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29 - At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald · At the Back of the North Wind

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Ruby. The children were delighted with the story and made
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: many amusing remarks upon it. Mister Raymond promised to search
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: his brain for another, and when he had found one,
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: to bring it to them. Diamond, having taken leave of
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Nanny and promised to go and see her again, soon
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: went away with him. Now, mister Raymond had been turning
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: over in his mind what he could do, both for
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Diamond and for Nanny. He had therefore made some acquaintance
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: with Diamond's father, Anne had been greatly pleased with him,
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: But he had come to the resolution before he did
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  Speaker 1: anything so good as he would like to do for them,
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: to put them all to a certain test. So as
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: they walked away together, he began to talk with Diamond
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: as follows. Nanny must leave the hospital soon. Diamond, I
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: am glad of that, sir. Why don't you think it's
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: a nice place? Yes, very, But it's better to be
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: well in doing something, you know, even if it's not
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: quite so comfortable. But they can't keep Nanny so long
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: as they would like. They can't keep her till she's
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: quite strong. There are always so many sick children they
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: want to take in and make better. And the question
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: is What will she do when they send her out again?
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: That's just what I can't tell, though I've been thinking
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: of it over and over, Sir. Her crossing was taken
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: long ago, and I couldn't bear to see Nanny fighting
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  Speaker 1: for it, especially with such a poor fellow as has
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  Speaker 1: taken it. He's quite lame, sir. She doesn't look much
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: like fighting, now, does she, Diamond? No, sir, she looks
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: too like an angel. Angels don't fight, do they, sir?
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: Not to get things for themselves, at least, said mister Diamond. Besides,
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: added Diamond, I don't quite see that she would have
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: any better right to the crossing than the boy who
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: has got it. Nobody gave it to her. She only
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: took it, and now he has taken it. If she
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: were to sweep acrossing soon, at least after the illness
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: she has had, she would be layin up again the
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: very first wet day, said mister Diamond. And there's hardly
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: any money to be got except on wet days, remarked
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: Diamond reflectively. Is there nothing else she could do, sir?
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: Not without being taught. I'm afraid, well, couldn't somebody teach her? Something?
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: Couldn't you teach her, Diamond, I don't know anything myself, sir.
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: I could teach her to dress the baby, but nobody
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: would give her anything for doing things like that. They
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  Speaker 1: are so easy. There wouldn't be much good in teaching
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: her to drive a cab, for where would she get
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: the cab to drive. There ain't fathers and old diamonds everywhere,
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: at least poor nanny can't find any of them. I
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: doubt perhaps if she were taught to be nice and
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: clean and only speak gentle words, mither could teach her that,
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: interrupted Diamond, and to dress babies and feed them and
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: take care of them. Mister Raymond proceeded, she might get
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: a place as a nurse somewhere. You know, people do
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: give money for that. Then I'll ask mother, said Diamond.
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: But you'll have to give her her food then, And
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: your father, not being strong, has enough to do already
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: without that. But here's me, said Diamond. I'll help him
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: out with it when he's tired of driving up by
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  Speaker 1: get it. Don't make any difference to old Diamond. I
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: don't mean he likes me as well as my father.
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: Of course he can't, you know, nobody could. But he
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: does his duty all the same. It's got to be done,
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: you know, sir. And Diamond's a good horse, isn't he, Sir?
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: From your description, I should say, certainly. But I have
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: not the pleasure of his acquaintance myself. Don't you think
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: he will go to heaven? Sir, that I don't know
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: anything about, said mister Raymond. I confess I should be
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: glad to think, so, he added, smiling thoughtfully. I'm sure
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: he'll get to the back of the north wind anyhow,
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: said Diamond to himself. But he had learned to be
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: very careful of saying such things aloud. Isn't it rather
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  Speaker 1: too much for him to go in the cab all
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  Speaker 1: day and every day? Resumed mister Raymond, So father says,
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: when he feels his ribs of a morning. But then
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: he says, the old horse do eat well an the
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  Speaker 1: moment he's had his supper down, he goes and never
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: gets up till he's called. And for the legs of him.
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: Father says, that makes no end of a differ. Some horses, sir,
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  Speaker 1: they won't lie down all night long, but go to
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  Speaker 1: sleep on their four pins like a haystack. Father says,
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  Speaker 1: I think it's very stupid of them, and so does
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: old Diamond. But then I suppose they don't know better,
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: and so they can't help it. We mustn't be too
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: hard upon them. Father says, your father must be a
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: good man, Diamond. Diamond looked up in mister Raymond's face,
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  Speaker 1: wondering what he could mean. I said, your father must
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: be a good man. Diamond. Of course, said Diamond. How
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  Speaker 1: could he drive a cab if he wasn't. There are
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  Speaker 1: some men who drive cabs who are not very good,
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: objected mister Raymond. Diamond remembered the drunken cabman and saw
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: that his friend was right. Ah, but he returned he
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: must be, you know, with such a horse as old Diamond,
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: that does make a difference, said mister Raymond. But it
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: is quite enough that he is a good man without
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: our trying to account for it. Now, if you like,
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: I will give you a proof that I think him
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: a good man. I am going away on the continent
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: for a while, for three months, I believe, and I
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: am going to let my house to a gentleman who
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: does not want the use of my broom. My horse
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: is nearly as old I fancy as your Diamond. But
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: I don't want to part with him, and I don't
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  Speaker 1: want him to be idle, for nobody as you say,
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  Speaker 1: ought to be idle. But neither do I want him
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: to be worked very hard. Now it has come into
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: my head that perhaps your father would take charge of
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  Speaker 1: him and work him under certain conditions. My father will
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: do what's right, said Diamond. I'm sure of that well,
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  Speaker 1: so I think. Will you ask him when he comes
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  Speaker 1: home to call and have a little chat with me
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: to day? Some time he must have his dinner first,
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: said Diamond. No, he's got his dinner with him to day.
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: It must be after he's had his tea. Of course,
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: of course, any time will do. I shall be at
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: home all day, very well, sir, I will tell him.
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  Speaker 1: You may be sure he will come. My father thinks
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  Speaker 1: you a very kind gentleman, and I know he is right,
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: for I know your very own self, sir. Mister Raymond smiled,
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: and as they had now reached his door, they parted
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: and Diamond went home. As soon as his father entered
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  Speaker 1: the house, Diamond gave him mister Raymond's message and recounted
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: the conversation that had preceded it. His father said little,
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  Speaker 1: but took thoughtsauce to his bread and butter, and as
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: soon as he had finished his meal, rose, saying, I
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: will go to your friend directly, Diamond, it would be
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: a grand thing to get a little more money. We
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: do want it. Diamond accompanied his father to mister Raymond's door,
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: and there left him. He was shown at once into
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: mister Raymond's study, where he gazed with some wonder at
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: the multitude of books on the walls, and thought, what
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: a learned man mister Raymond must be. Presently, mister Raymond entered, and,
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: after saying much the same about his old horse, made
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: the following distinct proposal, one not over advantages to Diamond's father,
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: but for which he had reasons, namely, that Joseph should
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: have the use of mister Raymond's horse while he was away,
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  Speaker 1: on condition that he never worked him more than six
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: hours a day and fed him well, and that, besides,
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: he should take Nanny home as soon as she was
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  Speaker 1: able to leave the hospital and provide for her as
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  Speaker 1: one of his own children, neither better nor worse, so
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  Speaker 1: long that is, as he had the horse. Diamond's father
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  Speaker 1: could not help thinking it a pretty close bargain. He
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  Speaker 1: should have both the girl and the horse to feed,
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  Speaker 1: and only six hours work out of the horse. It
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  Speaker 1: will save your own horse, said mister Raymond. That is true,
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  Speaker 1: answered Joseph. But all I can get by my own
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  Speaker 1: horse is only enough to keep us. And if I
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  Speaker 1: save him and feed your horse in the girl, don't
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  Speaker 1: you see, sir? Well, you can go home and think
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  Speaker 1: about it and let me know by the end of
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  Speaker 1: the week. I am in no hurry before then. So
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  Speaker 1: Joseph went home and recounted the proposal to his wife,
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: adding that he did not think there was much advantage
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  Speaker 1: to be got out of it. Not much that way, husband,
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: said Diamond's mother. But there would be an advantage in
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  Speaker 1: what matter who gets it? I don't see it, answered
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  Speaker 1: her husband. Mister Raymond is a gentleman of property, and
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  Speaker 1: I don't discover any much good in helping him to
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  Speaker 1: save a little more. He won't easily get one to
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  Speaker 1: make such a bargain, and I don't mean he shall
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  Speaker 1: get me. It would be a loss rather than again.
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  Speaker 1: I do think at least if I took less work
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  Speaker 1: out of our own horse one hour would make a
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  Speaker 1: difference to old Diamond. But that's not the main point.
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  Speaker 1: You must think what an advantage it would be to
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  Speaker 1: the poor girl that hasn't a home to go to.
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  Speaker 1: She is one of Diamond's friends, thought his father. I
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: could be kind to her. You know. The mother went
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: on and teach her housework and how to handle a baby,
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: and besides she would help me. And I should be
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: the stronger for it, and able to do an odd
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  Speaker 1: bit of charing now and then when I got the chance.
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  Speaker 1: I won't hear of that said her husband have the
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  Speaker 1: girl by all means. I'm ashamed I did not think
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  Speaker 1: of both sides of the thing at once. I wonder
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: if the horse is a great eater. To be sure,
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: if I gave Diamond two hours additional rest, it will
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: be all the better for the old bones of him,
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: And there would be four hours extra out of the
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: other horse. That would give Diamond something to do every day.
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  Speaker 1: He could drive Old Diamond after dinner, and I could
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  Speaker 1: take the other horse out for six hours after tea
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  Speaker 1: or in the morning, as I found best. It might
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: pay for the keep of both of them, that is,
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: if I had good luck. I should like to oblige
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: mister Raymond, though he be rather hard, for he has
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: been very kind to our diamond wife, hasn't he now
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: he has? Indeed, Joseph said his, and there the conversation ended.
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: Diamond's father went the very next day to mister Raymond
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  Speaker 1: and accepted his proposal, so that the week after, having
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: got another stall in the same stable, he had two
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: horses instead of one. Oddly enough, the name of the
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: new horse was Ruby, for he was a very red chestnut.
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: Diamond's name came from a white lozenge on his forehead.
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: Young Diamond said they were rich now with such a
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: big diamond and such a big ruby. End of chapter
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: twenty nine. Recording by maricel Quie