at the back of the north wind-第22节
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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。 Stonecrop;〃
said h