After a long struggle,the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was afraid to open it because she was positive that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked,and the note on the side of the bill caught her attention. She read these words...
“Paid in full with a glass of milk.”
(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly
Tears of joy flooded her eyes as she prayed silently:“Thank You,God. Your love has spread through human hearts and hands.”
一杯牛奶的溫暖
貝蒂·斯坦利
一天,一個貧窮的小男孩為了攢夠學費正挨家挨戶地推銷商品。肚子餓得咕咕直響,可他摸遍全身,卻隻找到一角錢。於是他決定向下一戶人家討口飯吃。
然而,當一位年輕的美麗女子打開房門的時候,這個小男孩卻有點不知所措了。他沒有要飯,隻乞求給他一口水喝。可她看出男孩肚子很餓,於是就倒了一大杯牛奶給他。男孩慢慢地喝完牛奶,問道:“我應該付多少錢?”
年輕女子微笑著回答:“一分錢也不用付。我媽媽教導我,施以愛心,不圖回報。”男孩說:“那麼,就請接受我由衷的感謝吧!”說完,他就離開了這戶人家。此時的他不僅渾身是勁兒,而且更加相信上帝和整個人類。而在這之前,他都感到萬念俱灰了。
很多年之後,那位女子得了一種罕見的重病,當地醫生對此束手無策。最後,她被轉到大城市醫治,並請來專家會診。大名鼎鼎的霍華德·凱利醫生也參加了醫療方案的製定。當他聽到病人來自的那個城鎮的名字時,一個奇怪的念頭閃過腦際。他馬上起身直奔她的病房。
身穿白大褂的凱利醫生來到病房,一眼就認出了恩人。回到會診室後,他決心一定要竭盡所能來治好她的病。從那天起,他就特別關照這個對自己有恩的病人。
經過艱苦的努力,手術成功了。凱利醫生要求把醫藥費用通知單送到他那裏,他看了一下,便在通知單的旁邊簽了字。當醫藥費用通知單送到她的病房時,她不敢看。因為她確信,治病的費用一定非常昂貴,恐怕她下半輩子也難以還清了。最後,她還是鼓起勇氣,翻開了藥費通知單,旁邊的一行小字引起了她的注意,她不禁輕聲讀了出來:
“醫藥費已付:一杯牛奶。”
(簽名)霍華德·凱利醫生
喜悅的淚水溢出了她的眼睛,她默默地祈禱:“謝謝你,上帝,你的愛已通過人類的心靈和雙手在傳播。”
實戰提升篇
核心單詞
dime [daim] n. 一角硬幣
nerve [nE:v] n. 憂慮,焦躁;勇敢
owe [Eu] v. 欠(債);應該把……歸功於
physically [5fizik(E)li] adv. 身體上;實際上;完全地