Біла пташка
Pilkington’s
HewasnaturallysobadthatattheKindergartenAcademy,whenthemistressorderedwhoeverhaddonethelastnaughtydeedtostepforward,Oliver’scustomhadbeentostepforward,notnecessarilybecausehehaddoneit,butbecausehepresumedheverylikelyhad.
Thefriendshipofthetwodatedfromthistime,andatfirstIthoughtOliverdiscoveredgenerosityinhastingtoDavidastoanequal;healsowalkedhandinhandwithhim,andevenreprovedhimfordelinquencieslikealovingelderbrother.But’tisagrayworldevenintheGardens,forIfoundthatanewarrangementhadbeenmadewhichreducedOlivertolife-size.Hehadweariedofwell-doing,andpassediton,sotospeak,tohisfriend.Inotherwords,onDavidnowdevolvedthetaskofbeinggooduntilhewaseight,whileOliverclungtohimsocloselythattheonecouldnotbewreckedwithouttheother.
WhenthiswasmadeknowntomeitwasalreadytoolatetobreakthespellofOliver,Davidwastop-heavywithprideinhim,and,faith,Ibegantofindmyselfverymuchinthecold,forOliverwasfranklyboredbymeandevenDavidseemedtothinkitwouldbeconvenientifIwentandsatwithIrene.AmIaffectingtolaugh?Iwasreallydistressedandlonely,andratherbitter;andhowhumbleIbecame.SometimeswhenthedogJoeyisunable,byfrisking,toinducePorthostoplaywithhim,hestandsonhishindlegsandbegsitofhim,andIdobelieveIwassometimesashumbleasJoey.ThenDavidwouldinsistonmybeingsufferedtojointhem,butitwasplainthathehadnorealoccasionforme.
Itwasanunheroictrouble,andIdespisedmyself.
