Upward and onward: or, The history of Rob. Merritt

"Upward and onward" by Lucy Ellen Guernsey is a novel written in the mid-19th century. It follows the moral and social struggle of Robert Merritt, a determined boy from a broken, impoverished home, and his caring sister Celia, as a kind new minister and a principled doctor open paths toward honest work and respectability. The story centers on temperance, self-discipline, and the dignity of labor within a small-town church community.

The opening of the story introduces a new minister touring Grandville, where a prominent townsman harshly condemns the Merritts while a compassionate doctor defends them. Robert overhears, longs to reform, and soon accepts garden work from the minister, despite interference from the critic who later repents and hires him too. Peer pressure and a small debt drag Robert into Sunday fishing, but he pivots toward church; then his drunken father steals his hard‑earned wages, and Celia’s savings help him clear the debt. A doctor employs Robert under firm conditions (punctuality, avoiding bad company, no swearing), guiding him into steady, honest labor. Meanwhile, ladies try to place Celia in a good home, but her proud, listless mother refuses; their father pushes a dubious inn job, which Celia firmly rejects, choosing instead factory work. A considerate overseer ensures she keeps some pay for decent clothing and Sunday-school, where a kindly teacher helps her; Robert later joins as well. By the end of the opening, both siblings are edging toward stability and character, even as their household remains chaotic and poor.