The author finds out that good intentions alone are not enough when his attempt to be kind to an old man leaves them both feeling worse than before.
The Sampler
In a certain store where they sell puddings, a number of these delicious things are laid out in a row during the Christmas season. Here you may select the one which is most to your taste, and you are even allowed to sample them before coming to a decision.
I have often wondered whether some people, who had no intention of making a purchase, would take advantage of this privilege. One day I asked this question of the shop girl, and I learned it was indeed the case.
"Now there's one old gentleman, for instance," she told me, "he comes here almost every week and samples each one of the puddings, though he never buys anything, and I suspect he never will. I remember him from last year before that, too. Well, let him come if he wants it, and welcome to it. And what's more, I hope there are a lot more stores where he can go and get his share. He looks as if he needed it all right, and I suppose they can afford it."
She was still speaking when an elderly gentleman limped up to the counter and began looking closely at the row of puddings with great interest.
"Why, that's the very gentleman I've been telling you about," whispered the shop girl." Just watch him now." And then turning to him:" Would you like to sample them, sir? Here's spoon for you to use."
The elderly gentleman, who was poorly but neatly dressed, accepted the spoon and began eagerly to sample one after another of the puddings, only braking off occasionally to wipe his red eyes with a large torn handkerchief.
"This is quite good."
"This is not bad either, but a little too heavy."
All the time it was quite evident that he sincerely believed that he might eventually buy one of these puddings, and I am positive that he did not for a moment feel that he was in any way cheating the store. Poor old chap! Probably he had come down in the world and this sampling was all that was left him from the time when he could afford to come and select his favorite pudding.
Amidst the crowd of happy, prosperous looking Christmas shoppers, the little black figure of the old man seemed pitiful and out of place, and in a burst of benevolence, I went up to him and said:
"Pardon me, sir, will you do me a favor? Let me purchase you one of these puddings. It would give me such pleasure."
He jumped back as if he had been stung, and the blood rushed into his wrinkled face.
"Excuse me," he said, with more dignity than I would have thought possible considering his appearance, "I do not believe I have the pleasure of knowing you. Undoubtedly you have mistaken me for someone else." And with a quick decision he turned to the shop girl and said in a loud voice, "Kindly pack me up this one here. I will take it with me." He pointed at one of the largest and most expensive of the puddings.
The girl took down the pudding from its stand and started to make a parcel of it, while he pulled out a worn little black pocketbook and began counting out shillings and pennies on to the counter. To save his "honour" he had been forced into a purchase which he could not possibly afford. How I longed for the power to unsay my tactless words! It was too late though, and I felt that the kindest thing I could do now would be walk away.
"You pay at the desk," the shop girl was telling him, but he did not seem to understand and kept trying to put the coins into her hand. And that was the last I saw or the old man. Now he can never go there to sample pudding any more.
NEW WORDS
author
n. the writer of a book, article, play, poem, etc. 作者
intention
n. purpose 目的；意圖
sampler
n. one who finds out the quality of sth. by testing a part of it 品嘗家
pudding
n. 布?。ㄎ鞑椭幸环N松軟的甜點心）
delicious
a. tasting or smelling pleasant 美味的，可口的
select
vt. choose from a group 挑選
selection
n.
sample
vt. test a part of 品嘗
purchase
n. buying
vt. buy
advantage
n. sth. useful or helpful 利益，好處；優(yōu)點
privilege
n. special right given to a person 特權
instance
n. example, case 例子，實例
suspect
vt. feel doubt about; guess or suppose 懷疑；猜測
suspicion
n.
afford
vt. have the money for 擔負得起
elderly
a. near old age 上了年紀
limp
n. walk with an uneven step 跛行
counter
n. 柜臺
spoon
n. 調(diào)羹
eagerly
ad. with strong interest or impatient desire 熱切地，急切地
occasionally
ad. now and then; at times 偶爾；間或
occasional
a.
heavy
a. (of food, etc.) too rich to digest easily?。ㄊ澄锏龋┨湍伓灰紫?br /> evident
a. plain and clear (to the eye or mind) 明顯的，明白的
sincerely
ad. honestly 誠懇地
eventually
ad. in the end 終于，最終
positive
a. sure, certain 有把握的，確信的
cheat
vt. deceive 欺騙
chap
n. man; boy; fellow 男人；小伙子；家伙
amidst
prep. in the middle of; among 在...中間
crowd
n. 人群
prosperous
a. rich; successful 富裕的；成功的；昌盛的
prosperity
n.
figure
n. 外形，倫廓；體形
pitiful
a. making one feel pity 可憐的
benevolence
n. the desire to do good 仁慈
sting
vt. prick or hurt 刺，螫
wrinkle
v. (cause to) form into lines （使）起皺紋
dignity
n. calm and serious manner or style 尊嚴
appearance
n. that which can be seen; look 外表
pack
vt. put (things) into boxes, cases, etc. 把（東西）打包（或裝箱）
stand
n. （貨）架；（貨攤）
worn
a. damaged by use or wear 破爛的，損壞的
pocketbook
a. a wallet for money and personal papers 皮夾
shilling
n. 先令
long
vi. wish earnestly 渴望
unsay
vt. take back (sth. that has been said) 收回（說過的話）
tactless
a. 不策略的
coin
n. metal money 硬幣
PHEASES & EXPRESSIONS
lay out
spread out 陳列
in a row
side by side in a neat line 成一長行
to one's taste
in a way that one likes 合...口味，中...的意
take advantage of
use (sth.) for one's own benefit 利用
for instance
for example
and what's more
also, and more importantly 而且，更重要的是
all right
certainly; beyond doubt 確實，無疑地
break off
pause 中止，中斷
come down (in the world)
become poor; lose social position 落泊，潦倒；失勢
out of place
improper (for one's surroundings) 不適當?shù)?；不相稱的
do sb. a favo(u)r
do sth. kind to sb. 給某人以恩惠；幫某人忙
mistake...for
think wrongly that (sth. or sb.) is (sth. or sb. else) 把...錯認為
pull out
take out 抽出，取出
count out
count (things) one by one 逐一數(shù)出
long for
wish very much for 渴望
