A Small Boys Mother-虚 拟 母 爱

ASmallBoy’sMother|虚拟母爱Thehouseiscutoff4fromthevillagebelowandfromtheworldbydeepmountainsnows.Theheavyfogthatsurrounds5theSmokyMountainshidesthehousefromtheeyesofthepeople.WhenImovedintothehouse,IaskedtheladyattheChildren’sHometosendaboytocutwoodforthefireplace.Aboutaweeklater,Ilookedupfrommywritingalittlesurprised.There,infrontofme,wasasmallboy.Mydog,Pat,hadnotbarked6towarnme.Theboyworeoldtornpantsandshirtwornthinfromtoomanywashings.Heworenoshoesonhisfeet.“Icutsomewoodtoday,”hesaid.“ButIhaveaboycomingfromtheChildren’sHome.”“Iamtheboy.”“You?Butyou’resosmall.”“IcancarrymilktotheBaby’sHouse,ma’am.SomedaysIcarryittwotimes.”“Inthisbitterwind?”“Yes,ma’am,stiff7fingersdon’tfeelbadonceyougetusedtothem.Wegetourfacesbitten8bythecoldwindbecausewecan’tputourhandsoverthem.ButIhavegloves.Someoftheboysdon’thaveanygloves.”“Butcuttingwoodisaman’sjob.”Hesmiledatme,“Iknowallkindsofwood,ma’am,I’vebeencuttingwoodattheChildren’sHomeforalongtime.”“Verywell,there’stheax9.Goaheadandtrycutting10andseewhatyoucando.”Ibegantoworkagain.Thefirstsoundsoftheaxcuttingthroughthewood,interferedwith11mythought.Butsoonthesteadychop,chop,stoppedtroublingme.Isettleddown12andwrotefortherestoftheafternoon.Thesunsawslowlydroppingbehindthecold,purplemountainswhenIheardtheboy’sfootstepscomingtowardmydoor.“Ihavetogoeatnow.Icancomeagaintomorrowafternoon.”“I’llpayyouforwhatyou’vedone.”Wewenttogethertoseehiswork.Nexttothehousewasalotofcleanly-cutwood.“Butyouhavecutasmuchasaman.Thisisawonderfulpileofwood.”Igavehimsomemoney.“Youmaycomeagaintomorrowandthankyouverymuch.”Helookedatmeandthenatthemoney.Heseemedasifhewantedtotalk.Buthecouldnot.Heturnedawaybutoverhisthinshoulderheshoutedbacktome,“I’llcutsomesmallpiecestomorrow.You’llneedsmallthinpiecesandmiddlesizepiecesandsomeheavierones.”Hecameagainthenextdayandworkeduntilitwastimetoleave.HisnamewasJerry.Hewas12yearsoldandhadbeenatChildren’sHomesincehewasonlyfour.Ithoughtofhimashemusthavelookedwhenhewasfouryearsold.Thesamegrayeyeswiththesmallringsofbluearoundthem,thesameintegrity13andcourage.Integrityishonesty.Butitismorethanjustbeinghonest.Forexample,thehandleoftheaxbrokeoneday.JerrysaidtheChildren’sHomewouldrepairit.Ihandedhimsomemoneytopayforit.Hewouldn’ttakethemoney.“I’llpayforit,ma’am.Ibrokeit.Ididn’thitthewoodintherightplace.”“ButJerry,noonehitsthewoodintherightplaceallthetime.Itwasaweakhandle.I’llspeaktothemanwhosoldittome.”Itwasonlythenthathewouldtakethemoney.AnotherthingaboutJerrythatwasspecial.Hewoulddothoselittle,helpfulthingsthatarenotnecessarybutmakelifesomucheasier,thingsonlytheheartcando,thingsthatcannotbetrainedortaught,fortheyaredonequicklyandwithoutthought.HefoundaholenearthefireplacethatIhadnotseen.“I’llplacesomewoodonthehole,ma’am.Thenwhenasuddenstormcomesup14,youcanstaywarm.”Orthedayhefoundaloose15stoneinthewalkingplaceoutside.“Letmeplaceabiggerstonethere.I’lldigtheholedeepersoitwon’tcomelooseagain.”Thedaypassed.AndJerryandmydog,Pat,becameclosefriends.Perhapsitwasbecauseaboyandadoghaveacommonspirit,awisdomthatiscloserthanagrownpersonandadog.Onecoldday,Jerrysatclosebymenearthefire.Thedoglayclosetohim.Wewatchedthefireburn.Jerrysuddenlytalkedofsomethinghehadnevertalkedofbefore.“Youlooklikemymother,especiallynexttothefire.””Butyouwereonlyfour,JerrywhenyoucametoliveattheChildren’sHome.Doyoustillrememberyourmother?”Henoddedhisheadyes.“MymotherlivesnearManville.”Learninghehadamothersurprisedme.Ialsofeltangeragainsther.Howcouldsheabandon16suchaniceboy?TheChildren’sHomewasnice.Thepeopletherewerekindandtheboyswerehealthy.Butwhatsortofapersonwashismother?Jerrymusthavelookedasniceashedidnow.Hisfinequalitieshavealwaysbeenthere.Anypersoncouldseethem.MyheartfilledwithquestionsIdarednotask.IwasafraidIwouldcausehimpain,soItalkedtohimcarefully,“Haveyouseenyourmotherlately?”“Iseehereverysummer.Shesendsfor17me.”Iwantedtocryaloud.Whyareyouhere?Whyaren’tyouwithher?Howcansheletyougoawayagain?ButIsaidnothing.Jerrytalkedwithhappinessinhisheart.“ShecomesformefromManvillewhenevershecan.Sheisn’tworkingrightnow.Shewantedtogivemeadogbuttheysayaboycan’thaveadogattheHome.ShesentmeaSundaysuit.AndlastChristmas,shesentmeabicycle.Ilettheotherplaywiththebicyclewhentheypromisetobecarefulwithit.”Mymindwasbusytryingtounderstandhismother.Shehadnotcompletelyforgottenhim.Butwhy?Whatwasthereasonotherthan18beingpoor.Jerry,stillsoundinghappy,talkedinaverysoftvoice,“I’mgoingtotakethedollaryougavemeandbuyherapairofgloves,whitegloves.Shelikeswhitegloves.”Icouldsaynothingexcept,“Thatwillbenice,”forIhatedher.Therewasotherfoodthanbread,foodforthesoulandfortheheartthatonlyamothercangive.HewasgoingtobuyglovesforhismotherwhileshelivedinManvilleawayfromhim.IdecidedIwouldnotleavethemountainsuntilItalkedwithhertolearnwhyshehadplacedhiminaChildren’sHome.Butthehumanmindfindsmanythingstothinkabout.Everymindseemstoblownewanddifferentthoughtsintoit.Ifinishedmywork,butitdidnotpleaseme.Mythoughtsturnedtotravel.IdecidedtogotoMexicoandthenperhapsontootherplaces.IdidnottakethetimetoseeJerry’smother.Iwasbusypreparingtoleaveandafterthatnightbythefirewedidnotsp