A bit of George MacDonald

At the Back of the North Wind

I just wanted to share part of a chapter of one my favorite George MacDonald books. A little context is necessary to understand this portion. Diamond is a young, poetic, naive, completely trusting little boy who has been to the back of the North Wind. His father recently lost his job as Mr. Coleman's coach man. So Diamond and his mother have gone to visit an aunt at the seaside while his father looks for a new job in London. The Chapter is entitled: 

 CHAPTER XIII. THE SEASIDE 

DIAMOND and his mother sat down upon the edge of the rough grass that bordered the sand. The sun was just far enough past its highest not to shine in their eyes when they looked eastward.  A sweet little wind blew on their left side, and comforted the mother without letting her know what it was that comforted her. Away before them stretched the sparkling waters of the ocean, every wave of which flashed out its own delight back in the face of the great sun, which looked down from the stillness of its blue house with glorious silent face upon its flashing children. On each hand the shore rounded outwards, forming a little bay. There were no white cliffs here, as further north and south, and the place was rather dreary, but the sky got at them so much the better. Not a house, not a creature was within sight. Dry sand was about their feet, and under them thin wiry grass, that just managed to grow out of the poverty-stricken shore.

"Oh dear!" said Diamond's mother, with a deep sigh, "it's a sad world!" 

"Is it?" said Diamond. "I didn't know." 

"How should you know, child? You've been too well taken care of, I trust." 

"Oh yes, I have," returned Diamond. "I'm sorry! I thought you were taken care of too. 

I thought my father took care of you. I will ask him about it. I think he must have forgotten." 

"Dear boy!" said his mother, "your father's the best man in the world." 

"So I thought!" returned Diamond with triumph. "I was sure of it!--Well, doesn't he take very good care of you?" 

"Yes, yes, he does," answered his mother, bursting into tears. "But who's to take care of him? And how is he to take care of us if he's got nothing to eat himself?" 

"Oh dear!" said Diamond with a gasp; "hasn't he got anything to eat? Oh! I must go home to him." 

"No, no, child. He's not come to that yet. But what's to become of us, I don't know." 

"Are you very hungry, mother? There's the basket. I thought you put something to eat in it." 

"O you darling stupid! I didn't say I was hungry," returned his mother, smiling through her tears. 

"Then I don't understand you at all," said Diamond. "Do tell me what's the matter." 

"There are people in the world who have nothing to eat, Diamond." 

"Then I suppose they don't stop in it any longer. They--they--what you call--die--don't they?" 

"Yes, they do. How would you like that?" 

"I don't know. I never tried. But I suppose they go where they get something to eat." 

"Like enough they don't want it," said his mother, petulantly. 

"That's all right then," said Diamond, thinking I daresay more than he chose to put in words.

"Is it though? Poor boy! how little you know about things! Mr. Coleman's lost all his money, and your father has nothing to do, and we shall have nothing to eat by and by." 

"Are you sure, mother?" 

"Sure of what?" 

"Sure that we shall have nothing to eat." 

"No, thank Heaven! I'm not sure of it. I hope not." 

"Then I can't understand it, mother. There's a piece of gingerbread in the basket, I know." 

"O you little bird! You have no more sense than a sparrow that picks what it wants, and never thinks of the winter and the frost and, the snow." 

"Ah--yes--I see. But the birds get through the winter, don't they?" 

"Some of them fall dead on the ground." 

"They must die some time. They wouldn't like to be birds always. Would you, mother?" 

"What a child it is!" thought his mother, but she said nothing. 

"Oh! now I remember," Diamond went on. "Father told me that day I went to Epping Forest with him, that the rose-bushes, and the may-bushes, and the holly-bushes were the bird's barns, for there were the hips, and the haws, and the holly-berries, all ready for the winter." 

"Yes; that's all very true. So you see the birds are provided for. But there are no such barns for you and me, Diamond." 

"Ain't there?" 

"No. We've got to work for our bread." 

"Then let's go and work," said Diamond, getting up. 

"It's no use. We've not got anything to do." 

"Then let's wait." 

"Then we shall starve." 

"No. There's the basket. Do you know, mother, I think I shall call that basket the barn."

"It's not a very big one. And when it's empty--where are we then?" 

"At auntie's cupboard," returned Diamond promptly. 

"But we can't eat auntie's things all up and leave her to starve." 

"No, no. We'll go back to father before that. He'll have found a cupboard somewhere by that time." 

"How do you know that?" 

"I don't know it. But I haven't got even a cupboard, and I've always had plenty to eat. I've heard you say I had too much, sometimes." 

"But I tell you that's because I've had a cupboard for you, child." 

"And when yours was empty, auntie opened hers." 

"But that can't go on." 

"How do you know? I think there must be a big cupboard somewhere, out of which the little cupboards are filled, you know, mother."