Seventy years ago I was quite a small little girl, the baby of the family, with an older brother and sister. My father was very ill at the time, and my mother took in sewing of any kind so we could live. She would sew far into the night with nothing but dim gas mantles¹ and an old treadle sewing machine. She never complained even when the fire would be low and the food very scarce². She would sew until early hours of morning. Things were very bad that particular winter. Then a letter came from where her sewing machine was purchased, stating that they would have to pick up her machine the next day unless payments were brought up to date. I remember when she read the letter I became frightened; I could pic－ture us starving to death and all sorts of things that could come to a child’s mind. My mother did not appear to be worried, however, and seemed to be quite calm about the matter. I, on the other hand, cried myself to sleep, wondering what would become of our family. Mother said God would not fail her, that he never had. I couldn’t see how God was going to help us keep this old sewing machine.
　　 The day the men were to come for our only means of support, there was a knock at the kitchen door. I was frightened as a child would be, for I was sure it was those dreaded men. Instead, a nicely dressed man stood at our door with a darling baby in his arms.
　　 He asked my mother if she was Mrs Hill. When she said she was, he said, “I’m in trouble this morning and you have been recommended by the druggist³ and grocer down the street as an honest and wonderful woman. My wife was rushed to the hospital this morning, and since we have no relatives here, and I must open my dentist⁴ office, I have nowhere to leave my baby. Could you possibly take care of her for a few days?” He continued, “I will pay you in advance.” With this he took out ten dollars and gave it to my mother.
　　 When the man left, Mother turned to me with tears streaming down the face that looked as though a light was shining on it. She said, “I knew God would never let them take away my machine.”
　　


　　七十年前，我还是一个很小的女孩，是我们家年龄最小的成员。家里有一个哥哥和一个姐姐。那时候，父亲病得很重，母亲做裁缝活儿，什么东西都做，以便我们能够生存下去。她做活总是做得很晚，只有一盏昏黄的煤气灯和一台旧式的缝纫机陪着她。她从来没有抱怨过，即使是在灯光微弱、食物缺乏的时候。她总是忙到凌晨才去歇息。
　　 那年冬天，情况变得更加艰难。有一天，从她购买缝纫机的地方寄来了一封信，声称他们第二天就要把她的缝纫机收回去，除非欠款能按时付清。我记得当她读那封信的时候，我非常害怕；我能够想像我们饿死时的情景，以及一个孩子所能想像出来的所有恐怖的事情。我的母亲没有表现出一点忧虑的样子，对于眼前的麻烦，她似乎相当镇定。相反，我是哭着去睡觉的，心里还在想着不知道会有什么可怕的灾难降临到我们家。母亲说上帝不会让她失望的，他绝不会。我看不出上帝会怎样帮助我们保住这台旧式缝纫机。
　　 那天，那些人来收回我们惟一用来谋生的缝纫机，就在这时，我们听到厨房的门上传来敲门声。我很害怕，因为我确信肯定是那些可怕的人来了。但是站在门外的不是那些人，而是一位穿着考究的男士，他的怀里抱着一个可爱的婴儿。
　　 他问母亲是否是希尔夫人。听到她说“是的”之后，他就说：“今天早上我遇到了一些麻烦，街上的药材商和杂货商都向我推荐你，说你是位诚实可靠的好女人。我的妻子今天早晨被送进医院了，因为我们在这里没有亲戚，而我又必须经营我的牙科诊所，所以我必须找人照料孩子。你愿意帮我照料她几天吗？”他继续说，“我可以预先付款。”说着，他拿出10美元递给母亲。
　　 那个男人离开后，母亲脸上挂着晶莹的泪珠，转身面对着我。她说：“我知道上帝绝不会让他们拿走我的缝纫机的。”
　　空山冷雨 摘译自Memories in Life