双语阅读：发生在圣诞节的一个感人故事

以下是小编整理的情感类英语美文欣赏：发生在圣诞节的一个感人故事， 希望对你有所感触。

发生在圣诞节的一个感人故事

For many of us, one Christmas stands out from allthe others, the one when the meaning of the dayshone clearest. My own "truest" Christmas began ona rainy spring day in the bleakest year of my life.

Recently divorced, I was in my 20s, had no job andwas on my way downtown to go the rounds of theemployment offices. I had no umbrella, for my oldone had fallen apart, and I could not afford anotherone.

I sat down in the streetcar--and there against theseat was a beautiful silk umbrella with a silver handle inlaid with gold and necks of brightenamel. I had never seen anything so lovely.

I examined the handle and saw a name engraved among the golden scrolls. The usualprocedure would have been to turn in the umbrella to the conductor, but on impulse Idecided to take it with me and find the owner myself.

I got off the streetcar in a downpour and thankfully opened the umbrella to protect myself.Then I searched a telephone book for the name on the umbrella and found it. I called and a ladyanswered.

Yes, she said in surprise, that was her umbrella, which her parents, now dead, had given her fora birthday present. But, she added, it had been stolen from her locker at school (she was ateacher) more than a year before.

She was so excited that I forgot I was looking for a job and went directly to her small house.She took the umbrella, and her eyes filled with tears.

The teacher wanted to give me a reward, but--though twenty dollars was all I had in the world--her happiness at retrieving this special possession was such that to have accepted moneywould have spoiled something. We talked for a while, and I must have given her my address. Idon't remember.

The next six months were wretched. I was able to obtain only temporary employment hereand there, for a small salary. But I put aside twenty-five or fifty cents when I could afford it formy lithe girl's Christmas presents.

My last job ended the day before Christmas, my thirty-dollar rent was soon due, and 1 hadfifteen dollars to my name--which Peggy and I would need for food.

She was home from convent boarding school and was excitedly looking forward to her gifs nextday, which I had already Purchased. I had bough her a small tree, and we were going todecorate it that night.

The air was full of the sound of Christmas merriment as I walked from the streetcar to my smallapartment. Bells rang and children shouted in the bitter dusk of the evening, and windows werelighted and everyone was running and laughing. But there should be no Christmas for me, Iknew, no gifts, no remembrance whatsoever.

As l struggled through the snowdrifts, l had just about reached the lowest Point in my life.Unless a miracle happened, I would be homeless in January, foodless, jobless. I had prayedsteadily for weeks, and there had been no answer but this coldness and darkness, this harshair, this abandonment.

God and men had completely forgotten me. I felt so helpless and so lonely. What was tobecome of us?

I looked in my mail box. There were only bills in it, a sheaf of them, and two white envelopeswhich I was sure contained more bills. I went up three dusty flights of stairs and I cried,shivering in my thin coat.

But I made myself smile so I could greet my little daughter with a Pretense of happiness. Sheopened the door for me and threw herself in my arms, screaming joyously and demanding thatwe decorate the tree immediately.

Peggy had proudly set our kitchen table for our evening meal and put pans out and three cansof food which would be our dinner. For some reason, when I looked at those pans and cans, Ifelt brokenhearted. We would have only hamburgers for our Christmas dinner tomorrow.

I stood in the cold little kitchen, misery overwhelmed me. For the first time in my life, Idoubted the existence and his mercy, and the coldness in my heart was colder than ice.

The doorbell rang and Peggy ran fleetly to answer it, calling that it must be Santa Claus. Then Iheard a man talking heartily to her and went to the door. He was a delivery man, and his armswere full of parcels. "This is a mistake," I said, but he read the name on the parcels and therewere for me.

When he had gone I could only stare at the boxes. Peggy and I sat on the floor and openedthem. A huge doll, three times the size of the one I had bought for her. Gloves. Candy. Abeautiful leather purse. Incredible! I looked for the name of the sender. It was the teacher, theaddress was simply "California", where she had moved.

Our dinner the nigh was the most delicious I had ever eaten. I forgot I had no money for therent and only fifteen dollars in my purse and no job. My child and I ate and laughed together inhappiness.

Then we decorated the little tree and marveled at it. I put Peggy to bed and set up her giftsaround the tree and a sweet peace flooded me like a benediction. I had some hope again. Icould even examine the sheaf of bills without cringing.