At the Back of the North Wind

North Wind’s , however; it was his mother’s. He put out his ar

atter, mother?

! You have been s

only been at the back of the

were dead,” s

alk to Diamond. He must be kept as quiet as possible. And indeed, Diamond felt ver

ess. It had come about in this way. Miss Coleman, who had looked so like North Wind that night on which he had seen her having her long black hair combed beside the fire, had a lover, a Mr. Evans

gan to urge Mr. Coleman to go into business ventures which were not honest but in which they could make a

night when she carried Diamond into the cathedral to wait for her. In the one boat-load of people which North Wind drove off to a desert island, was Mr. Evans. He had gone along on the ship to manage the

n a poor little house in a much less pleasant place. He had to begin again to work and learn how much better it is to be honest

Diamond did wish he was big enough to do something! But of course, he could think of nothing he could do. Besides he had to get well and strong first, anyway. His father sent word that he and his mother were to stay do

said, would do them both good. They sat down on the edge of the rough grass which bordered the sand. Away before them stretched the sparkling waters of the ocean, every wave of whi

nd the fresh air had made him so hungry! But he was sorry that his mother looked so sad and depressed. He knew she was thinking about his father and how they now had

,” she answered look

a bit of paper would,

e if you like,”

d. Several of its leaves were clear of the sand and these the wind kept blowin

t, mother?

I think,”

he said. “Do read

“But this is such nonsense,” she said

e times with sudden puffs the wind blew th

himself. To his mother he said, “Do read that one.

m although she could not find any se

ow a

ters run

run

in the s

n the

ing s

l the

p their

he h

the sh

riest swall

epily, “that is what the river sang whe

with th

le white

ow and

pread out

praise

n he go

raising

fold up t

ver th

rising

’re at i

g and p

w songs

one he

un who re

heep that

or a

quiete

merries

e litt

merrie

orget

rolic in

at is what the song of the river is telling me. Even I can be merry and cheerful — and that

now found something to do and this is how it came about. He one day met a cabman who was a frien

buy a horse with — and a

e hansom I drive, for when folks take a hansom, they want to drive like the wind. But for a four-wheeler

nt him,” said D

him anyway,” said hi

legged. The horse hearing his master’s voice, turned his long neck. And when his old friend went up to him and laid his hand on his side, he whinnied f

r with a four-wheeled cab. As there were some rooms to be had over the st

s own cab but they had not told Diamond who the horse was. For his father wanted to enjoy the pleasure of his surprise when h

he song of the river at the back of the north wind and just looked about for things that were pleasant. He said to himsel

fire burning in the room, which a neighbor had made for them. The tea things were put out and the kettle

spreading over him. At the same moment, he said, “This will never do! I can’t give in to this. I’ve

d eaten it, he began to amuse the baby who was soon shrieking with laught

huge barges with their brown and yellow sails went up and down, their windows now looked out upon a dirty paved yard. There

ot into the place. And the wall at the head of Diamond’s new bed only divided it from the room where a cabman lived who drank too much beer and came home to quarrel with and abu