Bill, a thirteen-year-old boy, thought he had grown up to be a man. But his parents told him, “You won't be a real man until you begin to 1 helping others.”
One morning, his parents gave him some money to 2 some milk for them. Outside a shop he saw a homeless old man who looked very 3 . Bill went to him and asked, “What's wrong with you?”
The old man answered, “I'm hungry. I haven't had any food for two days.”
At the thought of his parents' words, Bill said to the old man, “Let's go to the 4 .”
When they got there, Bill asked the waiter to bring out bread and coffee to the old man. The old man finished the meal quickly. After the waiter 5 the plate and the cup, the old man said, “Sorry for giving you so much 6 . I'm fine now. I'll 7 forget your kindness! You are a very good young man.”
Bill was 8 when he heard this. Just when he wanted to pay for the meal, the waiter came. Bill and the old man learned 9 that the food was free 10 it was the birthday of the boss, and they were the first customers(顾客) that day.
A
In 1995, Oseola McCarty gave a present of $150, 000 to the University of Southern Mississippi. She wanted to help poor students. It was a very generous thing to do. But her friends and neighbors were surprised. McCarty was a good woman. She went to church. She was always friendly and helpful. But everyone in her town knew that McCarty was not rich. In fact, she was poor.
How did a poor 86-year-old woman have so much money? Oseola McCarty was born in 1908 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She had to leave school when she was eight years old to help her family. She took a job washing clothes. She earned only a few dollars a day. Oseola washed the clothes by hand. Then she hung the clothes to dry. She did this for nearly 80 years. In the 1960s, she bought an automatic washer and dryer. But she gave them away. She thought they did not get the clothes clean enough! At that time, many people started to buy their own washers and dryers. McCarty did not have much work, so she started to iron clothes instead.
McCarty never married or had children. Her life was very simple. She went to work and to church. She read her Bible(《圣经》). She had a black-and-white television. But she did not watch it very much. It had only one channel.
McCarty saved money all her life and eventually had about $250, 000. When she was 86, a lawyer helped her make a will. She left money to the church, her relatives, and the university. McCarty just wanted to help others. She thought she was not a special person. But then people found out about her present to the university. She received many honors(荣誉). She even flew in an airplane for the first time! Oseola McCarty died in 1999. She was a shy and ordinary woman who became famous.
B
When my son, Mark, was in the third grade, he saved all his pocket money for over three months to buy holiday presents. On the third Saturday in December Mark said he had made his list and had twenty dollars in his pocket.
I drove him to a nearby supermarket. Mark picked up a hand basket and went in while I waited and watched in the car. It took Mark over 45 minutes to choose his presents. Finally he came to the checkout counter(交款处) and reached into his pocket for his money. It was not there! There was a hole in his pocket, but no money. Mark stood there holding his basket, tears falling down his face.
Then a surprising thing happened. A woman came up to Mark and took him in her arms. “You would help me a lot if you let me pay for you,” said the woman. “It would be the most wonderful gift you could give me. I only ask that one day you will pass it on. When you grow up, I would like you to find someone you can help. When you help others, I know you will feel as good about it as I do now.”
Mark took the money, dried his tears and ran back to the checkout counter as fast as he could. That year we all enjoyed our gifts almost as much as Mark enjoyed giving them to us.
I would like to say “thank you” to that very kind woman, and tell her that four years later, Mark went house to house collecting blankets(毯子) and clothes for the homeless people in the fire. And I want to promise her that Mark will never forget to keep passing it on.
