at the back of the north wind-第25节

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never　talk　like　childrenand　spoilt　ones　too。



〃Mrs。　Coleman　is　none　so　poor　as　all　that　yet。　　No；　thank　Heaven！

she's　not　come　to　that。〃



〃Is　it　a　great　disgrace　to　be　poor？〃　asked　Diamond；　because　of

the　tone　in　which　his　mother　had　spoken。



But　his　mother；　whether　conscience…stricken　I　do　not　know　hurried

him　away　to　bed；　where　after　various　attempts　to　understand　her；

resumed　and　resumed　again　in　spite　of　invading　sleep；　he　was

conquered　at　last；　and　gave　in；　murmuring　over　and　over　to　himself；

〃Why　is　why？〃　but　getting　no　answer　to　the　question。







CHAPTER　XVIII



THE　DRUNKEN　CABMAN





A　FEW　nights　after　this；　Diamond　woke　up　suddenly；　believing　he　heard

North　Wind　thundering　along。　　But　it　was　something　quite　different。　

South　Wind　was　moaning　round　the　chimneys；　to　be　sure；　for　she

was　not　very　happy　that　night；　but　it　was　not　her　voice　that　had

wakened　Diamond。　　Her　voice　would　only　have　lulled　him　the　deeper　asleep。　

It　was　a　loud；　angry　voice；　now　growling　like　that　of　a　beast；

now　raving　like　that　of　a　madman；　and　when　Diamond　came　a　little

wider　awake；　he　knew　that　it　was　the　voice　of　the　drunken　cabman；

the　wall　of　whose　room　was　at　the　head　of　his　bed。　　It　was　anything

but　pleasant　to　hear；　but　he　could　not　help　hearing　it。　　At　length

there　came　a　cry　from　the　woman；　and　then　a　scream　from　the　baby。　

Thereupon　Diamond　thought　it　time　that　somebody　did　something；

and　as　himself　was　the　only　somebody　at　hand；　he　must　go　and　see

whether　he　could　not　do　something。　　So　he　got　up　and　put　on　part

of　his　clothes；　and　went　down　the　stair；　for　the　cabman's　room　did

not　open　upon　their　stair；　and　he　had　to　go　out　into　the　yard；

and　in　at　the　next　door。　　This；　fortunately；　the　cabman；　being　drunk；

had　left　open。　　By　the　time　he　reached　their　stair；　all　was　still　except

the　voice　of　the　crying　baby；　which　guided　him　to　the　right　door。　

He　opened　it　softly；　and　peeped　in。　　There；　leaning　back　in　a　chair；

with　his　arms　hanging　down　by　his　sides；　and　his　legs　stretched

out　before　him　and　supported　on　his　heels；　sat　the　drunken　cabman。　

His　wife　lay　in　her　clothes　upon　the　bed；　sobbing；　and　the　baby　was

wailing　in　the　cradle。　　It　was　very　miserable　altogether。



Now　the　way　most　people　do　when　they　see　anything　very　miserable

is　to　turn　away　from　the　sight；　and　try　to　forget　it。　　But　Diamond

began　as　usual　to　try　to　destroy　the　misery。　　The　little　boy　was　just

as　much　one　of　God's　messengers　as　if　he　had　been　an　angel　with　a

flaming　sword；　going　out　to　fight　the　devil。　　The　devil　he　had　to　fight

just　then　was　Misery。　　And　the　way　he　fought　him　was　the　very　best。　

Like　a　wise　soldier；　he　attacked　him　first　in　his　weakest　point

that　was　the；　baby；　for　Misery　can　never　get　such　a　hold　of　a　baby

as　of　a　grown　person。　　Diamond　was　knowing　in　babies；　and　he　knew　he

could　do　something　to　make　the　baby；　happy；　for　although　he　had　only

known　one　baby　as　yet；　and　although　not　one　baby　is　the　same　as　another；

yet　they　are　so　very　much　alike　in　some　things；　and　he　knew　that　one

baby　so　thoroughly；　that　he　had　good　reason　to　believe　he　could　do

something　for　any　other。　　I　have　known　people　who　would　have　begun

to　fight　the　devil　in　a　very　different　and　a　very　stupid　way。　

They　would　have　begun　by　scolding　the　idiotic　cabman；　and　next　they

would　make　his　wife　angry　by　saying　it　must　be　her　fault　as　well

as　his；　and　by　leaving　ill…bred　though　well…meant　shabby　little

books　for　them　to　read；　which　they　were　sure　to　hate　the　sight　of；

while　all　the　time　they　would　not　have　put　out　a　finger　to　touch

the　wailing　baby。　　But　Diamond　had　him　out　of　the　cradle　in　a　moment；

set　him　up　on　his　knee；　and　told　him　to　look　at　the　light。　

Now　all　the　light　there　was　came　only　from　a　lamp　in　the　yard；

and　it　was　a　very　dingy　and　yellow　light；　for　the　glass　of　the　lamp

was　dirty；　and　the　gas　was　bad；　but　the　light　that　came　from

it　was；　notwithstanding；　as　certainly　light　as　if　it　had　come

from　the　sun　itself；　and　the　baby　knew　that；　and　smiled　to　it；

and　although　it　was　indeed　a　wretched　room　which　that　lamp　lighted

so　dreary；　and　dirty；　and　empty；　and　hopeless！there　in　the　middle

of　it　sat　Diamond　on　a　stool；　smiling　to　the　baby；　and　the　baby　on　his

knees　smiling　to　the　lamp。　　The　father　of　him　sat　staring　at　nothing；

neither　asleep　nor　awake；　not　quite　lost　in　stupidity　either；

for　through　it　all　he　was　dimly　angry　with　himself；　he　did　not

know　why。　　It　was　that　he　had　struck　his　wife。　　He　had　forgotten　it；

but　was　miserable　about　it；　notwithstanding。　　And　this　misery　was　the

voice　of　the　great　Love　that　had　made　him　and　his　wife　and　the　baby

and　Diamond；　speaking　in　his　heart；　and　telling　him　to　be　good。　

For　that　great　Love　speaks　in　the　most　wretched　and　dirty　hearts；

only　the　tone　of　its　voice　depends　on　the　echoes　of　the　place　in　which

it　sounds。　　On　Mount　Sinai；　it　was　thunder；　in　the　cabman's　heart

it　was　misery；　in　the　soul　of　St。　John　it　was　perfect　blessedness。



By　and　by　he　became　aware　that　there　was　a　voice　of　singing　in　the　room。　

This；　of　course；　was　the　voice　of　Diamond　singing　to　the　baby

song　after　song；　every　one　as　foolish　as　another　to　the　cabman；

for　he　was　too　tipsy　to　part　one　word　from　another：　　all　the　words

mixed　up　in　his　ear　in　a　gurgle　without　division　or　stop；　for　such

was　the　way　he　spoke　himself；　when　he　was　in　this　horrid　condition。　

But　the　baby　was　more　than　content　with　Diamond's　songs；　and　Diamond

himself　was　so　contented　with　what　the　songs　were　all　about；　that　he　did

not　care　a　bit　about　the　songs　themselves；　if　only　baby　liked　them。　

But　they　did　the　cabman　good　as　well　as　the　baby　and　Diamond；

for　they　put　him　to　sleep；　and　the　sleep　was　busy　all　the　time

it　lasted；　smoothing　the　wrinkles　out　of　his　temper。



At　length　Diamond　grew　tired　of　singing；　and　began　to　talk

to　the　baby　instead。　　And　as　soon　as　he　stopped　singing；

the　cabman　began　to　wake　up。　　His　brain　was　a　little　clearer　now；

his　temper　a　little　smoother；　and　his　heart　not　quite　so　dirty。　

He　began　to　listen　and　he　went　on　listening；　and　heard　Diamond

saying　to　the　baby　something　like　this；　for　he　thought　the　cabman

was　asleep：



〃Poor　daddy！　　Baby's　daddy　takes　too　much　beer　and　gin；　and　that

makes　him　somebody　else；　and　not　his　own　self　at　all。　　Baby's　daddy

would　never　hit　baby's　mammy　if　he　didn't　take　too　much　beer。　

He's　very　fond　of　baby's　mammy；　and　works　from　morning　to　night

to　get　her　breakfast　and　dinner　and　supper；　only　at　night　he　forgets；

and　pays　the　money　away　for　beer。　　And　they　put　nasty　stuff　in　beer；

I've　heard　my　daddy　say；　that　drives　all　the　good　out；　and　lets　all

the　bad　in。　　Daddy　says　when　a　man　takes　a　drink；　there's　a　thirsty

devil　creeps　into　his　inside；　because　he　knows　he　will　always　get

enough　there。　　And　the　devil　is　always　crying　out　for　more　drink；

and　that　makes　the　man　thirsty；　and　so　he　drinks　more　and　more；

till　he　kills　himself　with　it。　　And　then　the　ugly　devil　creeps

out　of　him；　and　crawls　about　on　his　belly；　looking　for　some　other

cabman　to　get　into；　that　he　may　drink；　drink；　drink。　　That's　what　my

daddy　says；　baby。　　And　he　says；　too；　the　only　way　to　make　the　devil

come　out　is　to　give　him　plenty　of　cold　water　and　tea　and　coffee；

and　nothing　at　all　that　comes　from　the　public…house；　for　the　devil

can't　abide　that　kind　of　stuff；　and　creeps　out　pretty　soon；　for　fear

of　being　drowned　in　it。　　But　your　daddy　will　drink　the　nasty　stuff；

poor　man！　　I　wish　he　wouldn't；　for　it　makes　mammy　cross　with　him；

and　no　wonder！　and　then　when　mammy's　cross；　he's　crosser；

and　there's　nobody　in　the　house　to　take　care　of　them　but　baby；

and　you　do　take　care　of　them；　babydon't　you；　baby？　　I　know　you　do。　

Babies　always　take　care　of　their　fathers　and　mothersdon't　they；　baby？　

That's　what　they　come　forisn't　it；　baby？　　And　when　daddy　stops

drinking　beer　and　nasty　gin　with　turpentine　in　it；　father　says；

then　mammy　will　be　so　happy；　and　look　so　pretty！　and　daddy　will

be　so　good　to　baby！　and　baby　will　be　as　happy　as　a　swallow；

which　is　the　merriest　fellow！　　And　Diamond　will　be　so　happy　too！　

And　when　Diamond's　a　man；　he'll　take　baby　out　with　him　on　the　box；

and　teach　him　to　drive　a　cab。〃



He　went　on　with　chatter　like　this　till　baby　was　asleep；　by　which

time　he　was　tired；　and　father　and　mother　were　both　wide　awake

only　rather　confusedthe　one　from　the　beer；　the　other　from　the　blow

and　staring；　the　one　from　his　chair；　the　other　from　her　bed；

at　Diamond。　　But　he　was　quite　unaware　of　their　notice；　for　he

sat　half…asleep；　with　his　eyes　wide　open；　staring　in　his　turn；

though　without　knowing　it；　at　the　cabman；　while　the　cabman　could

not　withdraw　his　gaze　from　Diamond's　white　face　and　big　eyes。　

For　Diamond's　face　was　always　rather　pale；　and　now　it　was　paler　than

usual　with　sleeplessness；　and　the　light　of　the　street…lamp　upon　it。　

At　length　he　found　himself　nodding；　and　he　knew　then　it　was　time

to　put　the　baby　down；　lest　h