25美元换来的快乐圣诞节
<p>一个11岁小孩辛苦打工挣下的25美元，原本想在圣诞夜给自己买双渴望已久的新靴子，但最终他还是改变了主意，用这25美元给一贫如洗的家里买了火鸡、火腿和许多其他好吃的东西……</p><p><span word="By">By</span> <span word="George">George</span> <span word="Mapson">Mapson</span></p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tail">tail</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="depression">depression</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="tough">tough</span>. <span word="Mum">Mum</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="raising">raising</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="kids">kids</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="community">community</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Westminster">Westminster</span>, <span word="BC">BC</span>. <span word="My">My</span> <span word="Dad">Dad</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="drowned">drowned</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Pitt">Pitt</span> <span word="Lake">Lake</span>, <span word="five">five</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="earlier">earlier</span> - <span word="I">I</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="remember">remember</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="yesterday">yesterday</span>. <span word="Because">Because</span> <span word="Dad">Dad</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="pension">pension</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="benefits">benefits</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="relief">relief</span>, <span word="now">now</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="social">social</span> <span word="assistance">assistance</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="relied">relied</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Salvation">Salvation</span> <span word="Army">Army</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="clothed">clothed</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="although">although</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="clothes">clothes</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="second">second</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="beautiful">beautiful</span>.</p><p><span word="Looking">Looking</span> <span word="back">back</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="realize">realize</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="Mum">Mum</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="sending">sending</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="kids">kids</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="school">school</span>. <span word="Every">Every</span> <span word="morning">morning</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="tuck">tuck</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="piece">piece</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="cardboard">cardboard</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="shoes">shoes</span>, <span word="because">because</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="soles">soles</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="worn">worn</span> <span word="out">out</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="home">home</span>, <span word="Mum">Mum</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="have">have</span> "<span word="French">French</span> <span word="Toast">Toast</span>" <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="us">us</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="bread">bread</span> <span word="deep">deep</span>-<span word="fried">fried</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="lard">lard</span>. <span word="Constant">Constant</span> <span word="moving">moving</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="typical">typical</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="family">family</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="times">times</span>. <span word="Rent">Rent</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="twenty">twenty</span>-<span word="five">five</span> <span word="dollars">dollars</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="month">month</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="Mum">Mum</span> <span word="couldn">couldn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="evicted">evicted</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="Christmas">Christmas</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="January">January</span>. <span word="These">These</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sad">sad</span> <span word="years">years</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="complained">complained</span>.</p><p><span word="Christmas">Christmas</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="approaching">approaching</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="entitled">entitled</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="twenty">twenty</span>-<span word="five">five</span> <span word="dollar">dollar</span> <span word="Christmas">Christmas</span> <span word="fund">fund</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="social">social</span> <span word="services">services</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Inspector">Inspector</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="house">house</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="searched">searched</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="hidden">hidden</span> <span word="away">away</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="any">any</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="issued">issued</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cheque">cheque</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Mum">Mum</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="Christmas">Christmas</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Mum">Mum</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="instead">instead</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="buying">buying</span> <span word="food">food</span>, <span word="she">she</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="rent">rent</span>, <span word="assuring">assuring</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="roof">roof</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="heads">heads</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="longer">longer</span>. <span word="She">She</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Christmas">Christmas</span>.</p>
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