at the back of the north wind-第21章

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did　not　think　the　loss　of　their　fine　house　and　garden　and　furniture

the　greatest　misfortune　in　the　world。



Of　course；　the　trouble　did　not　end　with　Mr。　Coleman　and　his　family。　

Nobody　can　suffer　alone。　　When　the　cause　of　suffering　is　most　deeply

hidden　in　the　heart；　and　nobody　knows　anything　about　it　but　the

man　himself；　he　must　be　a　great　and　a　good　man　indeed；　such　as　few

of　us　have　known；　if　the　pain　inside　him　does　not　make　him　behave

so　as　to　cause　all　about　him　to　be　more　or　less　uncomfortable。　

But　when　a　man　brings　money…troubles　on　himself　by　making　haste

to　be　rich；　then　most　of　the　people　he　has　to　do　with　must　suffer

in　the　same　way　with　himself。　　The　elm…tree　which　North　Wind　blew

down　that　very　night；　as　if　small　and　great　trials　were　to　be

gathered　in　one　heap；　crushed　Miss　Coleman's　pretty　summer…house：

just　so　the　fall　of　Mr。　Coleman　crushed　the　little　family　that

lived　over　his　coach…house　and　stable。　　Before　Diamond　was　well

enough　to　be　taken　home；　there　was　no　home　for　him　to　go　to。　

Mr。　Colemanor　his　creditors；　for　I　do　not　know　the　particulars

had　sold　house；　carriage；　horses；　furniture；　and　everything。　

He　and　his　wife　and　daughter　and　Mrs。　Crump　had　gone　to　live

in　a　small　house　in　Hoxton；　where　he　would　be　unknown；

and　whence　he　could　walk　to　his　place　of　business　in　the　City。　

For　he　was　not　an　old　man；　and　hoped　yet　to　retrieve　his　fortunes。　

Let　us　hope　that　he　lived　to　retrieve　his　honesty；　the　tail

of　which　had　slipped　through　his　fingers　to　the　very　last　joint；

if　not　beyond　it。



Of　course；　Diamond's　father　had　nothing　to　do　for　a　time；　but　it　was

not　so　hard　for　him　to　have　nothing　to　do　as　it　was　for　Miss　Coleman。　

He　wrote　to　his　wife　that；　if　her　sister　would　keep　her　there　till

he　got　a　place；　it　would　be　better　for　them；　and　he　would　be　greatly

obliged　to　her。　　Meantime；　the　gentleman　who　had　bought　the　house

had　allowed　his　furniture　to　remain　where　it　was　for　a　little　while。



Diamond's　aunt　was　quite　willing　to　keep　them　as　long　as　she　could。　

And　indeed　Diamond　was　not　yet　well　enough　to　be　moved　with　safety。



When　he　had　recovered　so　far　as　to　be　able　to　go　out；　one　day　his

mother　got　her　sister's　husband；　who　had　a　little　pony…cart；　to　carry

them　down　to　the　sea…shore；　and　leave　them　there　for　a　few　hours。　

He　had　some　business　to　do　further　on　at　Ramsgate；　and　would　pick　them

up　as　he　returned。　　A　whiff　of　the　sea…air　would　do　them　both　good；

she　said；　and　she　thought　besides　she　could　best　tell　Diamond

what　had　happened　if　she　had　him　quite　to　herself。







CHAPTER　XIII



THE　SEASIDE





DIAMOND　and　his　mother　sat　down　upon　the　edge　of　the　rough　grass

that　bordered　the　sand。　　The　sun　was　just　far　enough　past　its

highest　not　to　shine　in　their　eyes　when　they　looked　eastward。　

A　sweet　little　wind　blew　on　their　left　side；　and　comforted　the

mother　without　letting　her　know　what　it　was　that　comforted　her。　

Away　before　them　stretched　the　sparkling　waters　of　the　ocean；

every　wave　of　which　flashed　out　its　own　delight　back　in　the　face

of　the　great　sun；　which　looked　down　from　the　stillness　of　its　blue

house　with　glorious　silent　face　upon　its　flashing　children。　

On　each　hand　the　shore　rounded　outwards；　forming　a　little　bay。　

There　were　no　white　cliffs　here；　as　further　north　and　south；　and　the

place　was　rather　dreary；　but　the　sky　got　at　them　so　much　the　better。　

Not　a　house；　not　a　creature　was　within　sight。　　Dry　sand　was　about

their　feet；　and　under　them　thin　wiry　grass；　that　just　managed　to　grow

out　of　the　poverty…stricken　shore。



〃Oh　dear！〃　said　Diamond's　mother；　with　a　deep　sigh；　〃it's　a　sad　world！〃



〃Is　it？〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　didn't　know。〃



〃How　should　you　know；　child？　　You've　been　too　well　taken　care　of；

I　trust。〃



〃Oh　yes；　I　have；〃　returned　Diamond。　　〃I'm　sorry！　　I　thought　you

were　taken　care　of　too。　　I　thought　my　father　took　care　of　you。　

I　will　ask　him　about　it。　　I　think　he　must　have　forgotten。〃



〃Dear　boy！〃　said　his　mother。　　〃your　father's　the　best　man　in　the　world。〃



〃So　I　thought！〃　returned　Diamond　with　triumph。　　〃I　was　sure

of　it！Well；　doesn't　he　take　very　good　care　of　you？〃



〃Yes；　yes；　he　does；〃　answered　his　mother；　bursting　into　tears。　

〃But　who's　to　take　care　of　him？　　And　how　is　he　to　take　care　of　us

if　he's　got　nothing　to　eat　himself？〃



〃Oh　dear！〃　said　Diamond　with　a　gasp；　〃hasn't　he　got　anything

to　eat？　　Oh！　　I　must　go　home　to　him。〃



〃No；　no；　child。　　He's　not　come　to　that　yet。　　But　what's　to　become

of　us；　I　don't　know。〃



〃Are　you　very　hungry；　mother？　　There's　the　basket。　　I　thought　you

put　something　to　eat　in　it。〃



〃O　you　darling　stupid！　　I　didn't　say　I　was　hungry；〃　returned　his　mother；

smiling　through　her　tears。



〃Then　I　don't　understand　you　at　all；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃Do　tell　me

what's　the　matter。〃



〃There　are　people　in　the　world　who　have　nothing　to　eat；　Diamond。〃



〃Then　I　suppose　they　don't　stop　in　it　any　longer。　　Theythey

what　you　calldiedon't　they？〃



〃Yes；　they　do。　　How　would　you　like　that？〃



〃I　don't　know。　　I　never　tried。　　But　I　suppose　they　go　where　they

get　something　to　eat。〃



〃Like　enough　they　don't　want　it；〃　said　his　mother；　petulantly。



〃That's　all　right　then；〃　said　Diamond；　thinking　I　daresay　more

than　he　chose　to　put　in　words。



〃Is　it　though？　　Poor　boy！　how　little　you　know　about　things！　

Mr。　Coleman's　lost　all　his　money；　and　your　father　has　nothing　to　do；

and　we　shall　have　nothing　to　eat　by　and　by。〃



〃Are　you　sure；　mother？〃



〃Sure　of　what？〃



〃Sure　that　we　shall　have　nothing　to　eat。〃



〃No；　thank　Heaven！　　I'm　not　sure　of　it。　　I　hope　not。〃



〃Then　I　can't　understand　it；　mother。　　There's　a　piece　of　gingerbread

in　the　basket；　I　know。〃



〃O　you　little　bird！　　You　have　no　more　sense　than　a　sparrow　that　picks

what　it　wants；　and　never　thinks　of　the　winter　and　the　frost　and；

the　snow。〃



〃AhyesI　see。　　But　the　birds　get　through　the　winter；　don't　they？〃



〃Some　of　them　fall　dead　on　the　ground。〃



〃They　must　die　some　time。　　They　wouldn't　like　to　be　birds　always。　

Would　you；　mother？〃



〃What　a　child　it　is！〃　thought　his　mother；　but　she　said　nothing。



〃Oh！　now　I　remember；〃　Diamond　went　on。　　〃Father　told　me　that　day　I　went

to　Epping　Forest　with　him；　that　the　rose…bushes；　and　the　may…bushes；

and　the　holly…bushes　were　the　bird's　barns；　for　there　were　the　hips；

and　the　haws；　and　the　holly…berries；　all　ready　for　the　winter。〃



〃Yes；　that's　all　very　true。　　So　you　see　the　birds　are　provided　for。　

But　there　are　no　such　barns　for　you　and　me；　Diamond。〃



〃Ain't　there？〃



〃No。　We've　got　to　work　for　our　bread。〃



〃Then　let's　go　and　work；〃　said　Diamond；　getting　up。



〃It's　no　use。　　We've　not　got　anything　to　do。〃



〃Then　let's　wait。〃



〃Then　we　shall　starve。〃



〃No。　There's　the　basket。　　Do　you　know；　mother；　I　think　I　shall　call

that　basket　the　barn。〃



〃It's　not　a　very　big　one。　　And　when　it's　emptywhere　are　we　then？〃



〃At　auntie's　cupboard；〃　returned　Diamond　promptly。



〃But　we　can't　eat　auntie's　things　all　up　and　leave　her　to　starve。〃



〃No；　no。　　We'll　go　back　to　father　before　that。　　He'll　have　found

a　cupboard　somewhere　by　that　time。〃



〃How　do　you　know　that？〃



〃I　don't　know　it。　　But　I　haven't　got　even　a　cupboard；　and　I've　always

had　plenty　to　eat。　　I've　heard　you　say　I　had　too　much；　sometimes。〃



〃But　I　tell　you　that's　because　I've　had　a　cupboard　for　you；　child。〃



〃And　when　yours　was　empty；　auntie　opened　hers。〃



〃But　that　can't　go　on。〃



〃How　do　you　know？　　I　think　there　must　be　a　big　cupboard　somewhere；

out　of　which　the　little　cupboards　are　filled；　you　know；　mother。〃



〃Well；　I　wish　I　could　find　the　door　of　that　cupboard；〃　said　his　mother。　

But　the　same　moment　she　stopped；　and　was　silent　for　a　good　while。　

I　cannot　tell　whether　Diamond　knew　what　she　was　thinking；　but　I

think　I　know。　　She　had　heard　something　at　church　the　day　before；

which　came　back　upon