at the back of the north wind-第24章

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and　butter。　　You're　not　strong　enough　to　lift　him　yet。〃



So　she　took　the　baby　herself；　and　set　him　on　her　knee。　　Then　Diamond

began　to　amuse　him；　and　went　on　till　the　little　fellow　was　shrieking

with　laughter。　　For　the　baby's　world　was　his　mother's　arms；

and　the　drizzling　rain；　and　the　dreary　mews；　and　even　his　father's

troubled　face　could　not　touch　him。　　What　cared　baby　for　the　loss

of　a　hundred　situations？　　Yet　neither　father　nor　mother　thought

him　hard…hearted　because　he　crowed　and　laughed　in　the　middle

of　their　troubles。　　On　the　contrary；　his　crowing　and　laughing

were　infectious。　　His　little　heart　was　so　full　of　merriment　that　it

could　not　hold　it　all；　and　it　ran　over　into　theirs。　　Father　and

mother　began　to　laugh　too；　and　Diamond　laughed　till　he　had　a　fit

of　coughing　which　frightened　his　mother；　and　made　them　all　stop。　

His　father　took　the　baby；　and　his　mother　put　him　to　bed。



But　it　was　indeed　a　change　to　them　all；　not　only　from　Sandwich；

but　from　their　old　place；　instead　of　the　great　river　where　the　huge

barges　with　their　mighty　brown　and　yellow　sails　went　tacking

from　side　to　side　like　little　pleasure…skiffs；　and　where　the　long

thin　boats　shot　past　with　eight　and　sometimes　twelve　rowers；

their　windows　now　looked　out　upon　a　dirty　paved　yard。　　And　there

was　no　garden　more　for　Diamond　to　run　into　when　he　pleased；　with　gay

flowers　about　his　feet；　and　solemn　sun…filled　trees　over　his　head。　

Neither　was　there　a　wooden　wall　at　the　back　of　his　bed　with　a　hole

in　it　for　North　Wind　to　come　in　at　when　she　liked。　　Indeed；　there　was

such　a　high　wall；　and　there　were　so　many　houses　about　the　mews；

that　North　Wind　seldom　got　into　the　place　at　all；　except　when　something

must　be　done；　and　she　had　a　grand　cleaning　out　like　other　housewives；

while　the　partition　at　the　head　of　Diamond's　new　bed　only　divided

it　from　the　room　occupied　by　a　cabman　who　drank　too　much　beer；

and　came　home　chiefly　to　quarrel　with　his　wife　and　pinch　his　children。　

It　was　dreadful　to　Diamond　to　hear　the　scolding　and　the　crying。　

But　it　could　not　make　him　miserable；　because　he　had　been　at　the　back　of

the　north　wind。



If　my　reader　find　it　hard　to　believe　that　Diamond　should　be　so　good；

he　must　remember　that　he　had　been　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind。　

If　he　never　knew　a　boy　so　good；　did　he　ever　know　a　boy　that　had　been

to　the　back　of　the　north　wind？　　It　was　not　in　the　least　strange

of　Diamond　to　behave　as　he　did；　on　the　contrary；　it　was　thoroughly

sensible　of　him。



We　shall　see　how　he　got　on。







CHAPTER　XVI



DIAMOND　MAKES　A　BEGINNING





THE　wind　blew　loud；　but　Diamond　slept　a　deep　sleep；　and　never　heard　it。　

My　own　impression　is　that　every　time　when　Diamond　slept　well　and

remembered　nothing　about　it　in　the　morning；　he　had　been　all　that　night

at　the　back　of　the　north　wind。　　I　am　almost　sure　that　was　how　he

woke　so　refreshed；　and　felt　so　quiet　and　hopeful　all　the　day。　

Indeed　he　said　this　much；　though　not　to　methat　always　when　he

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　an