英語沙龍十年合集珍藏版第三輯Angel on a Doorstep

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Angel on a Doorstep

When Ben delivered milk to my home that morning，he wasn’t his usual sunny self．Instead，he was the epitome¹⁾ of gloom as he dropped off his wares from his wire carrier．It took slow，careful questioning to extract the story from him．With some embarrassment，he told me two customers had left town without paying their bills，and he would have to cover the losses．One of the debtors owed only ＄１０，but the other was ＄７９in arrears²⁾ and had left no forwarding address．Ben was distraught³⁾ at his stupidity for allowing this bill to grow so large．

“She was a pretty woman，”he said，“with six children and another on the way．She was always saying，‘I’m going to pay you soon when my husband gets a second job．‘I believed her．What a fool I was．I was doing a good thing，but I’ve learned my lesson．”All I could say was，“I’m so sorry．”

The next time I saw him，his anger seemed worse．He bristled as he talked about the messy⁴⁾ young ones who had drunk up all his milk．The charming family had turned into a parcel of brats．I repeated my condolences⁵⁾ and let the matter rest．But when Ben left，I found myself caught up in his problem and longed to help．Worried that this incident would sour a warm person，I mulled over what to do．Then，remembering that Christmas was coming，I thought of what my grandmother used to say：“When someone has taken a thing from you，give it to him，and then you can never be robbed．”

The next time Ben delivered milk，I told him I had a way to make him feel better about the ＄７９．“Nothing will do that，”he said，“but tell me anyway．”

“Give the woman the milk．Make it a Christmas present to the kids who needed it．”“Are you kidding？”he replied．“I don’t even get my wife a Christmas gift that expensive．”

“You know the Bible says，‘I was a stranger and you took me in．’You just took her in with all her little children．”“Don’t you mean she took me in？The trouble with you is，it wasn’t your ＄７９．”I let the subject drop，but I still believed in my suggestion．

We‘d joke about it when he’d come．“Have you given her the milk yet？”“No，”he’d snap back，“but I’m thinking of giving my wife a ＄７９present，unless another pretty mother starts playing on my sympathies．”

Every time I’d ask the question，it seemed he lightened up a bit more．Then，six days before Christmas，it happened．He arrived with a tremendous smile and a glint in his eyes．“I did it．”he said．“I gave her the milk as a Christmas present．It wasn’t easy，but what did I have to lose？It was gone，wasn’t it？”

“Yes”I said，rejoicing⁶⁾ with him．“But you’ve got to really mean it in your heart．”“I know．I do．And I really feel better．That’s why I have this good feeling about Christmas．Those kids had lots of milk on their cereal⁷⁾ just because of me．”

The holidays came and went．On a sunny January morning two weeks later，Ben almost ran up the walk．“Wait till you hear this，”he said，grinning．He explained he had been on a different route，covering for another milkman．He heard his name being called，looked over his shoulder and saw a woman running down the street，waving money．He recognized her immediately――the woman with all the kids，the one who didn’t pay her bill．She was carrying an infant in a tiny blanket，and the woman’s long brown hair kept getting in her eyes．“Ben，wait a minute．”she shouted． “I’ve got money for you．”Ben stopped the truck and got out．

“I’m so sorry，”she said．“I really have been meaning to pay you．”She explained that her husband had co me home one night and announced he’d found a cheaper apartment．He’d also gotten a night job．With all that had happened，she’d forgotten to leave a forwarding address．“But I’ve been saving，”she said．“Here’s ＄２０ toward the bill．”

“That’s all right，”Ben replied．“It’s been paid．”“Paid．”she exclaimed．“What do you mean？Who paid it？”“I did．”

She looked at him as if he were Angel Gabriel and started to cry．

“Well，”I asked，“what did you do？”“I didn’t know what to do，so I put an arm around her．Before I knew what was happening，I started to cry，and I didn’t have the foggiest idea what I was crying about．You know what？I was really glad you talked me into this．”

“You didn’t take the ＄２０？”“Heck no，”he replied indignantly⁸⁾．“I gave her the milk as a Christmas present．”

門階上的天使

那天早上，本給我家送來牛奶時，不像往常那樣樂呵呵的。他滿臉愁云地從電動車上取下送給我家的牛奶。經(jīng)過慢慢的、小心翼翼的探問，我才得知究竟。帶著幾分尷尬，他告訴我有兩個客戶沒付賬就搬走了。他得賠償所有的損失。其中一個人只欠他１０美元，可另一個欠７９美元，而且沒有留下新地址。本痛恨自己的愚蠢，竟然讓賬單積累到這么大的數(shù)額。

“她是個漂亮的女人，”他說，“有６個孩子，下一個也馬上要出生了。她總是說，‘等我丈夫找到第二份工作，我就馬上把錢付給你。’我信了她。我多傻。我只是想做件好事，卻換來這么個教訓。”我只能說：“我替你難過。”

第二次見到他時，他似乎更憤怒了。談到那些把他的牛奶都喝光了的臟乎乎的小家伙時，他怒火中燒。那個可愛的家庭一下子變成了一窩臭小子。我又安慰了他一下，便不再理會。但等本走后，我發(fā)覺自己已經(jīng)卷進了他的苦惱中，而且希望能幫幫他。我擔心這件事會使本這么個熱心人對生活失望，所以尋思著該怎么辦。突然，我記起圣誕節(jié)快到了，并想起祖母常說的一句話：“當有人從你這兒拿走一樣東西時，主動給他，這樣你就永遠不會遭劫。”

等本再次來送奶時，我告訴他我有辦法讓他對這失去的７９美元感覺好一些。“不可能，”他說，“但不妨說來聽聽。”

“把牛奶送給那個女人。把它作為一份圣誕禮物送給需要它的孩子們。”“你在開玩笑吧？”他回答。“我給我妻子都買不起那么貴的禮物。”

“你知道《圣經(jīng)》上所說的，‘我是個陌路人，你卻關(guān)照了我。’你就關(guān)照一下她和她的孩子們吧。”“難道你不認為她欺騙了我？問題是這７９美元又不是你的。”我不再多說，卻相信我的建議會管用。

他再來時，我常常與他打趣：“你把牛奶送給她沒有？”“沒有，”他厲聲回應(yīng)，“但我在考慮給我的妻子送一件７９美元的禮物，除非再有一位漂亮媽媽騙取我的同情心。”

每次我問起這個問題，他的情緒似乎都比上一次要好一點。之后在離圣誕節(jié)還差６天時，事態(tài)終于轉(zhuǎn)變了。他滿臉笑容，眼中放著異彩。“我做到了，”他說。“我把牛奶作為圣誕禮物送給她了。這不是件容易的事，可對我有什么損失呢？反正沒有了，是不是？”

“對，”我說，心中同他一樣興奮。“但你必須心里真的這么想才行。”“我知道。我確是這么想的。而且我真的感覺好多了。這就是我為什么對圣誕節(jié)感覺這么好的原因。就是因為有了我，那些孩子們吃麥片時才可以加上很多牛奶。”

圣誕節(jié)假期來了又去了。兩個星期后，在元月一個陽光明媚的早晨，本幾乎是一路跑上人行道。“等等，聽我說，”他笑著說道。他告訴我，他去替另一個牛奶工送奶，去了另一條街。他聽到有人叫他的名字，回頭看見一個婦女從街上跑來，手里揮著錢。他立刻就認出她來了---正是那個有一群孩子、沒有付賬的女人，抱著一個用小毯子裹著的嬰兒，長長的棕色頭發(fā)不時蓋住她的眼睛。“本，等一下。”她喊道。“我要給你錢。”本停住車并下了車。

“太抱歉了，”她說，“我真的一直想把錢給你。”她說一天晚上她丈夫回家后，說他找到了一個更便宜的住處，還找到了一份上夜班的活兒。這一切來得太快，以致她忘了留下新地址。“但我一直在攢錢，”她說。“這是付賬的２０美元。”

“沒關(guān)系，”本回答說。“已經(jīng)付完了。”“付完了？”她驚呼道。“你說什么？誰付的？”“我付的。”

她看著他好像是加百列天使，然后哭了起來。

“噢，”我問他，“那你又怎樣呢？”“我不知如何是好，所以就用一只胳膊摟著她。我自己還沒明白過來，就跟著哭了起來。至于為什么哭，我真的不知道。你知道嗎，我很高興是你勸我這么做的。”

“你沒有拿那２０塊錢？”“當然沒有，”他憤然答道。“我把牛奶當做圣誕禮物送給她了。”

NOTE 注釋：

epitome [I5pItEmI] n. 體現(xiàn)

arrears [E5rIEz] n. 到期未付款, 欠帳

distraught [dI5strC:t] adj. 心情煩亂的，發(fā)狂的

messy [5mesi] adj. 骯臟的, 凌亂的, 雜亂

condolence [kEn5dEulEns] n. 安慰

rejoicing [ri5dVCisiN] n. 欣喜, 高興