Lesson Thirteen Christmas Day in the Morning
Pearl S. Buck
1. He woke suddenly and completely. It was four o'clock, the hour at which his father had always called him to get up and help with the milking. Strange how the habits of his youth clung to him still! His father had been dead for thirty years, and yet he still woke at four o'clock in the morning. But this morning, because it was Christmas, he did not try to sleep again.
2. Yet what was the magic of Christmas now? His childhood and youth were long past, and his own children had grown up and gone.
3. Yesterday his wife had said, "It isn't worthwhile, perhaps— "
4. And he had said, "Yes, Alice, even if there are only the two of us, let's have a Christmas of our own."
5. Then she had said, "Let's not trim the tree until tomorrow, Robert. I'm tired."
6. He had agreed, and the tree was still out by the back door.
7. He lay in his bed in his room.
8. Why did he feel so awake tonight? For it was still night, a clear and starry night. No moon, of course, but the stars were extraordinary! Now that he thought of it, the stars seemed always large and clear before the dawn of Christmas Day.
9. He slipped back in time, as he did so easily nowadays. He was fifteen years old and still on his father's farm. He loved his father. He had not known it until one day a few days before Christmas, when he had overheard what his father was saying to his mother.
10. "Mary, I hate to call Rob in the mornings. He's growing so fast, and he needs his sleep. I wish I could manage alone."
11. "Well, you can't, Adam." His mother's voice was brisk, "Besides, he isn't a child any more. It's time he took his turn."
12. "Yes," his father said slowly, "But I sure do hate to wake him."
13. When he heard these words, something in him woke: his father loved him! He had never thought of it before, taking for granted the tie of their blood. Now that he knew his father loved him, there would be no more loitering in the mornings and having to be called again. He got up, stumbling blind with sleep, and pulled on his clothes.
14. And then on the night before Christmas, he lay thinking about the next day. They were poor, and most of the excitement was in the turkey they had raised themselves and in the mince pies his mother made. His sisters sewed presents, and his mother and father always bought something he needed, a warm jacket, maybe, or a book. And he always saved and bought them each something, too.
15. He wished, that Christmas he was fifteen, he had a better present for his father instead of the usual tie from the ten-cent store. He lay on his side and looked out of his attic window.
16. "Dad," he had once asked when he was a little boy, "What is a stable?"
17. "It's just a barn," his father had replied, "like ours."
18. Then Jesus had been born in a barn, and to a barn the shepherds and the Wise Men had come, bringing their Christmas gifts!
19. A thought struck him like a silver dagger. Why should he not give his father a special gift, out there in the barn? He could get up earlier, creep into the barn and get all the milking done. And then when his father went in to start the milking, he'd see it all done.
20. He laughed to himself as he gazed at the stars. It was what he would do, and he mustn't sleep too soundly.
21. He must have waked twenty times, striking a match each time to look at his old watch.
22. At a quarter to three, he got up and crept downstairs, careful of the creaky boards, and let himself out. A big star hung low over the roof, a reddish gold. The cows looked at him, sleepy and surprised. It was early for them, too.
23. But they accepted him calmly and he brought some hay for each cow and then got the milking pail and the big milk cans.
24. He had never milked all alone before, but it seemed almost easy. He smiled and milked steadily, two strong streams rushing into the pail, frothing and fragrant. The cows were behaving well, as though they knew it was Christmas.
25. The task went more easily than he had ever known it to before. Milking for once was not a chore. It was a gift to his father. He finished, the two milk cans were full, and he covered them and closed the milk-house door carefully, making sure of the latch. He put the stool in its place by the door and hung up the clean milk pail. Then he went out of the barn and barred the door behind him.
26. Back in his room he had only a minute to pull off his clothes and jump into bed, before he heard his father get up. He put the covers over his head to silence his quick breathing. The door opened.
27. "Rob! " his father called. "We have to get up, son, even if it is Christmas."
28. "Aw-right," he said sleepily.
29. "I'll go on out," his father said. "I'll get things started."
30. The door closed and he lay still, laughing to himself. In just a few minutes his father would know. His dancing heart was ready to jump from his body.
31. The minutes were endless—ten, fifteen, he did not know how many—and he heard his father's footsteps again. The door opened.
32. "Rob!"
33. "Yes, Dad—"
34. "You son of a—" His father was laughing, a queer sobbing sort of a laugh. "Thought you'd fool me, did you?" His father was standing beside his bed, feeling for him, pulling away the cover.
35. He found his father and clutched him in a great hug. He felt his father's arms go around him. It was dark, and they could not see each other's faces.
36. "Son, I thank you. Nobody ever did a nicer thing—"
37. "It's for Christmas, Dad!"
38. He did not know what to say. His heart was bursting with love.
39. "Well. I guess I can go back to sleep," his father said after a moment. "No, come to think of it, son, I've never seen you children when you first saw the Christmas tree. I was always in the barn. Come on!"
40. He pulled on his clothes again, and they went down to the Christmas tree, and soon the sun was creeping up to where the star had been. Oh, what a Christmas morning, and how his heart had nearly burst again with shyness and pride as his father told his mother about how he, Rob, had got up all by himself.
41. "The best Christmas gift I ever had, and I'll remember it, son, every year on Christmas morning, as long as I live."
42. They had both remembered it, and now that his father was dead he remembered it alone: that blessed Christmas dawn when, along with the cows in the barn, he had made his first gift of true love. Outside the window now the stars slowly faded. He got out of bed and put on his slippers and bathrobe and went softly downstairs. He brought in the tree, and carefully began to trim it. It was done very soon. He then went to his library and brought the little box that contained his special gift to his wife, a diamond brooch, not large, but beautiful in design. But he was not satisfied. He wanted to tell her—to tell her how much he loved her.
43. How fortunate that he had been able to love! Ah, that was the true joy of life, the ability to love! For he was quite sure that some people were genuinely unable to love anyone. But love was alive in him; it still was.
44. It occurred to him suddenly that it was alive because long ago it had been born in him when he knew his father loved him. That was it: love alone could waken love.
45. And this morning, this blessed Christmas morning, he would give it to his beloved wife. He could write it down in a letter for her to read and keep forever. He went to his desk and began: My dearest love.
46. When it was finished, he sealed it and tied it on the tree. He put out the light and went tiptoing up the stairs. The stars in the sky were gone, and the first rays of the sun were gleaming in the east, such a happy, happy Christmas!
第十三课 圣诞节的早上
1 他猛然彻底醒了过来。四点钟，这个时候他的父亲总是会叫他起床，帮忙挤牛奶。令人奇怪的是，他年轻的时候的习惯任然保留着！他的父亲已经趋势三十年了，然而他任然会在清晨四点钟醒过来。但是因为今天是圣诞节，早晨他不想再睡了。
2 然而，现在圣诞节还有什么魅力呢？他的童年和青春过去很久了，他自己的孩子都已经长大并离开了他。
3 昨天他懂得妻子说：“圣诞节不值得过的，也许……”
4 他说道：“不，值得的，爱丽丝，即使只有我们两个人，我们也要过一个属于我们的圣诞节。”
5 然后她说：“罗伯特，我们明天再装饰圣诞树吧。我累了。”
6 他同意了，树任然放在外面，在后门旁。
7 他躺在自己房间的床上。
8 为什么今晚他会睡不着呢？因为这是一个寂静的夜晚，明朗的繁星之夜，当然没有月亮，但是星星很特别！他一想到这个，便觉得圣诞节黎明前的星星总是看起来很大很明亮。
9 他不知不觉地回想起了过去，进来他总是很容易回想过去。那年他15岁，任然在他父亲的农场。他爱他的父亲。直到圣诞节之前的某一天，当他无意中听到他父亲对他母亲所说的话他才意识到这一点。
10 “玛丽，我真的不想在早晨去叫醒罗布。他在长身体，需要睡眠。我希望我可以独自应付。”
11 “你一个人不行的，亚当。”母亲尖声叫地说，“另外，他不再是个孩子了。他该干活了。”
12 “是啊，”他父亲缓慢地说道：“但是我确实不想叫醒他。”
13 当听到这番话，他豁然醒悟到：父亲爱他！这他以前从未想到过，把他们的血缘关系当作理所当然的。既然知道父亲爱他，早上就不能再磨蹭，也不再让父亲叫起来。他于是起床，睡眼朦胧，磕磕碰碰，床上了他的衣服。
14 然后，在圣诞节前夜，他躺着思考着第二天的事情。他们家很穷，圣诞节最让他们激动的就是吃他们自己养的火鸡和他母亲做的馅饼。他的姐妹们自己缝制礼物，他的父母总是买一些他需要的东西，一件保暖的夹克，或是一本书。他也总是攒钱给他们每个人买东西。
15 那年圣诞节他十五岁，他希望送给父亲一份好点的礼物，而不是从便宜的商店买来的普通的领带。他侧躺着，从阁楼的窗户向外看。
16 “爸爸，”当他还是小孩子的时候曾经问过，“马厩是什么？”
17 “就是牲口棚，”父亲答道,“就像我们家的那个。”
18 耶稣就是在马厩里降生的，牧羊人和圣人们都呆着他们的圣诞礼物来到马厩！
19 一个想法想银色的匕首触动了他，为什么不在牲口棚送给父亲意见特别的礼物？他可以早点起床，悄悄溜进牲口棚，把牛奶都挤完。然后当父亲进去开始挤牛奶时，就会发现活都干完了。他凝视着星星，暗自笑了。他就要这样做，决不能睡得太死。
20 他醒了足有20次，每次醒来都划根火柴看看他那块旧表。
21 差一刻钟三点，他起了床，悄悄下了楼，小心翼翼地不让地板发出吱吱的声音，然后走了出去。一颗很大的星星低悬在屋顶上空，发出淡红色的金光。奶牛瞅瞅他，睡意未尽，有些吃惊。对它们来说,时间太早了。
22 但是它们平静地接受了他。他给每头牛都拿来干草，然后拿来奶桶和大奶罐。
23 他以前从未独自挤过奶，但是似乎这也相当容易。他笑了，不停地挤着奶，两股强劲的奶汁冲入奶桶，溅起了泡沫，散发出芳香。奶牛表现得也不错，好像它们知道那天是圣诞节。
24 这活儿干起来比他以前所知道的要更容易.第一次挤奶并非难事.这是他给父亲的礼物.他把活儿干完了,两只奶罐全满了,他把它们盖好了,小心翼翼的关上奶房的门,并确定是否闩好.他把凳子放在门边的原处,又把干净的奶桶灌好,然后走出牲口棚,闩上门.
25 回到他的房间，他立刻脱下衣服跳上床，因为他听到父亲起床了。他用被子蒙上头以掩饰他急促的呼吸声。门开了。
26 “罗布”父亲喊道。“该起床了，孩子，即使今天是圣诞节。”
27 “好——吧，”他带着困意答道。
28 “我先走了。”父亲说。“我先去干着。”
29 门关上了，他安静地躺着，暗自发笑。几分钟后父亲就会知道了。他那颗狂跳的心跳快要蹦出来了。时间一直在过去——10分钟、15分钟，他也不知道过了多少分钟——他又再次听到父亲的脚步声。门开了。
30 “罗布！”
31 “嗯，爸爸——”
32 “你这个——”父亲笑了，一种奇妙的带点儿哽咽的笑。“你以为你能骗我，是吗？”父亲站在床边，一边去摸他，一边掀开了被子。
33 他摸到父亲，紧紧地抱住他。他感到父亲的双臂也抱住额他。天色漆黑，他们看不到彼此的脸。
34 “孩子，谢谢你。没有人做过比这更好的事——”
35 “爸爸，这是圣诞礼物！”
36 他不知道说什么好。他的心里充满着爱。
37 “嗯。我想我可以回去睡觉了，”父亲过了会说道。“不，想起来了，孩子，我还从未在你们看着圣诞树前见到你们呢。我总是在牲口棚里。来吧！”
38 他又穿上衣服，和父亲一起来到圣诞树前，不久太阳便升起在原来那颗星星的位置。啊，多么美好的圣诞节的早晨啊！当父亲告诉母亲罗布是怎样独自起来的时候，他心里再次充满了害羞与自豪。
39 “这是我收到的最好的圣诞礼物。孩子，我会记住它的。只要我活着，每年圣诞节早晨我都会记起它。”
40 他和父亲一直都记得这件事，现在他父亲已经去世，他独自记得此事：那个幸福的圣诞节黎明，与奶牛在牲口棚里，他创造出表达自己真挚的爱的第一件礼物。现在窗外的星星逐渐消失了。他下了床，穿上拖鞋和浴衣，轻轻地下了楼。他把圣诞树拿进屋里，开始仔细地装饰。很快就弄好了。然后他去书房取来一只小盒子，里面装着他送给妻子的一份特别礼物——一枚钻石胸针。胸针不大，但是设计得很精美。可他并不满意。他想告诉她——告诉她他是多么爱她。
41 他能够爱他人是多么幸运啊！啊，能够爱他人才是人生真正的快乐！因为他确信有些人不能真正爱任何人。但他内心充满了爱，而且依然如故。
42 他突然想起，他之所以在心中充满爱，是因为在很久以前父亲对他的爱唤起了他心中的爱。是啊，爱本身能唤起爱。
43 这个早晨，这个幸福的圣诞节的早晨，他将把爱献给他的亲爱的妻子。他将把这份爱写在信中以便她阅读并永久保存。他走到桌前开始写道：我最亲爱的。
44 当信写完后，他把信封好，把它系在圣诞树上。他关上灯，踮着脚尖走上楼。天上的星星已经消失，东方露出第一缕阳光。多么幸福的一个圣诞节啊！
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