by Kathy Anne Pippig

It was the weekend after Thanksgiving and Louise walked her black-and-tan 1）Cocker mix through the hilly woods of her property out back. It was a cool morning with 2）wispy fog trailing over the grass and 3）threading through the trees.

Before they left the house， Louise put a yellow jacket on her furry companion. The doggies name was Daisy and she didnt take well to the cold. Louise liked to dress Daisy in bright colors， because it made spotting her easier if she chased a ball into the nearby bush and trees.

Just yesterday the last of her visitors， her daughter and grandson， had flown home. As it was whenever family visited， upon their absence， Louise became a bit lonely. Spending 4）quality time with Daisy chased those blue feelings away.

Daisy brought an old tennis ball she found in the 5）shrubs to Louise. 6）Prancing on her front legs， the little dog panted happily， waiting. Muttering loving words to her furry girl， Louise bent down and took the ball， then threw it into a thicket of young evergreens. Daisy trotted after it， tail high and wagging.

When Daisy didnt return， Louise decided to find out what was keeping her. She wasnt far into the woods when she heard the screech of car brakes. Concern hurried her steps and as Louise crested a hill， at the bottom， shrouded by fog， a patch of yellow caught her gaze. When she reached the dirt road she saw the still body of her precious Daisy.

Her little girl was still breathing. Louise gathered her up and in a matter of minutes was driving to Daisys vet. It was a half an hour drive and during that time Louise kept checking her furry girl.

When Louise swept into the office， Daisy 7）whined and it tore through Louises heart. The vet took them right in and after a quick examination he 8）confided that it would be best to put Daisy down. She was beyond a vets ability to heal her.

Later， in agony， Louise left the pet hospital sobbing in disbelief and grief.

Two weeks later Louise drove back to the vets office to pay the bill. She had left so upset she forgot to pay the money she owed for Daisys final visit.

那是在感恩節(jié)后的那個(gè)周末，路易絲帶著她的黑棕色混種可卡犬散步穿過(guò)屋子后面多山的小樹(shù)林。那是個(gè)微寒的早上，薄霧掃過(guò)青草，穿過(guò)林木。

在她們動(dòng)身離家之前，路易絲為她那個(gè)毛茸茸的伙伴穿上了一件黃色外套。這只狗狗的名字叫黛西，她有點(diǎn)怕冷。路易絲喜歡給黛西穿上顏色鮮艷的衣服，因?yàn)檫@樣的話，在黛西追逐球兒跑進(jìn)附近樹(shù)叢的時(shí)候，她就能輕易看到她了。

就在昨天，她的最后一群訪客——她的女兒和外孫乘飛機(jī)回家了。每次家人造訪而離開(kāi)后，路易絲也會(huì)感到一絲孤單。和黛西一起好好玩樂(lè)能將那些愁悶的情緒驅(qū)散。

黛西將她在灌木叢里找到的一個(gè)舊網(wǎng)球帶給路易絲。她立起前腿，歡快地喘著氣，等待著。路易絲一邊對(duì)這個(gè)毛茸茸的“小姑娘”咕噥著親昵的話，一邊彎下腰，接過(guò)網(wǎng)球，接著把球扔進(jìn)了一叢小常青樹(shù)中。黛西一路小跑追著球，尾巴翹得高高的，不停地?cái)[動(dòng)。

黛西沒(méi)有跑回來(lái)，于是路易絲決定去看看發(fā)生了什么事。她走進(jìn)樹(shù)叢沒(méi)多遠(yuǎn)就聽(tīng)到了急剎車聲。焦慮使她加快了腳步，當(dāng)路易絲跑上一個(gè)小山丘，在霧氣的掩映下，山腳的一抹黃色映入到她眼中。當(dāng)她走到那條泥路上，她看到了自己心愛(ài)的黛西那僵硬的身軀。

她的“小姑娘”還有呼吸。路易絲把她蜷縮抱起，幾分鐘后就駕著車往獸醫(yī)診所奔去。路上車開(kāi)了半個(gè)小時(shí)，期間，路易絲不停地察看她的狗狗。

當(dāng)路易絲沖進(jìn)診所時(shí)，黛西發(fā)出痛苦的哀鳴，這讓路易絲心碎不已。獸醫(yī)把她們請(qǐng)了進(jìn)去，在迅速地為黛西檢查過(guò)后，他表示最好還是把黛西人道毀滅了。獸醫(yī)對(duì)她的傷已經(jīng)無(wú)能為力了。

隨后，在極大的痛苦之中，路易絲帶著難以置信和悲痛的心情低泣著離開(kāi)了寵物醫(yī)院。

兩周后，路易絲駕車回到獸醫(yī)診所付賬。當(dāng)時(shí)她太難過(guò)了，都忘了為黛西的最后一次檢查結(jié)賬了。

Louise told the desk clerk what she was there for. The lady behind the counter shook her head，“Theres no charge. I am so sorry， Louise！”

She stood up and stretched over the counter to hug the older woman. Louise started to thank her but sobs knotted the words in her throat.

Just then， the bell above the door jingled as a man and woman stepped into the waiting room. Trembling in the mans arms was a small， older dog. His 9）lineage was questionable.

The couple walked up to the counter and hurriedly explained why they were there. Their father had passed away the day before. The dog was his and they didnt know what to do with it.

Louise looked over to see the dogs eyes darting around the room nervously. Poor thing was scared to death. He started to 10）whimper softly and the lonely sound of it tore at her heart.

“Whats his name？” she said to the couple.

“Preston” the man muttered. The vet entered the room and the man handed a bottle of pills and the dog over. Without another word， the two walked out the door.

“Oh， let me hold him，” Louise stuttered. She gazed at the old dog through tear washed eyes—tears for her Daisy， tears for this abandoned soul with no one to 11）croon and caress the trembles away.

The vet placed the furry little guy in Louises arms and then studied the bottle of medicine. It held half a bottle of 12）thyroid pills.

“Louise，” he said. “Let me examine him， run some tests， then hes all yours.”

A month later， Louise returned for more thyroid medicine. Preston followed smartly behind her on his leash. The vet greeted her. Joy suffused her expression as she told him how happy she was with Preston in her life. Then， suddenly， tears flooded her eyes. He asked why she was crying.

“Last month a small， old dog was 13）at everyones mercy and unwanted. I am an older woman and I could just as easily be at someones mercy， unwanted and alone. I had thought a younger dog would suit me best， but that wasnt necessarily true. Grief and belief are powerful teachers.

“I will open my doors to other senior dogs in need of a home with a 14）kindred spirit. I will touch more lives this way and my life will be enriched 15）beyond measure for the love I will share.” Louise then glanced down at Preston.“You know， sometimes we see more clearly through tear washed eyes.”

路易絲對(duì)接待人員說(shuō)了她來(lái)的目的。柜臺(tái)后的女子搖著頭說(shuō)：“那是免費(fèi)的。真抱歉，路易絲！”

她站了起來(lái)，把手伸出柜臺(tái)擁抱年長(zhǎng)的路易絲。路易絲開(kāi)始對(duì)她表示謝意，但嗚咽哽塞，感激難以言說(shuō)。

就在這時(shí)，門鈴響了起來(lái)，一對(duì)男女走進(jìn)了候診室。在男子懷中顫抖著的是一條瘦小的老狗，血統(tǒng)難以辨認(rèn)。

這一男一女走到柜臺(tái)前，匆忙地說(shuō)出他們到這里來(lái)的原因。他們的父親在前天去世了。這條狗是他們父親的，他們不知道該如何處置。

路易絲放眼望過(guò)去，看到狗的眼睛不安地掃視著房間。這可憐的東西嚇得要死。他開(kāi)始輕聲嗚咽起來(lái)，那孤獨(dú)的叫聲撕痛了她的心。

“他叫什么名字??？”她對(duì)那對(duì)男女說(shuō)道。

“普雷斯頓”男子咕噥道。獸醫(yī)走進(jìn)了房間，男子就把藥罐子和狗遞了過(guò)去。兩人一句話也沒(méi)說(shuō)，就走出門外。

“噢，讓我抱抱他，”路易絲結(jié)結(jié)巴巴地說(shuō)道。她透過(guò)淚水洗刷過(guò)的雙眼凝視著這條年邁的狗，那淚水是為了她的黛西，為了這個(gè)被遺棄的、得不到別人的輕哄愛(ài)撫來(lái)驅(qū)走焦慮的靈魂而流的。

獸醫(yī)將這個(gè)毛茸茸的小東西放到路易絲懷中，然后研究起瓶中的藥來(lái)。里面裝著的是半罐子治療甲狀腺疾病的藥。

“路易絲，”他說(shuō)道?！白屛姨嫠鲆幌聶z查吧，完了他就屬于你了?！?/p>

一個(gè)月后，路易絲再次來(lái)到診所，開(kāi)了更多治療甲狀腺疾病的藥。普雷斯頓拴著皮帶機(jī)靈地跟在她后面。獸醫(yī)向她詢問(wèn)情況。當(dāng)她告訴他生活中有了普雷斯頓是多么快樂(lè)的時(shí)候，言語(yǔ)中充滿了歡樂(lè)。接著，突然間，淚水充滿了她的雙眼。獸醫(yī)就問(wèn)她怎么哭了？

“上個(gè)月，一條瘦小的老狗任人處置，無(wú)人想要。我是個(gè)老嫗，很容易也會(huì)落得如此任人處置、無(wú)人想要和孤獨(dú)的田地。我原以為年紀(jì)小一點(diǎn)的狗會(huì)最適合我，但原來(lái)不一定如此。悲痛與信念能給人有力的教誨。

“我將為其他年邁的、需要家的、同病相憐的狗狗打開(kāi)我的大門。我將以這種方式接觸更多的生命，而我的人生將因我分享愛(ài)而變得格外富足?！彪S后路易絲低頭看著普雷斯頓?！澳阒腊桑袝r(shí)候，透過(guò)淚水洗刷過(guò)的雙眼，我們能看得更清楚?！?img src="https://cimg.fx361.com/images/2018/07/08/qkimagesfkyyfkyy201305fkyy20130514-4-l.jpg"/>