 |
|
 |
|
 |
||||
|
||||||||
| 哈蒂姑妈的到来使我们本已萧条的村子又恢复了生气，大家都在静静地等着天空的降雨，再没有人罢职，再也没有人斗嘴……也许她就是我们日日祈祷换来的奇迹！ Our Illinois town was in bad shape1) in 1980 when my aunt Hattie came to spend the summer with my wife and me. Three years of drought spelled2) disaster for our farming community. Families had moved away, literally3) to greener pastures. Dwindling resources and the town’s depressed mood had taken a toll4) on our church too. Members bickered with5) one another. Some stopped attending services altogether. “God will send us a miracle,” our minister promised, but it seemed like a losing battle. Aunt Hattie’s arrival from Florida was a bright spot. She wore a fancy light-blue bonnet6) when we picked her up at the bus station. “The color goes well with my white hair,” she said, and it matched her twinkling eyes. Aunt Hattie had a smile for everyone she met, and never an unkind word. In no time she was “Aunt Hattie” to everyone in town. But she was appalled when we took her with us to church. The organ7) sat silent while a phonograph8) played the hymns9). “Mabel Shaw says her arthritis10) keeps her from playing,” I explained. “She doesn’t even come to church anymore,” added my wife. “Why, I love playing the organ,” Aunt Hattie said. “I’ll fill in, if it’s all right.” The congregation11) was thrilled. Until Sunday rolled around. Aunt Hattie’s playing was so off-key it was worse than none at all. After a couple weeks of her at the organ our minister confided12) that the choir13) members begged Mabel to come back. “Well,” she finally relented14), “if you really want me.” The following Sunday Mabel took her place at the organ. Aunt Hattie wasn’t a bit disappointed. In fact, her blue eyes twinkled while the congregation reveled15) in Mabel’s beautiful playing. Then one Sunday there were no church bulletins. The minister apologized. Mrs. Jones, who usually did the typing, told him she couldn’t spare the time. Most of us knew the reason was the church couldn’t afford to pay her. “If anyone here is willing to donate an hour or two,” the minister said, “we would surely appreciate it.” Aunt Hattie stood up. “I’ll do it,” she said. “Wonderful!” exclaimed the minister. But from the rear of the church I heard someone say, “Oh, no!” Come to find out, poor Aunt Hattie’s typing rivaled her organ playing in its ineptitude. Her bulletins had so many words misspelled and run together it was almost impossible to read them. The minister told us privately that an overwhelming number of church people called on Mrs. Jones, pleading with her to take over the typing once more. She had finally agreed to do so. The next thing Aunt Hattie attempted was the janitorial16) work. We had no funds for a full-time custodian17). Who couldn’t handle a broom or a dust cloth? Well, Aunt Hattie, for one. It looked like she swept only where sweeping came easiest. Then she waxed the floor—with such a heavy coating it made walking a hazard! In no time at all Louise Wilson and Margaret Brown volunteered to replace her. We were all amazed. The two ladies hadn’t spoken to each other for a year. What on earth had gotten into them? |
| 外语招生最新热贴: |
【责任编辑：yuloo 纠错】 |
|
阅读上一篇：民谣经典——Ｂｏｂ Ｄｙｌａｎ |
|
阅读下一篇：哈蒂姑妈的夏天 |
|
|
| 【育路网版权与免责声明】 | |
| ① 凡本网注明稿件来源为"原创"的所有文字、图片和音视频稿件，版权均属本网所有。任何媒体、网站或个人转载、链接、转贴或以其他方式复制发表时必须注明"稿件来源：育路网"，违者本网将依法追究责任； | |
| ② 本网部分稿件来源于网络，任何单位或个人认为育路网发布的内容可能涉嫌侵犯其合法权益，应该及时向育路网书面反馈，并提供身份证明、权属证明及详细侵权情况证明，育路网在收到上述法律文件后，将会尽快移除被控侵权内容。 | |
大学英语---