One very cold day， in Edinburgh， I was standing at the door of a hotel.

A little boy with a thin blue face， his feet bare and red with the cold， and with nothing to cover him but a bundle of rags， came to me and said：“Please， sir， buy some matches.”

“No， I don’t want any.”I answered.

“But they are only a penny a box.”plead- ed the poor little fellow.

“Yes， but you see， I don’t want a box.”I said again.

“Then I will give you two boxes for a pen- ny.”the boy said.

At last， I decided to buy a box to get rid of him.

Then， finding I had no change， I said to him，“I will buy a box tomorrow.”

“Oh， please buy them tonight.”the boy pleaded again： “I will run and get you the change， for I am very hungry.”

So I gave him a shilling， and he started away. I waited for him， but no boy came.

I thought I had lost my shilling. Still， there was something in the boy’s face I trusted， and I did not like to think bad of him.

Late in the evening， I was told that a little boy wanted to see me. I found， when he was brought in， it was a smaller brother of the boy who took my shilling.

那是非常冷的一天，在愛丁堡，我站在一家旅館門前。

一個(gè)小男孩向我走來，瘦削的小臉凍得發(fā)青，沒穿鞋的雙腳凍得發(fā)紅，身上只穿著破爛的衣服。他對(duì)我說：“先生，請(qǐng)買些火柴吧?！?/p>

“不了，我不需要?！蔽一卮鸬馈?/p>

“但是一盒只要一便士啊?！笨蓱z的小家伙懇求道。

“是的，但你看見了，我不需要?！蔽以俅尉芙^了他。

“那我一便士賣您兩盒。”小男孩說。

最后，為了擺脫他，我決定買一盒。

后來，我發(fā)現(xiàn)自己沒帶零錢，就對(duì)他說：“我明天再買吧?！?/p>

“哦，請(qǐng)今晚就買吧。”男孩再次懇求道，“我可以跑去給您換零錢，我實(shí)在是太餓了?！?/p>

所以我給了他一先令，然后他拿著錢跑開了。我在那等著他，但那個(gè)男孩沒有回來。

我想我上當(dāng)了。但他臉上有種讓人信任的神情，我不想把他想成那種人。

晚上很晚的時(shí)候，有人告訴我一個(gè)小男孩想見我。當(dāng)他被帶進(jìn)來的時(shí)候，我發(fā)現(xiàn)他不是拿我先令的那個(gè)，但可以看出是那個(gè)男孩的弟弟。

He stood for a moment， diving into his rags as if he were seeking something， and then said： “Are you the gentleman who bought the matches from Sandy.”

“Yes.”

“Well， then， here are four pence out of your shilling. Sandy cannot come. He’s very sick. A cart ran over him and knocked him down.

He lost his cap and matches and seven pence of your money. Both his legs were bro-ken， and the doctor says he’ll die， and that’s all.”

I fed the little fellow， and then went with him to see Sandy. I found that the two children lived almost alone， for their father and mother were dead.

Poor Sandy was lying on a bundle of shav-ings. He knew me as soon as I went in， and said：

“I got the change， sir， and was coming back， but the horse knocked me down， and both of my legs are broken！

Oh， Reuby！ Little Reuby！ I’m sure I’m dying， and who will take care of you when I am gone？ What will you do， Reuby？”

Then I took him by the hand， and said：“I would always take care of Reuby.”

He understood me， and had just strength enough to look up to me as if to thank me. Then the light went out of his eyes. In a mo-ment， Sandy died.

This story ought to pierce many a heart， old and young.

Whenever you are tempted to say what is not true， or to be unkind to others， or to take what you ought not to take， remember little Sandy.

他站了一會(huì)兒，把手伸進(jìn)口袋，似乎在找些什么，然后他說：“你是從珊迪那買了火柴的先生嗎？”

“是的?！?/p>

“那真是太好了，這是給您那一先令找的四便士。珊迪來不了了。他病得很重。一輛馬車把他撞倒了，從他身上軋了過去。

他弄丟了帽子、火柴和你的七便士。他的兩條腿都斷了，醫(yī)生說他要死了……我說完了?！?/p>

我給這個(gè)小家伙弄了點(diǎn)吃的，然后和他一起去看珊迪。我發(fā)現(xiàn)這兩個(gè)孩子孤苦無依，他們的父母都已經(jīng)去世了。

可憐的珊迪正躺在一捆木刨片做的床上。我一進(jìn)來他就察覺到了，他說：

“我拿到零錢了，先生，我正打算回去的，但是一匹馬把我撞倒了，現(xiàn)在我的兩條腿都斷了！

哦，利比！小利比！我肯定要死了，但是我死了后誰來照顧你??？你怎么辦啊，利比？”

我握住他的手，說：“我會(huì)一直照顧利比的?！?/p>

他明白我的意思，用僅有的一絲力氣看向我，好像要對(duì)我表示感激。然后他眼睛里的光消失了。不一會(huì)兒，他死了。

這個(gè)故事應(yīng)該會(huì)打動(dòng)不少人的心，無論老少。

當(dāng)你想說謊，或者待人不友好，或者拿不該拿的東西，記住小珊迪吧。