追梦少年 A Boy with a Mission（第1页）

追梦少年ABoywithaMission

佚名Anonymous

In1945，a12-year-oldboysawsomethinginashopwindowthatsethisheartrag。Buttheprice—fivedollars—wasfarbeyondReubenEarle'smeans。Fivedollarswouldbuyalmostaweek'sgroily。

Reuben'taskhisfatherforthemMarkEarlemadewasthroughfishingis，Newfoundland，ada。Reuben'smother，Dora，stretchedlikeelastictofeedaheirfive。

&heless，heopeheshop'sweathereddooraiandingproudandstraightinhisflour-sackshirtarousers，hetoldtheshopkeeperwhathewanted，adding，“ButIdon'thavethemhtnoleaseholditformeforsometime?”

“I'lltry，”theshopkeepersmiled。“Folksaroundheredon'tusuallyhavethatkiospendonthings。Itshouldkeepforawhile。”

&fullytouchedhisaothesunlightwiththebayripplinginafresheningwind。Thereoseinhislopingstride。Hewouldraisethefivedollarsandnottellanybody。

&hesoundfromasidestreet，Reubenhadanidea。

&owardsthesoundaastrusite。Peoplebuilttheirownhomesis，usingnailspurhessiansaaloetimesthesacksweredistheflurryofbuilding，andReubenknewhecouldsellthembacktothefactoryforfivetsapiece。

Thatdayhefoundtwosacks，whichhetooktwoodenfadsoldtothemaninchargeofpaails。

Theboy'shandtightlyclutchedthefive-tpiecesasherawokilometershome。

Nearhishousestoodtheahathousedthefamily'sgoatsands。Reubenfoundarustysodatinanddroppedhisside。Thenhetotheloftofthebarnaihapileofsweetsmellinghay。

Itwasdiimewhehome。Hisfathersatatthebigkittable，wonafishi。Dorawasatthekitstove，readytoservediookhisplaceatthetable。

Helookedathismotherandsmiled。Sunlightfromthewindowgildedhershthblondehair。Slimaiful，shewasthee，thegluethatheldittogether。

Herchoreswerenever-ehesforherfamilyontheoldSireadlemaealsandbakiingandteablegarden，milkisandsgsoiledawashboard。Butshey。Herfamilyandtheirwell-beipriority。

Everydayafterdschool，Reubeowhehessiannailbags。Ohetwo-roomschoolmer，wasmhtedthanReuben。Nowhewouldhavemoretimeforhismission。

Allsummerloechoresathomeweedingahegarden，gwoodagwater—Reubeohissecrettask。

&oosoonthegardenwasharvested，thevegetablesdstored，andtheschoolreopeheleavesfellandthewindsblewdgustyfromthebay。Reubereets，diligentlyseargforhishessiantreasures。

Oftenhewascold，tiredandhungry，butthethoughtoftheobjetheshopwindowsustainedhim。Sometimeshismotherwouldask:“Reuben，wherewereyforyoutohavedinner。”

“Playing，Mum。Sorry。”

Dorawouldlookathisfadshakeherhead。Boys。

FinallyspringburstintreenandReuben'sspiritserupted。Thetimehade!Heranintothebarhehayloftaihesoutaot。

Theedagain。Hesmore。Couldtherebeanysacksleftaowofindfourahembeforethedayended。

Reubenrandow。

TheshadtheningwhenReubehefactory。Thesackbuyerwasabouttolockup。

“Mister!Pleasedon'tcloseupyet。”

&urnedandsawReuben，dirtyaained。

&omorrow，boy。”

&er。Ihavetosellthesaow—please。”ThemaremorinReuben'svoidcouldtellhewasclosetotears。

“Whydoyouhismoneysobadly?”

“It'sasecret。”

&ookthesacks，reatohispodputfourReuben'shand。Reubehankyouandranhome。

>hetin，heheadedfortheshop。

“Ihavethemoney，”hesolemnlytoldtheowner。

&tothewindowarievedReuben'streasure。

&hedustoffalyeditinbroer。TheheparReuben'shands。