A letter of reply is sometimes a most treasured thing.Here is a story that tells about this common and natural human sentiment1）。

　　The busiest woman in Labrador during one bitter cold Christmas not very long ago，was an Australian nurse by the name of Kate Austen.But Nurse Austen was not too busy to acknowledge with a long，friendly letter every gift of food or clothing received for distribution2） to the natives in that bleak and barren outpost of the north.Among the gifts was a box of knittings3） for children，knitted and sent by a woman in Toronto.

　　Nurse Austen，was busy，harassed4） and not feeling too well that winter.She could have written just ordinary routine notes of acknowledgement.But that was not her way.She sat down and wrote the woman in Toronto a real letter telling all about the village，and the names of the children who were wearing the knitted gloves and caps，and what they said when they got them，and how they looked when they wore them.She wanted the woman who had knitted and sent all those lovely knittings "to see how much happiness and warmth she had created."Not long after，she received the following answer from Canada.

　　Dear Miss Austen，

　　Your letter made me happy.I did not expect such a full return.I am eighty years old，and I am blind.There is little I can do except knit，and that is why I knit so many caps and sweaters and scarves.Of course I cannot write this，so my daughter－in－law is doing it for me.She also sewed the seams and made the buttonholes for the knitted things.

　　I know something of the work you are doing.At the age of nineteen I married a man who was going to China to be a missionary5）。For forty years，with an occasional year at home in America，we worked in China，and during that time our two sons and a daughter were born to us，of whom only one son survives.After forty years，my husband' s health began to fail.We returned to the States where he took charge of a settlement house in Brooklyn，New York.A surprising number of the problems we faced there were similar to problems we had met in China.When my husband died，I came to Toronto to live with my son and daughter－in－law.They are very good to me，and I pride myself that I am little trouble to them，though it is hard for a blind old lady to be sure of anything.

　　What I most wanted to say，my dear，is this.For sixty years I have been making up missionary packages of such clothing or food or medicine or books as I could collect.In various parts of the world and to various parts of the world I have sent them.Sometimes I have received a printed slip of acknowledgement from the headquarters depot6） or mission board，sometimes nothing.Occasionally I have been informed that my contribution was destined for7） Syria or Armenia or the upper Yangtze.But never before in all that time have I had a personal letter picturing the village and telling me who is wearing the clothing and what they said.I did not suppose t hat ever in my lifetime I should receive a letter like that.May God bless you.

　　Sincerely yours，

　　Laura N.Russell

　　珍貴的回信

　　回信有時是很珍貴的。這里有一個故事講述了人類的這種普遍自然的感情。

　　不久以前一個寒冷的圣誕節，在澳大利亞拉布拉多，有一位最忙碌的女人，她就是護士凱特?奧斯汀。可是，她再忙也要寫一封封長長的、親切的信，感謝為這個地處北澳大利亞邊區荒涼、貧困的村落寄來食品和衣服的每一位捐助者。在這些寄來的東西中，有一箱毛線編織品，是多倫多的一位婦女親手給孩子們織的。

　　這個冬天奧斯汀護士很忙，心情和身體都不太好，她本來可以隨便寫一封公文格式的感謝信，但她沒有這樣做。她坐下來好好地寫了一封信，告訴加拿大的那位婦女村里的情況，哪些孩子戴上了寄來的毛線手套和帽子，以及他們戴上新手套和新帽子時說的高興話和那種快活的樣子。奧斯汀要讓那位親手編織了這些可愛的毛線織物并把它們寄來的婦女"知道她創造了多少幸福和溫暖".不久，她收到了這封來自加拿大的回信。

　　親愛的奧斯汀小姐：

　　你的來信使我很高興，也非常出乎意料。我已經80歲了，而且雙目失明。我現在除了織些毛線物外，已做不了什么事情，所以我就織了許多帽子、外套和圍巾。當然，我也寫不了信，所以我請我的兒媳代筆，她還給我的織物縫接口和開紐孔。對你的工作，我有一些了解。我19歲那年，嫁給了一名去中國的傳教士。整整40年中，除了偶爾回美國一年半載外，我們一直在中國工作。在那期間，我們生了兩個兒子和一個女兒，但只活下來一個兒子。40年過去了，我丈夫的身體逐漸不行了。我們回到美國，我丈夫在紐約布魯克林負責一個居民區的事務。在那里我們碰到的一大堆問題和我們在中國碰到的情況是何等相似。我丈夫去世以后，我移居多倫多，和我的兒子、兒媳生活在一起。他們待我很好，我為我自己沒有給他們帶來太多麻煩而自豪。當然，對于一個上了年紀的盲人來講，做什么事都不太容易了。親愛的，我特別想告訴你，60年來我一直在為教會收集捐助的衣服、食物、藥品或書籍。我在世界各地將這些東西寄往世界各地，有時收到過有關組織總部或教會負責機構寄來的打印的短信，表示感謝，有時什么也沒有。偶爾也來信告知，我寄去的東西已分發到敘利亞，或亞美尼亞，或長江上游地區。可是從來沒有人給我寫過一封親筆信，給我描述一些村里的事，告訴我誰穿上了寄去的衣服，以及他們說了些什么。我萬萬沒有想到，在我的一生中竟會收到一封如此珍貴的回信。愿上帝保佑你。

　　你誠摯的勞拉?N?拉塞爾

　　注釋：

　　1. sentiment n. 情操， 情感，情緒

　　2. distribution n. 分配， 捐贈物，捐贈

　　3. knitting n. 編織品， 針織

　　4. harassed adj. 疲倦的

　　5. missionary n. 傳教士

　　6. depot n. 庫房， 倉庫

　　7. be destined for 預定，指定

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