Белая птичка
The Runaway Perambulator
Theyopenedformethatpedler’spackofwhichIhavemadesomuchado,andIfoundthatitwasweightedlesswithprettylittlesadlove-tokensthanwithignoblethoughtsanddeedsandanunguidedlife.IlookeddejectedlyatDavid,notsomuch,Ithink,becauseIhadsuchasorrydisplayforhim,asbecauseIfearedhewouldnothavemeinhisservice.Iseemedtoknowthathewasmakinguphismindonceandforall.
Andintheendhesmiled,perhapsonlybecauseIlookedsofrightened,butthereasonscarcelymatteredtome,Ifeltmyselfafinefellowatonce.Itwasalongsmile,too,openingslowlytoitsfullestextent(asiftoletmein),andthenasslowlyshutting.
Then,todivertmefromsadthoughts,ortorivetourfriendship,orbecausethetimehadcomeforeachofustoshowtheotherwhathecoulddo,heimmediatelyheldonefoothighintheair.Thismadehimslidedowntheperambulator,andIsawatoncethatitwasverynecessarytoreplacehim.ButneverbeforehadIcomeintosuchclosecontactwithachild;themostIhadeverdonewas,whentheywerehelduptome,toshutmyeyesandkissavacuum.David,ofcourse,thoughnodoubthewaseternallybeingreplaced,couldtellaslittleasmyselfhowitwascontrived,andyetwemanageditbetweenusquiteeasily.HisbodyinstinctivelyassumedacertainpositionasItouchedhim,whichcompelledmyarmstofallintoplace,andthethingwasdone.Ifeltabsurdlypleased,buthewasalreadyconsideringwhatheshoulddonext.
