章节正文
who knows?"
CHAPTER XXXI
THE NORTH WIND DOTH BLOW
IT WAS a great delight to Diamond when at length Nanny was well
enough to leave the hospital and go home to their house. She was not
very strong yet, but Diamond's mother was very considerate of her,
and took care that she should have nothing to do she was not quite
fit for. If Nanny had been taken straight from the street, it is very
probable she would not have been so pleasant in a decent household,
or so easy to teach; but after the refining influences of her illness
and the kind treatment she had had in the hospital, she moved about
the house just like some rather sad pleasure haunting the mind.
As she got better, and the colour came back to her cheeks,
her step grew lighter and quicker, her smile shone out more readily,
and it became certain that she would soon be a treasure of help.
It was great fun to see Diamond teaching her how to hold the baby,
and wash and dress him, and often they laughed together over
her awkwardness. But she had not many such lessons before she was
able to perform those duties quite as well as Diamond himself.
Things however did not go well with Joseph from the very arrival of Ruby.
It almost seemed as if the red beast had brought ill luck with him.
The fares were fewer, and the pay less. Ruby's services did indeed
make the week's income at first a little beyond what it used to be,
but then there were two more to feed. After the first month he fell lame,
and for the whole of the next Joseph dared not attempt to work him.
I cannot say that he never grumbled, for his own health was far
from what it had been; but I can say that he tried to do his best.
During all that month, they lived on very short commons indeed,
seldom tasting meat except on Sundays, and poor old Diamond,
who worked hardest of all, not even then--so 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 Ruby--not 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 drearyexpensive 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 gloomy--so 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 wall--far 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 other--in 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 hours--no, 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 tired--I 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 master! That's your gratitude
for the way he feeds you and spares you! Pray where would your
carcass be if it weren't for him?"
"He doesn't do it for my sake. If I were his own horse, he would
work me as hard as he does you."
"And I'm proud to be so worked. I wouldn't be as fat as you--
not for all you're worth. You're a disgrace to the stable. Look at
the horse next you. He's something like a horse--all skin and bone.
And his master ain't over kind to him either. He put a stinging lash
on his whip last week. But that old horse knows he's got the wife
and children to keep--as well as his drunken master--and he works
like a horse. I daresay he grudges his master the beer he drinks,
but I don't believe he grudges anything else."
"Well, I don't grudge yours what he gets by me," said Ruby.
"Gets!" retorted Diamond. "What he gets isn't worth grudging.
It comes to next to nothing--what with your fat and shine.
"Well, at least you ought to be thankful you're the better for it.
You get a two hours' rest a day out of it."
"I thank my master for that--not you, you lazy fellow! You go
along like a buttock of beef upon castors--you do."
"Ain't you afraid I'll kick, if you go on like that, Diamond?"
"Kick! You couldn't kick if you tried. You might heave your rump
up half a foot, but for lashing out--oho! If you did, you'd be
down on your belly before you could get your legs under you again.
It's my belief, once out, they'd stick out for ever. Talk of kicking!
Why don't you put one foot before the other now and then when you're
in the cab? The abuse master gets for your sake is quite shameful.
No decent horse would bring it on him. Depend upon it, Ruby, no cabman
likes to be abused any more than his fare. But his fares, at least
when you are between the shafts, are very much to be excused.
Indeed they are."
"Well, you see, Diamond, I don't want to go lame again."
"I don't believe you were so very lame after all--there!"
"Oh, but I was."
"Then I believe it was all your own fault. I'm not lame.
I never was lame in all my life. You don't take care of your legs.
You never lay them down at night. There you are with your huge carcass
crushing down your poor legs all night long. You don't even care
for your own legs--so long as you can eat, eat, and sleep, sleep.
You a horse indeed!"
"But I tell you I was lame."
"I'm not denying there was a puffy look about your off-pastern.
But my belief is, it wasn't even grease--it was fat."
"I tell you I put my foot on one of those horrid stones they make
the roads with, and it gave my ankle such a twist."
CHAPTER XXXI
THE NORTH WIND DOTH BLOW
IT WAS a great delight to Diamond when at length Nanny was well
enough to leave the hospital and go home to their house. She was not
very strong yet, but Diamond's mother was very considerate of her,
and took care that she should have nothing to do she was not quite
fit for. If Nanny had been taken straight from the street, it is very
probable she would not have been so pleasant in a decent household,
or so easy to teach; but after the refining influences of her illness
and the kind treatment she had had in the hospital, she moved about
the house just like some rather sad pleasure haunting the mind.
As she got better, and the colour came back to her cheeks,
her step grew lighter and quicker, her smile shone out more readily,
and it became certain that she would soon be a treasure of help.
It was great fun to see Diamond teaching her how to hold the baby,
and wash and dress him, and often they laughed together over
her awkwardness. But she had not many such lessons before she was
able to perform those duties quite as well as Diamond himself.
Things however did not go well with Joseph from the very arrival of Ruby.
It almost seemed as if the red beast had brought ill luck with him.
The fares were fewer, and the pay less. Ruby's services did indeed
make the week's income at first a little beyond what it used to be,
but then there were two more to feed. After the first month he fell lame,
and for the whole of the next Joseph dared not attempt to work him.
I cannot say that he never grumbled, for his own health was far
from what it had been; but I can say that he tried to do his best.
During all that month, they lived on very short commons indeed,
seldom tasting meat except on Sundays, and poor old Diamond,
who worked hardest of all, not even then--so 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 Ruby--not 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 drearyexpensive 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 gloomy--so 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 wall--far 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 other--in 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 hours--no, 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 tired--I 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 master! That's your gratitude
for the way he feeds you and spares you! Pray where would your
carcass be if it weren't for him?"
"He doesn't do it for my sake. If I were his own horse, he would
work me as hard as he does you."
"And I'm proud to be so worked. I wouldn't be as fat as you--
not for all you're worth. You're a disgrace to the stable. Look at
the horse next you. He's something like a horse--all skin and bone.
And his master ain't over kind to him either. He put a stinging lash
on his whip last week. But that old horse knows he's got the wife
and children to keep--as well as his drunken master--and he works
like a horse. I daresay he grudges his master the beer he drinks,
but I don't believe he grudges anything else."
"Well, I don't grudge yours what he gets by me," said Ruby.
"Gets!" retorted Diamond. "What he gets isn't worth grudging.
It comes to next to nothing--what with your fat and shine.
"Well, at least you ought to be thankful you're the better for it.
You get a two hours' rest a day out of it."
"I thank my master for that--not you, you lazy fellow! You go
along like a buttock of beef upon castors--you do."
"Ain't you afraid I'll kick, if you go on like that, Diamond?"
"Kick! You couldn't kick if you tried. You might heave your rump
up half a foot, but for lashing out--oho! If you did, you'd be
down on your belly before you could get your legs under you again.
It's my belief, once out, they'd stick out for ever. Talk of kicking!
Why don't you put one foot before the other now and then when you're
in the cab? The abuse master gets for your sake is quite shameful.
No decent horse would bring it on him. Depend upon it, Ruby, no cabman
likes to be abused any more than his fare. But his fares, at least
when you are between the shafts, are very much to be excused.
Indeed they are."
"Well, you see, Diamond, I don't want to go lame again."
"I don't believe you were so very lame after all--there!"
"Oh, but I was."
"Then I believe it was all your own fault. I'm not lame.
I never was lame in all my life. You don't take care of your legs.
You never lay them down at night. There you are with your huge carcass
crushing down your poor legs all night long. You don't even care
for your own legs--so long as you can eat, eat, and sleep, sleep.
You a horse indeed!"
"But I tell you I was lame."
"I'm not denying there was a puffy look about your off-pastern.
But my belief is, it wasn't even grease--it was fat."
"I tell you I put my foot on one of those horrid stones they make
the roads with, and it gave my ankle such a twist."
- treatment [´tri:tmənt]
n.待遇；对待；治疗 (初中英语单词) - arrival [ə´raivəl] n.到达；到达的人(物) (初中英语单词)
- income [´inkʌm] n.收入，所得 (初中英语单词)
- depression [di´preʃən] n.沮丧，抑郁；萧条 (初中英语单词)
- chiefly [´tʃi:fli] ad.主要地；尤其 (初中英语单词)
- absolutely [´æbsəlu:tli] ad.绝对地；确实 (初中英语单词)
- constant [´kɔnstənt] a.坚定的；坚贞的 (初中英语单词)
- provision [prə´viʒən] n.供应；规定；条款 (初中英语单词)
- therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
- pretend [pri´tend] v.假装；借口；妄求 (初中英语单词)
- expensive [ik´spensiv] a.费钱的，昂贵的 (初中英语单词)
- altogether [,ɔ:ltə´geðə] ad.完全；总而言之 (初中英语单词)
- actually [´æktʃuəli] ad.事实上；实际上 (初中英语单词)
- consequence [´kɔnsikwəns] n.结果；后果；推断 (初中英语单词)
- flutter [´flʌtə] vi.飘扬；摆 n.拍动 (初中英语单词)
- forehead [´fɔrid] n.额，前部 (初中英语单词)
- ashamed [ə´ʃeimd] a.惭愧；不好意思 (初中英语单词)
- stable [´steibəl] n.马棚 a.稳固的 (初中英语单词)
- disgrace [dis´greis] n.耻辱 vt.玷辱；贬黜 (初中英语单词)
- drunken [´drʌŋkən] a.喝醉的；常醉的 (初中英语单词)
- belief [bi´li:f] n.相信；信仰，信条 (初中英语单词)
- decent [´di:sənt] a.体面的，正派的 (高中英语单词)
- amongst [ə´mʌŋst] prep.其中之一 =among (高中英语单词)
- anxiously [´æŋkʃəsli] ad.挂念地；渴望地 (高中英语单词)
- heartily [´hɑ:tili] ad.衷心地；亲切地 (高中英语单词)
- sunbeam [´sʌnbi:m] n.日光 (高中英语单词)
- dreary [´driəri] a.阴郁的；枯燥无味的 (高中英语单词)
- gloomy [´glu:mi] a.昏暗的；忧郁的 (高中英语单词)
- seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
- soothe [su:ð] vt.安慰；镇定；减轻 (高中英语单词)
- obedience [ə´bi:djəns] n.服从；顺从 (高中英语单词)
- partition [pɑ:´tiʃən] n.分割；划分 (高中英语单词)
- apparently [ə´pærəntli] ad.显然，表面上地 (高中英语单词)
- grudge [grʌdʒ] vt.&n.吝啬；怨恨 (高中英语单词)
- thankful [´θæŋkfəl] a.感激的；欣慰的 (高中英语单词)
- horrid [´hɔrid] a.令人讨厌的；极糟的 (高中英语单词)
- poorly [´puəli] a.不舒服的 ad.贫穷地 (英语四级单词)
- considerate [kən´sidərit] a.考虑周到的；体谅的 (英语六级单词)
- calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)
- taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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