She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near where I live. I drive to this beach, a distance of three or four miles, whenever the world begins to close in on me. She was building a sandcastle or something and looked up, her eyes as blue as the sea.
"Hello," she said. I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small child. "I'm building," she said.
"I see that. What is it?" I asked, not caring.
"Oh, I don't know, I just like the feel of sand.
"That sounds good, I thought, and slipped off my shoes. A sandpiper glided by.
"That's a joy," the child said.
"It's a what?"
"It's a joy. My mama says sandpipers come to bring us joy." The bird went glissading down the beach. "Good-bye joy," I muttered to myself, "hello pain," and turned to walk on. I was depressed; my life seemed completely out of balance.
"What's your name?" She wouldn't give up.
"Ruth," I answered. "I'm Ruth Peterson."
"Mine's Wendy... I'm six."
"Hi, Wendy."
She giggled. "You're funny," she said. In spite of my gloom I laughed too and walked on. Her musical giggle followed me.
"Come again, Mrs. P," she called. "We'll have another happy day."
The days and weeks that followed belong to others: a group of unruly Boy Scouts, PTA meetings, and ailing mother. The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of the dishwater. "I need a sandpiper," I said to myself, gathering up my coat. The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me.
The breeze was chilly, but I strode along, trying to recapture the serenity I needed. I had forgotten the child and was startled when she appeared.
"Hello, Mrs. P," she said. "Do you want to play?"
"What did you have in mind?" I asked, with a twinge of annoyance.
"I don't know, you say."
"How
The tinkling laughter burst forth again. "I don't know what that is."
"Then let's just walk." Looking at her, I noticed the delicate fairness
of her face. "Where do you live?" I asked.
"Over there." She pointed toward a row of summer cottages. Strange, I thought, in winter.
"Where do you go to school?"
"I don't go to school. Mommy says we're on vacation." She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind was on other things. When I left for home, Wendy said it had been a happy day.
Feeling surprisingly better, I smiled at her and agreed. Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic. I was in no mood to even greet Wendy. I thought I saw her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home.
"Look, if you don't mind," I said crossly when Wendy caught up with me, "I'd rather be alone today."
She seems unusually pale and out of breath.
"Why?" she asked.
I turned to her and shouted, "Because my mother died!" and thought, my God, why was I saying this to a little child?
"Oh," she said quietly, "then this is a bad day."
"Yes, and yesterday and the day before and-oh, go away!"
"Did it hurt? "
"Did what hurt?" I was exasperated with her, with myself.
"When she died?" "Of course it hurt!" I snapped, misunderstanding, wrapped up in myself. I strode off.
A month or so after that, when I next went to the beach, she wasn't there. Feeling guilty, ashamed and admitting to myself I missed her, I went up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door. A drawn looking young woman with honey-colored hair opened the door.#p#分页标题#e#
"Hello," I said. "I'm Ruth Peterson. I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was."
"Oh yes, Mrs. Peterson, please come in" "Wendy talked of you so much.
I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance, please, accept my apologies."
"Not at all-she's a delightful child," I said, suddenly realizing that I meant it. "Where is she?"
"Wendy died last week, Mrs. Peterson. She had leukemia. Maybe she didn't tell you." Struck dumb, I groped for a chair. My breath caught.
"She loved this beach; so when she asked to come, we couldn't say no.
She seemed so much better here and had a lot of what she called happy days. But the last few weeks, she declined rapidly..." her voice faltered.
"She left something for you...if only I can find it. Could you wait a moment while I look?"
I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for something, anything, to say to this lovely young woman. She handed me a smeared envelope, with MRS. P printed in bold, childish letters. Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues-a yellow beach, a blue sea, and a brown bird. Underneath was carefully printed: A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY
Tears welled up in my eyes, and a heart that had almost forgotten to love opened wide. I took Wendy's mother in my arms. "I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," I muttered over and over, and we wept together.
The precious little picture is
相关单词：glided
glided解释：v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔
glided例句：
The President's motorcade glided by. 总统的车队一溜烟开了过去。
They glided along the wall until they were out of sight. 他们沿着墙壁溜得无影无踪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：depressed
depressed解释：adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的
depressed例句：
When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。
相关单词：giggle
giggle解释：n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说
giggle例句：
Both girls began to giggle.两个女孩都咯咯地笑了起来。
All that giggle and whisper is too much for me.我受不了那些咯咯的笑声和交头接耳的样子。
相关单词：giggled
giggled解释：v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )
giggled例句：
The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：scouts
scouts解释：侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员
scouts例句：
to join the Scouts 参加童子军
The scouts paired off and began to patrol the area. 巡逻人员两个一组，然后开始巡逻这个地区。
相关单词：ailing
ailing解释：v.生病
ailing例句：
They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。
相关单词：gathering
gathering解释：n.集会，聚会，聚集
gathering例句：
He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
相关单词：chilly
chilly解释：adj.凉快的，寒冷的
chilly例句：
I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。
相关单词：serenity
serenity解释：n.宁静，沉着，晴朗
serenity例句：
Her face,though sad,still evoked a feeling of serenity.她的脸色虽然悲伤，但仍使人感觉安详。
She escaped to the comparative serenity of the kitchen.她逃到相对安静的厨房里。
相关单词：annoyance
annoyance解释：n.恼怒，生气，烦恼
annoyance例句：
Why do you always take your annoyance out on me?为什么你不高兴时总是对我出气？
I felt annoyance at being teased.我恼恨别人取笑我。
相关单词：charades
charades解释：n.伪装( charade的名词复数 )；猜字游戏
charades例句：
She and her three brothers played charades. 她和3个兄弟玩看手势猜字谜游戏。 来自辞典例句
A group of children were dressed to play charades. 一群孩子穿着夜礼服在玩字迷游戏。 来自辞典例句
相关单词：sarcastically
sarcastically解释：adv.挖苦地，讽刺地
sarcastically例句：
'What a surprise!' Caroline murmured sarcastically.“太神奇了!”卡罗琳轻声挖苦道。
Pierce mocked her and bowed sarcastically. 皮尔斯嘲笑她，讽刺地鞠了一躬。
相关单词：tinkling
tinkling解释：n.丁当作响声
tinkling例句：
I could hear bells tinkling in the distance. 我能听到远处叮当铃响。
To talk to him was like listening to the tinkling of a worn-out musical-box. 跟他说话，犹如听一架老掉牙的八音盒子丁冬响。 来自英汉文学
相关单词：forth
forth解释：adv.向前；向外，往外
forth例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
相关单词：pointed
pointed解释：adj.尖的，直截了当的
pointed例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
相关单词：chattered
chattered解释：（人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤
chattered例句：
They chattered away happily for a while. 他们高兴地闲扯了一会儿。
We chattered like two teenagers. 我们聊着天，像两个十多岁的孩子。
相关单词：exasperated
exasperated解释：adj.恼怒的
exasperated例句：
We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。
相关单词：drawn
drawn解释：v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
drawn例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
相关单词：delightful
delightful解释：adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的
delightful例句：
We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。
相关单词：faltered
faltered解释：（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃
faltered例句：
He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
"Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”
相关单词：racing
racing解释：n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的
racing例句：
I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
相关单词：smeared
smeared解释：弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上
smeared例句：
The children had smeared mud on the walls. 那几个孩子往墙上抹了泥巴。
A few words were smeared. 有写字被涂模糊了。
相关单词：underneath
underneath解释：adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面
underneath例句：
Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。
