Farmer Wilson's. See here it is. [Another picture you're missing.]

Here Margery stopped, and ran up to the Door, Tap, tap, tap. Who's there? Only little goody Two-Shoes, answered Margery, come to teach Billy. Oh Little Goody, says Mrs. Wilson, with Pleasure in her Face, I am glad to see you, Billy wants you sadly, for he has learned all of his Lesson. Then out came the little Boy. How do doody Two-Shoes, says he, not able to speak plain. Yet this little Boy had learned all his Letters; for she threw down t his Alphabet mixed together thus:

b d f h k m o q s u w y z f
a c e g I l n p r t v x j
and he picked them up, called them by their right Names, and put them all in order thus:

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
p q r s t u v w x y z
She then threw down the Alphabet of Capital Letters in the Manner you here see them.

B D F H K M O Q S U W Y Z
A C E G I L N P R T V X J
and he picked them all up, and having told their Names, placed them thus:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Now, pray little Reader, take this Bodkin, and see if you can point out the Letters from these mixed Alphabets, and tell how they should be placed as well as little Boy Billy.

The next place we came to was Farmer Simpson's, and here it is. [picture]

Bow, wow, wow, says the Dog at the Door. Sirrah, says his Mistress, what do you back at Little Two-Shoes. Come in Madge: here, Sally wants you sadly, she has learned all her Lesson. Then out came the little one: So Madge! says she; so Sally! answered the other, have you learned your Lesson? Yes, that's what I have, replied the little one in the Country Manner; and immediately taking the Letters she set up these Syllables:

ba be bi bo bu, ca ce ci co cu
da de di do du, fa fe fi fo fu.
and gave them their exact Sounds as she composed them; after which she set up the following:
ac ec ic oc uc, ad ed id od ud
af ef if of uf, ag eg ig og ug
And pronounced them likewise. She then sung the Cuzz's Chorus (which may be found in the Little Pretty Play Thing, published by Mr. NEWBERY), and to the same Tune to which it is there set.

After this, Little Two-Shoes taught her to spell Words of one Syllable, and she soon set up, Pear, Plumb, Top, Ball, Pin, Puss, Dog, Hog, Fawn, Buck, Doe, Lamb, Sheep, Ram, Cow, Bull, Cock, Hen, and many more.

The next Place we came to was Gaffer Cook's Cottage; there you see it before you. [no you don't.] Here a number of poor Children were met to learn; who all came round Little Margery at once; and, having pulled out her Letters, she asked t he little Boy next her, what he had for Dinner? Who answered, Bread (the poor Children in many Places live very hard). Well then, says she, set the first Letter. He put up the Letter B. to which the next added r, and the next e, the next a, the nex t d, and it stood thus, Bread.

And what had you Polly Comb for your Dinner? Apple-pye, answered the little Girl: Upon which the next in Turn set up a great A, the two next a p each, and so on till the two Words Apple and Pye were united and stood thus, Apple-pye .

The next had Potatoes, the next Beef and Turnip, which were spelt with many others, till the Game of Spelling was finished. She then set them another Task, and we proceeded.

The next Place we came to was Farmer Thompson's, where there were a great many little ones waiting for her.

So little Mrs. Goody Two-Shoes, says one of them, where have you been so long? I have been teaching, says she, longer than I intended, and am afraid I am come too soon for you now. No, but indeed you are not, replied the other; for I have got my Lesson, and so has Sally Dawson, and so has Harry Wilson, and so have we all; and they capered about as if they were overjoyed to see her. Why then, says she, you are all very good, and GOD Almighty will love you; so let us begin our Lesson s. They all huddled round her, and though at the other Place they were employed about Words and Syllables, here we had People of much greater Understanding who dealt only in Sentences.

The Letters being brought upon the Table, one of the little ones set up the following Sentence.

The Lord have Mercy upon me, and grant that I may be always good, and say my Prayers, and love the Lord my God with all my Heart, with all my Soul, and with all my Strength; and honour the King, and all good Men in Authority under him.

Then the next took the Letters, and composed this Sentence.

Lord have Mercy upon me, and grant that I may love my Neighbour as myself, and do unto all Men as I would have them do unto me, and tell no Lies; but be honest and just in all my Dealings.

The third composed the following Sentence.

The Lord have Mercy upon me, and grant that I may honour my Father and Mother, and love my Brothers and Sisters, Relations and Friends, and all my Playmates, and every Body, and endeavour to make them happy.

The fourth composed the following.

I pray GOD to bless this whole Company, and all our Friends, and all our Enemies.

To this last Polly Sullen objected, and said, truly, she did not know why she should pray for her Enemies? Not pray for your Enemies, says Little Margery; yes, you must, you are no Christian, if you don't forgive your Enemies, and do Good for Evil. Polly still pouted; upon which Little Margery said, though she was poor, and obliged to lie in a Barn, she would not keep Company with such a naughty, proud, perverse Girl as Polly; and was going away; however, the Differen ce was made up, and she set them to compose the following

LESSONS
For the CONDUCT of LIFE
LESSON I.
He that will thrive,
Must rise by Five.
He that hath thriv'n,
May life till Seven.
Truth may be blamed,
But cnanot be sham'd.
Tell me with whom you go;
And I'll tell what you do.
A friend in your Need
Is a Friend indeed.
They ne'er can be wise,
Who good Counsel despise.

LESSON II.
A wise Head makes a close Mouth.
Don't burn your Lips with another man's Broth.
Wit is Folly, unless a wise Man hath the keeping of it.
Use soft Words and hard Arguments.
Honey catches more Flies than Vinegar.
To forget a Wrong is the best Revenge.
Patience is a Plaster for all Sores.
Where Pride goes, Shame will follow.
When Vice enters the Room, Vengeance is near the Door.
Industry is Fortune's right Hand, and Frugality her Left.
Make much of Three pence, or you ne'er will be worth a Groat.

You can continue your reading of Goody Two-Shoes online: call up the Hockliffe Project and run a search for Title = Goody or Catalogue Number = 0124.