at the back of the north wind-第51章

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seldom　tasting　meat　except　on　Sundays；　and　poor　old　Diamond；

who　worked　hardest　of　all；　not　even　thenso　that　at　the　end　of　it

he　was　as　thin　as　a　clothes…horse；　while　Ruby　was　as　plump　and　sleek

as　a　bishop's　cob。



Nor　was　it　much　better　after　Ruby　was　able　to　work　again；　for　it

was　a　season　of　great　depression　in　business；　and　that　is　very　soon

felt　amongst　the　cabmen。　　City　men　look　more　after　their　shillings；

and　their　wives　and　daughters　have　less　to　spend。　　It　was　besides

a　wet　autumn；　and　bread　rose　greatly　in　price。　　When　I　add　to　this

that　Diamond's　mother　was　but　poorly；　for　a　new　baby　was　coming；

you　will　see　that　these　were　not　very　jolly　times　for　our　friends

in　the　mews。



Notwithstanding　the　depressing　influences　around　him；　Joseph　was　able

to　keep　a　little　hope　alive　in　his　heart；　and　when　he　came　home

at　night；　would　get　Diamond　to　read　to　him；　and　would　also　make

Nanny　produce　her　book　that　he　might　see　how　she　was　getting　on。　

For　Diamond　had　taken　her　education　in　hand；　and　as　she　was　a

clever　child；　she　was　very　soon　able　to　put　letters　and　words　together。



Thus　the　three　months　passed　away；　but　Mr。　Raymond　did　not　return。　

Joseph　had　been　looking　anxiously　for　him；　chiefly　with　the　desire

of　getting　rid　of　Rubynot　that　he　was　absolutely　of　no　use　to　him；

but　that　he　was　a　constant　weight　upon　his　mind。　　Indeed；　as　far

as　provision　went；　he　was　rather　worse　off　with　Ruby　and　Nanny　than

he　had　been　before；　but　on　the　other　hand；　Nanny　was　a　great　help

in　the　house；　and　it　was　a　comfort　to　him　to　think　that　when　the　new

baby　did　come；　Nanny　would　be　with　his　wife。



Of　God's　gifts　a　baby　is　of　the　greatest；　therefore　it　is　no

wonder　that　when　this　one　came；　she　was　as　heartily　welcomed

by　the　little　household　as　if　she　had　brought　plenty　with　her。　

Of　course　she　made　a　great　difference　in　the　work　to　be　done

far　more　difference　than　her　size　warranted；　but　Nanny　was　no　end

of　help；　and　Diamond　was　as　much　of　a　sunbeam　as　ever；　and　began

to　sing　to　the　new　baby　the　first　moment　he　got　her　in　his　arms。　

But　he　did　not　sing　the　same　songs　to　her　that　he　had　sung　to

his　brother；　for；　he　said；　she　was　a　new　baby　and　must　have　new　songs；

and　besides；　she　was　a　sister…baby　and　not　a　brother…baby；　and　of

course　would　not　like　the　same　kind　of　songs。　　Where　the　difference

in　his　songs　lay；　however；　I　do　not　pretend　to　be　able　to　point　out。　

One　thing　I　am　sure　of；　that　they　not　only　had　no　small　share

in　the　education　of　the　little　girl；　but　helped　the　whole　family

a　great　deal　more　than　they　were　aware。



How　they　managed　to　get　through　the　long　dreary　expensive　winter；

I　can　hardly　say。　　Sometimes　things　were　better；　sometimes　worse。　

But　at　last　the　spring　came；　and　the　winter　was　over　and　gone；

and　that　was　much。　　Still；　Mr。　Raymond　did　not　return；　and　although

the　mother　would　have　been　able　to　manage　without　Nanny　now；

they　could　not　look　for　a　place　for　her　so　long　as　they　had　Ruby；

and　they　were　not　altogether　sorry　for　this。　　One　week　at　last　was

worse　than　they　had　yet　had。　　They　were　almost　without　bread　before

it　was　over。　　But　the　sadder　he　saw　his　father　and　mother　looking；

the　more　Diamond　set　himself　to　sing　to　the　two　babies。



One　thing　which　had　increased　their　expenses　was　that　they　had　been

forced　to　hire　another　little　room　for　Nanny。　　When　the　second

baby　came；　Diamond　gave　up　his　room　that　Nanny　might　be　at　hand

to　help　his　mother；　and　went　to　hers；　which；　although　a　fine　place

to　what　she　had　been　accustomed　to；　was　not　very　nice　in　his　eyes。　

He　did　not　mind　the　change　though；　for　was　not　his　mother　the　more

comfortable　for　it？　　And　was　not　Nanny　more　comfortable　too？　

And　indeed　was　not　Diamond　himself　more　comfortable　that　other　people

were　more　comfortable？　　And　if　there　was　more　comfort　every　way；

the　change　was　a　happy　one。







CHAPTER　XXXII



DIAMOND　AND　RUBY





IT　WAS　Friday　night；　and　Diamond；　like　the　rest　of　the　household；

had　had　very　little　to　eat　that　day。　　The　mother　would　always　pay

the　week's　rent　before　she　laid　out　anything　even　on　food。　　His　father

had　been　very　gloomyso　gloomy　that　he　had　actually　been　cross

to　his　wife。　　It　is　a　strange　thing　how　pain　of　seeing　the　suffering

of　those　we　love　will　sometimes　make　us　add　to　their　suffering

by　being　cross　with　them。　　This　comes　of　not　having　faith　enough

in　God；　and　shows　how　necessary　this　faith　is；　for　when　we　lose　it；

we　lose　even　the　kindness　which　alone　can　soothe　the　suffering。　

Diamond　in　consequence　had　gone　to　bed　very　quiet　and　thoughtful

a　little　troubled　indeed。



It　had　been　a　very　stormy　winter。　　and　even　now　that　the　spring

had　come；　the　north　wind　often　blew。　　When　Diamond　went　to　his　bed；

which　was　in　a　tiny　room　in　the　roof；　he　heard　it　like　the

sea　moaning；　and　when　he　fell　asleep　he　still　heard　the　moaning。　

All　at　once　he　said　to　himself；　〃Am　I　awake；　or　am　I　asleep？〃　

But　he　had　no　time　to　answer　the　question；　for　there　was　North

Wind　calling　him。　　His　heart　beat　very　fast；　it　was　such　a　long

time　since　he　had　heard　that　voice。　　He　jumped　out　of　bed；

and　looked　everywhere；　but　could　not　see　her。　　〃Diamond；　come　here；〃

she　said　again　and　again；　but　where　the　here　was　he　could　not　tell。　

To　be　sure　the　room　was　all　but　quite　dark；　and　she　might　be　close

beside　him。



〃Dear　North　Wind；〃　said　Diamond；　〃I　want　so　much　to　go　to　you；

but　I　can't　tell　where。〃



〃Come　here；　Diamond；〃　was　all　her　answer。



Diamond　opened　the　door；　and　went　out　of　the　room；　and　down　the　stair

and　into　the　yard。　　His　little　heart　was　in　a　flutter；　for　he　had

long　given　up　all　thought　of　seeing　her　again。　　Neither　now　was　he

to　see　her。　　When　he　got　out；　a　great　puff　of　wind　came　against　him；

and　in　obedience　to　it　he　turned　his　back；　and　went　as　it　blew。　

It　blew　him　right　up　to　the　stable…door；　and　went　on　blowing。



〃She　wants　me　to　go　into　the　stable；〃　said　Diamond　to　himself。　

〃but　the　door　is　locked。〃



He　knew　where　the　key　was；　in　a　certain　hole　in　the　wallfar　too

high　for　him　to　get　at。　　He　ran　to　the　place；　however：　　just　as　he

reached　it　there　came　a　wild　blast；　and　down　fell　the　key　clanging

on　the　stones　at　his　feet。　　He　picked　it　up；　and　ran　back　and　opened

the　stable…door；　and　went　in。　　And　what　do　you　think　he　saw？



A　little　light　came　through　the　dusty　window　from　a　gas…lamp；

sufficient　to　show　him　Diamond　and　Ruby　with　their　two　heads　up；

looking　at　each　other　across　the　partition　of　their　stalls。　　The　light

showed　the　white　mark　on　Diamond's　forehead；　but　Ruby's　eye　shone

so　bright；　that　he　thought　more　light　came　out　of　it　than　went　in。　

This　is　what　he　saw。



But　what　do　you　think　he　heard？



He　heard　the　two　horses　talking　to　each　otherin　a　strange　language；

which　yet；　somehow　or　other；　he　could　understand；　and　turn　over　in

his　mind　in　English。　　The　first　words　he　heard　were　from　Diamond；

who　apparently　had　been　already　quarrelling　with　Ruby。



〃Look　how　fat　you　are　Ruby！〃　said　old　Diamond。　　〃You　are　so　plump

and　your　skin　shines　so；　you　ought　to　be　ashamed　of　yourself。〃



〃There's　no　harm　in　being　fat；〃　said　Ruby　in　a　deprecating　tone。　

〃No；　nor　in　being　sleek。　　I　may　as　well　shine　as　not。〃



〃No　harm？〃　retorted　Diamond。　　〃Is　it　no　harm　to　go　eating　up　all

poor　master's　oats；　and　taking　up　so　much　of　his　time　grooming　you；

when　you　only　work　six　hoursno；　not　six　hours　a　day；　and；　as　I　hear；

get　along　no　faster　than　a　big　dray…horse　with　two　tons　behind　him？

So　they　tell　me。〃



〃Your　master's　not　mine；〃　said　Ruby。　　〃I　must　attend　to　my　own

master's　interests；　and　eat　all　that　is　given　me；　and　be　sleek

and　fat　as　I　can；　and　go　no　faster　than　I　need。〃



〃Now　really　if　the　rest　of　the　horses　weren't　all　asleep；　poor　things

they　work　till　they're　tiredI　do　believe　they　would　get　up　and　kick

you　out　of　the　stable。　　You　make　me　ashamed　of　being　a　horse。　

You　dare　to　say　my　master　ain't　your