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 with gold and necks of bright enamel. I had never seen anything so lovely.
I examined the handle and saw a name engraved among the golden scrolls. 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 for 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 lithe girl's Christmas presents.
My last job ended the day before Christmas, my thirty-dollar rent was soon due, and 1 had fifteen dollars to my name--which Peggy and I would need for food.
She was home from convent boarding school and was excitedly looking forward to her gifs next day, which I had already Purchased. I had bough 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
God and 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 me. For the first time in my life, I doubted the existence and 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 there 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 her. 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 nigh 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 at it. I put Peggy to bed and set up her gifts around the tree and a sweet peace flooded me like a benediction. I had some hope again. I could even examine the sheaf of bills without cringing.
相关单词：bleakest
bleakest解释：阴冷的( bleak的最高级 )； （状况）无望的； 没有希望的； 光秃的
bleakest例句：
This is the bleakest novel I've ever read. 这是我读过的小说中最乏味的一本。
Relax! When things appear at their bleakest. 放松！当情况显得凄凉的时候。
相关单词：enamel
enamel解释：n.珐琅，搪瓷，瓷釉；(牙齿的)珐琅质
enamel例句：
I chipped the enamel on my front tooth when I fell over.我跌倒时门牙的珐琅质碰碎了。
He collected coloured enamel bowls from Yugoslavia.他藏有来自南斯拉夫的彩色搪瓷碗。
相关单词：engraved
engraved解释：v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中）
engraved例句：
The silver cup was engraved with his name. 银杯上刻有他的名字。
It was prettily engraved with flowers on the back. 此件雕刻精美，背面有花饰图案。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：scrolls
scrolls解释：n.（常用于录写正式文件的）纸卷( scroll的名词复数 )；卷轴；涡卷形（装饰）；卷形花纹v.（电脑屏幕上）从上到下移动（资料等），卷页( scroll的第三人称单数 )；（似卷轴般）卷起；（像展开卷轴般地）将文字显示于屏幕
scrolls例句：
Either turn it off or only pick up selected stuff like wands, rings and scrolls. 把他关掉然后只捡你需要的物品，像是魔杖(wand)，戒指(rings)和滚动条(scrolls)。 来自互联网
Ancient scrolls were found in caves by the Dead Sea. 死海旁边的山洞里发现了古代的卷轴。 来自辞典例句
相关单词：decided
decided解释：adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
decided例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
相关单词：locker
locker解释：n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人
locker例句：
At the swimming pool I put my clothes in a locker.在游泳池我把衣服锁在小柜里。
He moved into the locker room and began to slip out of his scrub suit.他走进更衣室把手术服脱下来。
相关单词：retrieving
retrieving解释：n.检索（过程），取还v.取回( retrieve的现在分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息）
retrieving例句：
Ignoring all, he searches the ground carefully for any cigarette-end worth retrieving. 没管打锣的说了什么，他留神的在地上找，看有没有值得拾起来的烟头儿。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
Retrieving the nodules from these great depths is no easy task. 从这样的海底深渊中取回结核可不是容易的事情。 来自辞典例句
相关单词：lithe
lithe解释：adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的
lithe例句：
His lithe athlete's body had been his pride through most of the fifty - six years.他那轻巧自如的运动员体格，五十六年来几乎一直使他感到自豪。
His walk was lithe and graceful.他走路轻盈而优雅。
相关单词：bough
bough解释：n.大树枝，主枝
bough例句：
I rested my fishing rod against a pine bough.我把钓鱼竿靠在一棵松树的大树枝上。
Every bough was swinging in the wind.每条树枝都在风里摇摆。
相关单词：whatsoever
whatsoever解释：adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么
whatsoever例句：
There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。
相关单词：steadily
steadily解释：adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地
steadily例句：
The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
相关单词：pretense
pretense解释：n.矫饰，做作，借口
pretense例句：
You can't keep up the pretense any longer.你无法继续伪装下去了。
Pretense invariably impresses only the pretender.弄虚作假欺骗不了真正的行家。
相关单词：joyously
joyously解释：ad.快乐地, 高兴地
joyously例句：
She opened the door for me and threw herself in my arms, screaming joyously and demanding that we decorate the tree immediately. 她打开门，直扑我的怀抱，欣喜地喊叫着要马上装饰圣诞树。
They came running, crying out joyously in trilling girlish voices. 她们边跑边喊，那少女的颤音好不欢快。 来自名作英译部分
相关单词：misery
misery解释：n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦
misery例句：
Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。
相关单词：heartily
heartily解释：adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很
heartily例句：
He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。
相关单词：benediction
benediction解释：n.祝福；恩赐
benediction例句：
The priest pronounced a benediction over the couple at the end of the marriage ceremony.牧师在婚礼结束时为新婚夫妇祈求上帝赐福。
He went abroad with his parents' benediction.他带着父母的祝福出国去了。
相关单词：cringing
cringing解释：adj.谄媚，奉承
cringing例句：
He had a cringing manner but a very harsh voice.他有卑屈谄媚的神情，但是声音却十分粗沙。
She stepped towards him with a movement that was horribly cringing.她冲他走了一步，做出一个低三下四，令人作呕的动作。
