black beauty-第24部分

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for　I　don't　see　that　your　religious　people　are　any　better　than　the　rest。〃



〃If　they　are　not　better；〃　put　in　Jerry；　〃it　is　because

they　are　not　religious。　　You　might　as　well　say　that　our　country's　laws

are　not　good　because　some　people　break　them。　　If　a　man　gives　way

to　his　temper；　and　speaks　evil　of　his　neighbor；　and　does　not　pay　his　debts；

he　is　not　religious；　I　don't　care　how　much　he　goes　to　church。

If　some　men　are　shams　and　humbugs；　that　does　not　make　religion　untrue。

Real　religion　is　the　best　and　truest　thing　in　the　world；　and　the　only　thing

that　can　make　a　man　really　happy　or　make　the　world　we　live　in　any　better。〃



〃If　religion　was　good　for　anything；〃　said　Jones；　〃it　would　prevent

your　religious　people　from　making　us　work　on　Sundays；　as　you　know

many　of　them　do；　and　that's　why　I　say　religion　is　nothing　but　a　sham；　why；

if　it　was　not　for　the　church　and　chapel…goers　it　would　be　hardly　worth　while

our　coming　out　on　a　Sunday。　　But　they　have　their　privileges；

as　they　call　them；　and　I　go　without。　　I　shall　expect　them　to　answer

for　my　soul；　if　I　can't　get　a　chance　of　saving　it。〃



Several　of　the　men　applauded　this；　till　Jerry　said：



〃That　may　sound　well　enough；　but　it　won't　do；　every　man　must　look　after

his　own　soul；　you　can't　lay　it　down　at　another　man's　door　like　a　foundling

and　expect　him　to　take　care　of　it；　and　don't　you　see；

if　you　are　always　sitting　on　your　box　waiting　for　a　fare；　they　will　say；

‘If　we　don't　take　him　some　one　else　will；　and　he　does　not　look

for　any　Sunday。'　　Of　course；　they　don't　go　to　the　bottom　of　it；

or　they　would　see　if　they　never　came　for　a　cab　it　would　be　no　use

your　standing　there；　but　people　don't　always　like　to　go

to　the　bottom　of　things；　it　may　not　be　convenient　to　do　it；

but　if　you　Sunday　drivers　would　all　strike　for　a　day　of　rest

the　thing　would　be　done。〃



〃And　what　would　all　the　good　people　do　if　they　could　not　get

to　their　favorite　preachers？〃　said　Larry。



〃'Tis　not　for　me　to　lay　down　plans　for　other　people；〃　said　Jerry；

〃but　if　they　can't　walk　so　far　they　can　go　to　what　is　nearer；

and　if　it　should　rain　they　can　put　on　their　mackintoshes　as　they　do

on　a　week…day。　　If　a　thing　is　right　it　can　be　done；　and　if　it　is　wrong

it　can　be　done　without；　and　a　good　man　will　find　a　way。

And　that　is　as　true　for　us　cabmen　as　it　is　for　the　church…goers。〃









37　　　　　　The　Golden　Rule







Two　or　three　weeks　after　this；　as　we　came　into　the　yard　rather　late

in　the　evening；　Polly　came　running　across　the　road　with　the　lantern

（she　always　brought　it　to　him　if　it　was　not　very　wet）。



〃It　has　all　come　right；　Jerry；　Mrs。　Briggs　sent　her　servant　this　afternoon

to　ask　you　to　take　her　out　to…morrow　at　eleven　o'clock。　　I　said；

‘Yes；　I　thought　so；　but　we　supposed　she　employed　some　one　else　now。'〃



〃‘Well；'　said　he；　‘the　real　fact　is；　master　was　put　out　because

Mr。　Barker　refused　to　come　on　Sundays；　and　he　has　been　trying　other　cabs；

but　there's　something　wrong　with　them　all；　some　drive　too　fast；

and　some　too　slow；　and　the　mistress　says　there　is　not　one　of　them　so　nice

and　clean　as　yours；　and　nothing　will　suit　her　but　Mr。　Barker's　cab　again。'〃



Polly　was　almost　out　of　breath；　and　Jerry　broke　out　into　a　merry　laugh。



〃‘'Twill　all　come　right　some　day　or　night'：　you　were　right；　my　dear；

you　generally　are。　　Run　in　and　get　the　supper；　and　I'll　have

Jack's　harness　off　and　make　him　snug　and　happy　in　no　time。〃



After　this　Mrs。　Briggs　wanted　Jerry's　cab　quite　as　often　as　before；

never；　however；　on　a　Sunday；　but　there　came　a　day　when　we　had　Sunday　work；

and　this　was　how　it　happened。　　We　had　all　come　home　on　the　Saturday　night

very　tired；　and　very　glad　to　think　that　the　next　day　would　be　all　rest；

but　so　it　was　not　to　be。



On　Sunday　morning　Jerry　was　cleaning　me　in　the　yard；

when　Polly　stepped　up　to　him；　looking　very　full　of　something。



〃What　is　it？〃　said　Jerry。



〃Well；　my　dear；〃　she　said；　〃poor　Dinah　Brown　has　just　had　a　letter　brought

to　say　that　her　mother　is　dangerously　ill；　and　that　she　must　go　directly

if　she　wishes　to　see　her　alive。　　The　place　is　more　than　ten　miles　away

from　here；　out　in　the　country；　and　she　says　if　she　takes　the　train

she　should　still　have　four　miles　to　walk；　and　so　weak　as　she　is；

and　the　baby　only　four　weeks　old；　of　course　that　would　be　impossible；

and　she　wants　to　know　if　you　would　take　her　in　your　cab；

and　she　promises　to　pay　you　faithfully；　as　she　can　get　the　money。〃



〃Tut；　tut！　we'll　see　about　that。　　It　was　not　the　money　I　was　thinking　about；

but　of　losing　our　Sunday；　the　horses　are　tired；　and　I　am　tired；　too　

that's　where　it　pinches。〃



〃It　pinches　all　round；　for　that　matter；〃　said　Polly；　〃for　it's　only

half　Sunday　without　you；　but　you　know　we　should　do　to　other　people

as　we　should　like　they　should　do　to　us；　and　I　know　very　well

what　I　should　like　if　my　mother　was　dying；　and　Jerry；　dear；

I　am　sure　it　won't　break　the　Sabbath；　for　if　pulling　a　poor　beast　or　donkey

out　of　a　pit　would　not　spoil　it；　I　am　quite　sure　taking　poor　Dinah

would　not　do　it。〃



〃Why；　Polly；　you　are　as　good　as　the　minister；　and　so；　as　I've　had

my　Sunday…morning　sermon　early　to…day；　you　may　go　and　tell　Dinah

that　I'll　be　ready　for　her　as　the　clock　strikes　ten；　but　stop　

just　step　round　to　butcher　Braydon's　with　my　compliments；

and　ask　him　if　he　would　lend　me　his　light　trap；　I　know　he　never　uses　it

on　the　Sunday；　and　it　would　make　a　wonderful　difference　to　the　horse。〃



Away　she　went；　and　soon　returned；　saying　that　he　could　have　the　trap

and　welcome。



〃All　right；〃　said　he；　〃now　put　me　up　a　bit　of　bread　and　cheese；

and　I'll　be　back　in　the　afternoon　as　soon　as　I　can。〃



〃And　I'll　have　the　meat　pie　ready　for　an　early　tea　instead　of　for　dinner；〃

said　Polly；　and　away　she　went；　while　he　made　his　preparations　to　the　tune　of

〃Polly's　the　woman　and　no　mistake〃；　of　which　tune　he　was　very　fond。



I　was　selected　for　the　journey；　and　at　ten　o'clock　we　started；

in　a　light；　high…wheeled　gig；　which　ran　so　easily

that　after　the　four…wheeled　cab　it　seemed　like　nothing。



It　was　a　fine　May　day；　and　as　soon　as　we　were　out　of　the　town；　the　sweet　air；

the　smell　of　the　fresh　grass；　and　the　soft　country　roads　were　as　pleasant

as　they　used　to　be　in　the　old　times；　and　I　soon　began　to　feel　quite　fresh。



Dinah's　family　lived　in　a　small　farmhouse；　up　a　green　lane；　close　by　a　meadow

with　some　fine　shady　trees；　there　were　two　cows　feeding　in　it。

A　young　man　asked　Jerry　to　bring　his　trap　into　the　meadow；　and　he　would

tie　me　up　in　the　cowshed；　he　wished　he　had　a　better　stable　to　offer。



〃If　your　cows　would　not　be　offended；〃　said　Jerry；　〃there　is　nothing　my　horse

would　like　so　well　as　to　have　an　hour　or　two　in　your　beautiful　meadow；

he's　quiet；　and　it　would　be　a　rare　treat　for　him。〃



〃Do；　and　welcome；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃the　best　we　have　is　at　your　service

for　your　kindness　to　my　sister；　we　shall　be　having　some　dinner　in　an　hour；

and　I　hope　you'll　come　in；　though　with　mother　so　ill　we　are　all　out　of　sorts

in　the　house。〃



Jerry　thanked　him　kindly；　but　said　as　he　had　some　dinner　with　him

there　was　nothing　he　should　like　so　well　as　walking　about　in　the　meadow。



When　my　harness　was　taken　off　I　did　not　know　what　I　should　do　first　

whether　to　eat　the　grass；　or　roll　over　on　my　back；　or　lie　down　and　rest；

or　have　a　gallop　across　the　meadow　out　of　sheer　spirits　at　being　free；

and　I　did　all　by　turns。　　Jerry　seemed　to　be　quite　as　happy　as　I　was；

he　sat　down　by　a　bank　under　a　shady　tree；　and　listened　to　the　birds；

then　he　sang　himself；　and　read　out　of　the　little　brown　book　he　is　so　fond　of；

then　wandered　round　the　meadow；　and　down　by　a　little　brook；

where　he　picked　the　flowers　and　the　hawthorn；　and　tied　them　up

with　long　sprays　of　ivy；　then　he　gave　me　a　good　feed　of　the　oats

which　he　had　brought　with　him；　but　the　time　seemed　all　too　short　

I　had　not　been　in　a　field　since　I　left　poor　Ginger　at　Earlshall。



We　came　home　gently；　and　Jerry's　first　words　were；　as　we　came　into　the　yard；

〃Well；　Polly；　I　have　not　lost　my　Sunday　after　all；　for　the　birds

were　singing　hymns　in　every　bush；　and　I　joined　in　the　service；

and　as　for　Jack；　he　was　like　a　young　colt。〃



When　he　handed　Dolly　the　flowers　she　jumped　about　for　joy。









38　　　　　　Dolly　and　a　Real　Gentleman







Winter　came　in　early；　with　a　great　deal　of　cold　and　wet。　　There　was　snow；

or　sleet；　or　rain　almost　every　day　for　weeks；　changing　only　for

keen　driving　winds　or　sharp　frosts。　　The　horses　all　felt　it　very　much。

When　it　is　a　dry　cold　a　couple　of　good　thick　rugs　will　keep　the　warmth　in　us；

but　when　it　is　soaking　rain　they　soon　get　wet　through　and　are　no　good。

Some　of　the　drivers　had　a　waterproof　cover　to　throw　over；

which　was　a　fine　thing；　but　some　of　the　men　were　so　poor

that　they　could　not　protect　either　themselves　or　their　horses；

and　many　of　them　suffered　very　much　that　winter。　　When　we　horses

had　worked　half　the　day　we　went　to　our　dry　stables；　and　could　rest；

while　they　had　to　sit　on　their　boxes；　sometimes　staying　out　as　late

as　one　or　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　if　they　had　a　party　to　wait　for。



When　the　streets　were　slippery　with　frost　or　snow　that　was　the　worst　of　all

for　us　horses。　　One　mile　of　such　traveling；　with　a　weight　to　draw

and　no　firm　footing；　would　take　more　out　of　us　than　four　on　a　good　road；

every　nerve　and　muscle　of　our　bodies　is　on　the　strain　to　keep　our　balance；

and；　added　to　this；　the　fear　of　falling　is　more　exhausting

than　anything　else。　　If　the　roads　are　very　bad　indeed　our　shoes　are　roughed；

but　that　makes　us　feel　nervous　at　first。



When　the　weather　was　very　bad　many　of　the　men　would　go　and　sit

in　the　tavern　close　by；　and　get　some　one　to　watch　for　them；

but　they　often　lost　a　fare　in　that　way；　and　could　not；　as　Jerry　said；

be　there　without　spending　money。　　He　never　went　to　the　Rising　Sun；

there　was　a　coffee…shop　near；　where　he　now　and　then　went；

or　he　bought　of