Lesson 12 A Miracle at Christmas

For many of us, one Christmas stands out from all the others, the one when the meaning of the day shone clearest. My own “truest” Christmas began on a rainy spring day in the bleakest year of my life.

Recently divorced, I was in my 20s, had no job and was on my way downtown to go the rounds of the employment offices. I had no umbrella, for my old one had fallen apart, and I could not afford another one.

I sat down in the streetcar—and there against the seat was a beautiful silk umbrella with a silver handle inlaid[1] with gold and necks of bright enamel[2]. I had never seen anything so lovely.

I examined the handle and saw a name engraved[3] on it. The usual procedure would have been to turn in the umbrella to the conductor, but on impulse I decided 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 lady answered.

Yes, she said in surprise, that was her umbrella, which her parents, now dead, had given her as a birthday present. But, she added, it had been stolen from her locker at school (she was a teacher) 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 money would have spoiled something. We talked for a while, and I must have given her my address. I don’t remember.

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

My last job ended the day before Christmas, my thirty-dollar rent was soon due[4],and I had fifteen dollars to my name—which Peggy and I would need for food.

She was home from the boarding school and was excitedly looking forward to her gift next day, which I had already purchased. I had bought her a small tree, and we were going to decorate it that night.

The air was full of the sound of Christmas merriment as I walked from the streetcar to my small apartment. Bells rang and children shouted in the bitter dusk of the evening, and windows were lighted and everyone was running and laughing. But there should be no Christmas for me, I knew, 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 prayed steadily for weeks, and there had been no answer but this coldness and darkness, this harsh air, this abandonment.

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

I looked in my mail box. There were only bills in it, a sheaf of them, and two white envelopes which 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. She opened the door for me and threw herself in my arms, screaming joyously and demanding that we decorate the tree immediately.

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

I stood in the cold little kitchen, misery overwhelmed[5] me. For the first time in my life, I doubted the existence of 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 I heard a man talking heartily to her and went to the door. He was a delivery man, and his arms were full of parcels. “This is a mistake,” I said, but he read the name on the parcels and they were for me.

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

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

Then we decorated the little tree and marveled[6] at it. I put Peggy to bed and set up her gifts around the tree and a sweet peace flooded me. I had some hope again. I could even examine the sheaf of bills without cringing[7].

(957 words)

Exercises

Ⅰ. How well did you read?

1. [Note the setting] When the story happened, the author___________ .

A. was having a rough time

B. was living a happy life

C. was in her middle thirties

2. [Note the purpose] The author was going downtown in order to___________ .

A. go to work B. find a job C. visit some friends

3. [Follow the action] After she found the umbrella, the author decided to___________ .

A. hand it in to the conductor

B. take the umbrella home

C. find the owner herself

4. [Note the method] The author managed to find the owner by___________.

A. turning to the police for help

B. finding the telephone number of the owner

C. asking from house to house

5. [Give the reason] The owner was very excited to see the umbrella because___________ .

A. it was a very expensive umbrella

B. it had been stolen from her locker at school

C. it was a special gift that meant a lot to her

6. [Judge from the details] Seeing the owner was so happy, the author___________ .

A. refused to accept money as rewards

B. accepted the reward gladly too

C. spoiled the reward in the end

7. [Note the fact] Although very poor, the author still managed to buy her daughter___________ as a Christmas gift.

A. a doll B. a small tree C. some candies

8. [Note the feelings] The day before Christmas, on the way back home, the author___________ .

A. was eager to see her daughter

B. was full of despair about her life

C. was very angry at God

9. [Draw a conclusion] The unexpected gift from the umbrella’s owner___________ .

A. saved the lives of the author and her daughter

B. inspired the author to face difficulties bravely

C. made them become rich overnight

Ⅱ. Read for words:

1. Choose one best paraphrase or Chinese meaning for the underlined words.

(1) My own “truest” Christmas began on a rainy spring day in the bleakest year of my life. (Para. 1)

A. most hopeless B. happiest C. coldest

(2) Her happiness at retrieving this special possession was such that to have accepted money would have spoiled something. (Para. 8)

A. obtaining B. receiving C. regaining

(3)The next six months were wretched. I was able to obtain only temporary employment here and there, for a small salary. (Para. 9)

A. miserable B. pleasant C. exciting

2. Choose one best paraphrase for the underlined expressions.

(1) I had no umbrella, for my old one had fallen apart, and I could not afford another one. (Para. 2)

A. been broken B. been lost C. been thrown away

(2) The usual procedure would have been to turn in the umbrella to the conductor,but on impulse I decided to take it with me and find the owner myself. (Para. 4)

A. after thinking twice B. suddenly and without thinking C. on purpose

(3) But I put aside twenty-five or fifty cents when I could afford it for my little girl’s Christmas presents. (Para. 9)

A. saved B. spent C. earned

(4) My thirty-dollar rent was soon due, and I had fifteen dollars to my name. (Para.10)

A. only possessed fifteen dollars

B. had fifteen dollars in my name

C. wrote my name on fifteen dollars

Ⅲ. Writing practice:In not more than 200 words describe the author’s experience. Do not include anything that is not in the passage.

Answer these questions in note form to get your points:

1. What kind of life was the author living then?

2. On a rainy day, why was she going downtown?

3. What did she find in the streetcar?

4. How did the author deal with the umbrella?

5. What’s the owner’s reaction when seeing the long-lost umbrella? Why?

6. Did the author accept the reward from the owner?

7. How was the author’ s life in the following months?

8. What did she and her daughter have for Christmas dinner?

9. What happened when she was feeling very sad and hopeless?

10. What did the delivery man bring them? Who gave them these gifts?

11. How did these gifts influence the author’s life?

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