[心灵鸡汤] Big Red

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1^# 大中小发表于 2008-6-26 19:51 只看该作者

Big Red

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By Linda Gabris

The first time we set eyes on "Big Red," father, mother and I were trudging www.en580.com( ]" ]" F* O( C
through the freshly fallen snow on our way to Hubble's Hardware store on Main www.en580.com4 P; |. o. h5 H! N' G
Street in Huntsville, Ontario. We planned to enter our name in the annual 0 x" p& c6 V. J% K8 m2 _- Q; b
Christmas drawing for a chance to win a hamper filled with fancy tinned cookies, 英语互助、英语学习论坛、英语互动社区、英语辩论5 `: ?# S7 Q7 C  e9 ~( d8 N7 v
tea, fruit and candy. As we passed the Eaton's Department store's window, we
stopped as usual to gaze, and do our bit of dreaming. 英语互助、英语学习论坛、英语互动社区、英语辩论1 U9 Q$ A7 ?( `4 h8 H1 ^
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The gaily decorated window display held the best toys ever. I took an instant
hankering for a huge green wagon. It was big enough to haul three armloads of
firewood, two buckets of swill or a whole summer's worth of pop bottles picked
from along the highway. There were skates that would make Millar's Pond well www.en580.com" z6 x& ?: Y: f
worth shoveling and dolls much too pretty to play with. And they were all nestled www.en580.com  P. ~7 C- ^1 U& r
snugly beneath the breathtakingly flounced skirt of Big Red. www.en580.com* w0 z6 L: Z0 D% \
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Mother's eyes were glued to the massive flare of red shimmering satin, dotted 英语互助、英语学习、英语社区、英语辩论、英语互动" W9 ^' p' z" Y, c  G
with twinkling sequin-centered black velvet stars. "My goodness," she managed   w/ g5 {3 T* S. j8 F) W, c
to say in trancelike wonder. "Would you just look at that dress!" Then, totally out
of character, mother twirled one spin of a waltz on the slippery sidewalk. Beneath
the heavy, wooden-buttoned, grey wool coat she had worn every winter for as 英语互助论坛0 z- @. j1 A7 Y
long as I could remember, mother lost her balance and tumbled. Father quickly 英语互助、英语学习论坛、英语互动社区、英语辩论- c/ ^* _+ I6 W, @
caught her. 英语互助、英语学习、英语社区、英语辩论、英语互动, f, X* _5 d" j" o5 V9 Z7 G

Her cheeks redder than usual, mother swatted dad for laughing. "Oh, stop that!" 英语互助、英语学习、英语社区、英语辩论、英语互动8 f3 B2 u- Z8 |) T1 ]
she ordered, shooing his fluttering hands as he swept the snow from her coat.
"What a silly dress to be perched up there in the window of Eaton's!" she shook
her head in disgust. "Who on earth would want such a splashy dress?" 英语互助论坛汇聚英语学习爱好者所普通关注的英语最新资讯、英语知识问答、英语热门考试、英语分类学习和英语音乐影视等多个版块为一体的综合英语学习门户网站，是广大英语爱好者值得关注的英语学习基地。& K6 ?6 K/ M. k8 O

As we continued down the street, mother turned back for one more look. "My
goodness! You'd think they'd display something a person could use!"
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Christmas was nearing and the red dress was soon forgotten. Mother, of all 英语互助、英语学习、英语社区、英语辩论、英语互动9 @  |6 Q; p( R! R
people, was not one to wish for, or spend money on, items that were not 英语互助、英语学习论坛、英语互动社区、英语辩论4 R! F" X+ a/ ^6 m- a2 J
practical. "There are things we need more than this," she'd always say, or, "There
are things we need more than that."
英语互助、英语学习、英语社区、英语辩论、英语互动3 H, k3 c8 @/ X: ]
Father, on the other hand, liked to indulge whenever the budget allowed. Of 英语互助、英语学习论坛、英语互动社区、英语辩论7 w6 Y7 u, W' ?$ T" z: w" J
course, he'd get a scolding for his occasional splurging, but it was all done with www.en580.com: V+ ?/ K( `( ?" a% z4 ^3 L
the best intention. www.en580.com( L* {0 g% S' H
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Like the time he brought home the electric range. In our old Muskoka farmhouse 英语互助论坛汇聚英语学习爱好者所普通关注的英语最新资讯、英语知识问答、英语热门考试、英语分类学习和英语音乐影视等多个版块为一体的综合英语学习门户网站，是广大英语爱好者值得关注的英语学习基地。, o' S2 v# a0 c9 I4 G, ?$ X
on Oxtongue Lake, Mother was still cooking year-round on a wood stove. In the
summer, the kitchen would be so hot even the houseflies wouldn't come inside. # K7 Q* |5 `9 f9 r1 k/ h7 i3 D4 C5 l
Yet there would be Mother - roasting - right along with the pork and turnips.

One day, Dad surprised her with a fancy new electric range. She protested, of
course, saying that the wood stove cooked just dandy, that the electric stove was # ?7 G9 J5 S. q: _( c
too dear and that it would cost too much hydro to run it. All the while, however, 英语互助、英语学习论坛、英语互动社区、英语辩论3 s8 u! o# F; F* `/ K5 Y3 \! w
she was polishing its already shiny chrome knobs. In spite of her objections, Dad ' E8 E( g" R  N2 S
and I knew that she cherished that new stove. 英语互助论坛汇聚英语学习爱好者所普通关注的英语最新资讯、英语知识问答、英语热门考试、英语分类学习和英语音乐影视等多个版块为一体的综合英语学习门户网站，是广大英语爱好者值得关注的英语学习基地。/ k% P5 x' A( B5 w5 W
英语互助论坛汇聚英语学习爱好者所普通关注的英语最新资讯、英语知识问答、英语热门考试、英语分类学习和英语音乐影视等多个版块为一体的综合英语学习门户网站，是广大英语爱好者值得关注的英语学习基地。( J; g. |% U1 E0 G, C
There were many other modern things that old farm needed, like indoor plumbing 英语互助、英语学习论坛、英语互动社区、英语辩论# k: N5 z* H; R; o, C; _
and a clothes dryer, but Mom insisted that those things would have to wait until www.en580.com) `& a* q) C, z
we could afford them. Mom was forever doing chores - washing laundry by hand, www.en580.com, r5 {$ f! y! f7 K7 ]
tending the pigs, or working in our huge garden - so she always wore mended,
cotton-print housedresses and an apron to protect the front. She did have one or
two "special" dresses saved for Church on Sundays. And amongst everything else
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www.en580.com! \# f, s) d3 F, O1 g
she did, she still managed to make almost all of our clothes. They weren't fancy,
but they did wear well. 英语互助论坛8 e  o6 v; x; {" A

That Christmas I bought Dad a handful of fishing lures from the Five to a Dollar 英语互助论坛汇聚英语学习爱好者所普通关注的英语最新资讯、英语知识问答、英语热门考试、英语分类学习和英语音乐影视等多个版块为一体的综合英语学习门户网站，是广大英语爱好者值得关注的英语学习基地。( C- w- s! r4 ]" s5 Q
store, wrapped them individually in matchboxes so he'd have plenty of gifts to www.en580.com& r% r7 \: X8 m" f
open from me. Choosing something for Mother was much harder. When Dad and
I asked, she thought carefully then hinted modestly for some tea towels, face
clothes or a new dishpan.

On our last trip to town before Christmas, we were driving up Main Street when
mother suddenly exclaimed in surprise: "Would you just look at that!" She
pointed excitedly as Dad drove past Eaton's.

"That big red dress is gone," she said in disbelief. "It's actually gone." www.en580.com2 d' w, f7 _5 Y3 g0 S
英语互助、英语学习、英语社区、英语辩论、英语互动, P- E, P" s0 L/ W+ C
"Well...I'll be!" Dad chuckled. "By golly, it is!"
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"Who'd be fool enough to buy such a frivolous dress?" Mother questioned, www.en580.com' `- R) x2 f! @  {$ G: d  [. f5 Q
shaking her head. I quickly stole a glance at Dad. His blue eyes were twinkling as
he nudged me with his elbow. Mother craned her neck for another glimpse out
the rear window as we rode on up the street. "It's gone..." she whispered. I was 英语互助、英语学习论坛、英语互动社区、英语辩论& I7 o3 p3 n" I: W$ {
almost certain that I detected a trace of yearning in her voice. / O* q/ ~4 ~: f6 f. H, i  p) P
www.en580.com8 O$ N% H4 d1 e& ~0 ]
I'll never forget that Christmas morning. I watched as Mother peeled the tissue
paper off a large box that read, "Eaton's Finest Enamel Dishpan" on its lid.

"Oh Frank," she praised, "just what I wanted!" Dad was sitting in his rocker, a
huge grin on his face.
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"Only a fool wouldn't give a priceless wife like mine exactly what she wants for
Christmas," he laughed. "Go ahead, open it up and make sure there are no 英语互助、英语学习论坛、英语互动社区、英语辩论7 @5 b9 w9 N6 x
chips." Dad winked at me, confirming his secret, and my heart filled with more
love for my father than I thought it could hold!
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Mother opened the box to find a big white enamel dishpan - overflowing with 英语互助、英语学习论坛、英语互动社区、英语辩论( w! d2 |% s7 l( J9 y
crimson satin that spilled out across her lap. With trembling hands she touched
the elegant material of Big Red. 英语互助、英语学习论坛、英语互动社区、英语辩论' t# Q/ j; |/ f$ N3 M

"Oh my goodness!" she managed to utter, her eyes filled with tears. "Oh Frank..." www.en580.com! {- A$ i7 U( ^; h, X  D* Y( s
Her face was as bright as the star that twinkled on our tree in the corner of the
small room. "You shouldn't have..." came her faint attempt at scolding. 英语互助、英语学习、英语社区、英语辩论、英语互动) ]! T8 V$ n4 a# k/ K" d
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"Oh now, never mind that!" Dad said. "Let's see if it fits," he laughed, helping her
slip the marvelous dress over her shoulders. As the shimmering red satin fell 英语互助、英语学习、英语社区、英语辩论、英语互动8 M% _. X) W& Y5 u8 ?
around her, it gracefully hid the patched and faded floral housedress underneath. 英语互助、英语学习论坛、英语互动社区、英语辩论; h- D& d1 F2 M6 J; b' A
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I watched, my mouth agape, captivated by a radiance in my parents I had never 英语互助、英语学习、英语社区、英语辩论、英语互动8 k- x* U5 @: p9 A! a
noticed before. As they waltzed around the room, Big Red swirled its magic deep 9 W" v1 t) x% r& y/ e3 E: u4 _
into my heart. 英语互助、英语学习论坛、英语互动社区、英语辩论9 P. Q$ B2 p5 a' N3 h

"You look beautiful," my dad whispered to my mom - and she surely did!

[ 本帖最后由 astrid 于 2008-6-26 20:02 编辑 ]

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