at the back of the north wind-第18章

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woke　from　such　a　sleep　there　was　a　something　in　his　mind；　he　could

not　tell　whatcould　not　tell　whether　it　was　the　last　far…off　sounds

of　the　river　dying　away　in　the　distance；　or　some　of　the　words

of　the　endless　song　his　mother　had　read　to　him　on　the　sea…shore。

Sometimes　he　thought　it　must　have　been　the　twittering　of　the　swallows

over　the　shallows；　you；　know；　but　it　may　have　been　the　chirping

of　the　dingy　sparrows　picking　up　their　breakfast　in　the　yard

how　can　I　tell？　　I　don't　know　what　I　know；　I　only　know　what　I　think；

and　to　tell　the　truth；　I　am　more　for　the　swallows　than　the　sparrows。　

When　he　knew　he　was　coming　awake；　he　would　sometimes　try　hard

to　keep　hold　of　the　words　of　what　seemed　a　new　song；　one　he　had

not　heard　beforea　song　in　which　the　words　and　the　music　somehow

appeared　to　be　all　one；　but　even　when　he　thought　he　had　got　them

well　fixed　in　his　mind；　ever　as　he　came　awakeras　he　would　say

one　line　faded　away　out　of　it；　and　then　another；　and　then　another；

till　at　last　there　was　nothing　left　but　some　lovely　picture　of　water

or　grass　or　daisies；　or　something　else　very　common；　but　with　all　the

commonness　polished　off　it；　and　the　lovely　soul　of　it；　which　people

so　seldom　see；　and；　alas！　yet　seldomer　believe　in；　shining　out。　

But　after　that　he　would　sing　the　oddest；　loveliest　little　songs

to　the　babyof　his　own　making；　his　mother　said；　but　Diamond　said　he

did　not　make　them；　they　were　made　somewhere　inside　him；　and　he　knew

nothing　about　them　till　they　were　coming　out。



When　he　woke　that　first　morning　he　got　up　at　once；　saying　to　himself；

〃I've　been　ill　long　enough；　and　have　given　a　great　deal　of　trouble；

I　must　try　and　be　of　use　now；　and　help　my　mother。〃　　When　he　went　into

her　room　he　found　her　lighting　the　fire；　and　his　father　just　getting

out　of　bed。　　They　had　only　the　one　room；　besides　the　little　one；

not　much　more　than　a　closet；　in　which　Diamond　slept。　　He　began　at

once　to　set　things　to　rights；　but　the　baby　waking　up；　he　took　him；

and　nursed　him　till　his　mother　had　got　the　breakfast　ready。　

She　was　looking　gloomy；　and　his　father　was　silent；　and　indeed　except

Diamond　had　done　all　he　possibly　could　to　keep　out　the　misery

that　was　trying　to　get　in　at　doors　and　windows；　he　too　would　have

grown　miserable；　and　then　they　would　have　been　all　miserable　together。　

But　to　try　to　make　others　comfortable　is　the　only　way　to　get　right

comfortable　ourselves；　and　that　comes　partly　of　not　being　able

to　think　so　much　about　ourselves　when　we　are　helping　other　people。　

For　our　Selves　will　always　do　pretty　well　if　we　don't　pay　them

too　much　attention。　　Our　Selves　are　like　some　little　children　who

will　be　happy　enough　so　long　as　they　are　left　to　their　own　games；

but　when　we　begin　to　interfere　with　them；　and　make　them　presents

of　too　nice　playthings；　or　too　many　sweet　things；　they　begin　at　once

to　fret　and　spoil。



〃Why；　Diamond；　child！〃　said　his　mother　at　last；　〃you're　as　good　to

your　mother　as　if　you　were　a　girlnursing　the　baby；　and　toasting

the　bread；　and　sweeping　up　the　hearth！　　I　declare　a　body　would

think　you　had　been　among　the　fairies。〃



Could　Diamond　have　had　greater　praise　or　greater　pleasure？　

You　see　when　he　forgot　his　Self　his　mother　took　care　of　his　Self；

and　loved　and　praised　his　Self。　　Our　own　praises　poison　our　Selves；

and　puff　and　swell　them　up；　till　they　lose　all　shape　and　beauty；

and　become　like　great　toadstools。　　But　the　praises　of　father　or　mother

do　our　Selves　good；　and　comfort　them　and　make　them　beautiful。　

They　never　do　them　any　harm。　　If　they　do　any　harm；　it　comes　of　our

mixing　some　of　our　own　praises　with　them；　and　that　turns　them　nasty

and　slimy　and　poisonous。



When　his　father　had　finished　his　breakfast；　which　he　did　rather

in　a　hurry；　he　got　up　and　went　down　into　the　yard　to　get　out　his

horse　and　put　him　to　the　cab。



〃Won't　you　come　and　see　the　cab；　Diamond？〃　he　said。



〃Yes；　please；　fatherif　mother　can　spare　me　a　minute；〃　answered　Diamond。



〃Bless　the　child！　　I　don't　want　him；〃　said　his　mother　cheerfully。



But　as　he　was　following　his　father　out　of　the　door；　she　called

him　back。



〃Diamond；　just　hold　the　baby　one　minute。　　I　have　something　to　say

to　your　father。〃



So　Diamond　sat　down　again；　took　the　baby　in　his　lap；　and　began　poking

his　face　into　its　little　body；　laughing　and　singing　all　the　while；

so　that　the　baby　crowed　like　a　little　bantam。　　And　what　he　sang　was

something　like　thissuch　nonsense　to　those　that　couldn't　understand

it！　but　not　to　the　baby；　who　got　all　the　good　in　the　world　out　of　it：



baby's　a…sleeping　wake　up　baby　for　all　the　swallows　are　the　merriest

fellows　and　have　the　yellowest　children　who　would　go　sleeping

and　snore　like　a　gaby　disturbing　his　mother　and　father　and　brother

and　all　a…boring　their　ears　with　his　snoring　snoring　snoring　for

himself　and　no　other　for　himself　in　particular　wake　up　baby　sit　up

perpendicular　hark　to　the　gushing　hark　to　the　rushing　where　the

sheep　are　the　woolliest　and　the　lambs　the　unruliest　and　their　tails

the　whitest　and　their　eyes　the　brightest　and　baby's　the　bonniest

and　baby's　the　funniest　and　baby's　the　shiniest　and　baby's　the　tiniest

and　baby's　the　merriest　and　baby's　the　worriest　of　all　the　lambs

that　plague　their　dams　and　mother's　the　whitest　of　all　the　dams

that　feed　the　lambs　that　go　crop…cropping　without　stop…stopping

and　father's　the　best　of　all　the　swallows　that　build　their　nest　out

of　the　shining　shallows　and　he　has　the　merriest　children　that's　baby

and　Diamond　and　Diamond　and　baby　and　baby　and　Diamond　and　Diamond　and　baby





Here　Diamond's　knees　went　off　in　a　wild　dance　which　tossed　the　baby

about　and　shook　the　laughter　out　of　him　in　immoderate　peals。　

His　mother　had　been　listening　at　the　door　to　the　last　few　lines

of　his　song；　and　came　in　with　the　tears　in　her　eyes。　　She　took　the

baby　from　him；　gave　him　a　kiss；　and　told　him　to　run　to　his　father。



By　the　time　Diamond　got　into　the　yard；　the　horse　was　between　the　shafts；

and　his　father　was　looping　the　traces　on。　　Diamond　went　round

to　look　at　the　horse。　　The　sight　of　him　made　him　feel　very　queer。　

He　did　not　know　much　about　different　horses；　and　all　other　horses

than　their　own　were　very　much　the　same　to　him。　　But　he　could

not　make　it　out。　　This　was　Diamond　and　it　wasn't　Diamond。　

Diamond　didn't　hang　his　head　like　that；　yet　the　head　that　was

hanging　was　very　like　the　one　that　Diamond　used　to　hold　so　high。　

Diamond's　bones　didn't　show　through　his　skin　like　that；　but　the

skin　they　pushed　out　of　shape　so　was　very　like　Diamond's　skin；

and　the　bones　might　be　Diamond's　bones；　for　he　had　never　seen　the

shape　of　them。　　But　when　he　came　round　in　front　of　the　old　horse；

and　he　put　out　his　long　neck；　and　began　sniffing　at　him　and　rubbing

his　upper　lip　and　his　nose　on　him；　then　Diamond　saw　it　could　be　no

other　than　old　Diamond；　and　he　did　just　as　his　father　had　done　before

put　his　arms　round　his　neck　and　criedbut　not　much。



〃Ain't　it　jolly；　father？〃　he　said。　　〃Was　there　ever　anybody　so　lucky

as　me？　　Dear　old　Diamond！〃



And　he　hugged　the　horse　again；　and　kissed　both　his　big　hairy　cheeks。　

He　could　only　manage　one　at　a　time；　howeverthe　other　cheek　was

so　far　off　on　the　other　side　of　his　big　head。



His　father　mounted　the　box　with　just　the　same　air；　as　Diamond　thought；

with　which　he　had　used　to　get　upon　the　coach…box；　and　Diamond　said

to　himself；　〃Father's　as　grand　as　ever　anyhow。〃　　He　had　kept　his

brown　livery…coat；　only　his　wife　had　taken　the　silver　buttons　off

and　put　brass　ones　instead；　because　they　did　not　think　it　polite

to　Mr。　Coleman　in　his　fallen　fortunes　to　let　his　crest　be　seen

upon　the　box　of　a　cab。　　Old　Diamond　had　kept　just　his　collar；

and　that　had　the　silver　crest　upon　it　still；　for　his　master　thought

nobody　would　notice　that；　and　so　let　it　remain　for　a　memorial

of　the　better　days　of　which　it　reminded　himnot　unpleasantly；

seeing　it　had　been　by　no　fault　either　of　his　or　of　the　old　horse's

that　they　had　come　down　in　the　world　together。



〃Oh；　father；　do　let　me　drive　a　bit；〃　said　Diamond；　jumping　up

on　the　box　beside　him。



His　father　changed　places　with　him　at　once；　putting　the　reins

into　his　hands。　　Diamond　gathered　them　up　eagerly。



〃Don't　pull　at　his　mouth；〃　said　his　father。　　〃just　feel；

at　it　gently　to　let　him　know　you're　there　and　attending　to　him。　

That's　what　I　call　talking　to　him　through　the　reins。〃



〃Yes；　father；　I　understand；〃　said　Diamond。　　Then　to　the　horse　he　said；

〃Go　on　Diamond。〃　　And　old　Diamond's　ponderous　bulk　began　at　once

to　move　to　the　voice　of　the　little　boy。



But　before　they　had　reached　the　entrance　of　the　mews；　another　voice

called　after　young　Diamond；　which；　in　his　turn；　he　had　to　obey；

for　it　was　that　of　his　mother。　　〃Diamond！　　Diamond！〃　it　cried；

and　Diamond　pulled　the　reins；　and　the　horse　stood　still　as　a　stone。



〃Husband；〃　said　his　mother；　coming　up；　〃you're　never　going　to　trust

him　with　the　reinsa　baby　like　that？〃



〃He　must　learn　some　day；　and　he　can't　begin　too　soon。　　I　see　already

he's　a　born　coachman；〃　said　his　father　proudly。　　〃And　I　don't　see

well　how　he　could　escape　it；　for　my　father　and　my　grandfather；

that's　his　great…grandfather；　was　all　coachmen；　I'm　told；　so　it

must　come　natural　to　him；　any　one　would　think。　　Besides；　you　see；

old　Diamond's　as　proud　of　him　as　we　are　our　own　selves；　wife。　　Don't　you

see　how　he's　turning　round　his　ears；　with　the　mouths　of　them　open；

for　the　first　word　he　speaks　to　tumble　in？　　He's　too　well　bred

to　turn　his　head；　you　know。〃



〃Well；　but；　husband；　I　can't　do　without　him　to…day。　Everything's

got　to　be　done；　you　know。　　It's　my　first　day　here。　　And　there's

that　baby！〃



〃Bless　you；　wife！　　I　never　meant　to　take　him　awayonly　to　the

bottom　of　Endell　Street。　　He　can　watch　his　way　back。〃



〃No　thank　you；　father；　not　to…day；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃Mother　wants　me。　

Perhaps　she'll　let　me　go　another　day。〃



〃Very　well；　my　man；〃　said　his　father；　and　took　the　reins　which

Diamond　was　holding　out　to　him。



Diamond　got　down；　a　little　disappointed　of　course；　and　went　with

his　mother；　who　was　too　pleased　to　speak。　　She　only　took　hold

of　his　hand　as　tight　as　if　she　had　been　afraid　of　his　running

away　instead　of　glad　that　he　would　not　leave　her。



Now；　although　they　did　not　know　it；　the　owner　of　the　stables；

the　same　man　who　had　sold　the　horse　to　his　father；　had　been　standing

just　inside　one　of　the　stable…doors；　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets；

and　had　heard　and　seen　all　that　passed；　and　from　that　day　John

Stonecrop　took　a　great　fancy　to　the　little　boy。　　And　this　was　the

beginning　of　what　came　of　it。



The　same　evening；　just　as　Diamond　was　feeling　tired　of　the　day's　work；

and　wishing　his　father　would　come　home；　Mr。　Stonecrop　knocked

at　the　door。　　His　mother　went　and　opened　it。



〃Good　evening；　ma'am；〃　said　he。　　〃Is　the　little　master　in？〃



〃Yes；　to　be　sure　he　isat　your　service；　I'm　sure；　Mr。　Stone