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第22节

at the back of the north wind-第22节

小说: at the back of the north wind 字数: 每页4000字

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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

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