A little black thing in the snow
Crying "weep! weep!" in notes of woe!
"Where are thy father and mother? Say!"
"They are both gone up to the church to pray
"Because I was happy upon the heath
And smiled among the winter's snow
They clothed me in the clothes of death
And taught me to sing the notes of woe
"And because I am happy and dance and sing
He pretended to be happy and conceal his real misery. The motivation may have been his belief that no-one would care enough to improve his lot. The ‘winter snow’ is a metaphor for his terrible life.
The Chimney Sweeper Songs of Experience