睡觉，让我多皱的眼皮垂下来，就像太阳底下的老胖猫一样。为了让自己清醒，我眨了几下眼，将目光转向餐厅，插着黄玫瑰的银碗雅致地摆放在餐桌上，这都是为了庆祝我的86岁生日。亚麻制的桌布铺好了，我抚摸着，指尖上的感觉是那么舒服。沉甸甸的银器就在桌上，那一刻，我怀疑自己虚弱的老手能否抓得住它，不会出现这精美的瓷器摔落的令人尴尬的声音吧。说话声和宴会的准备声让我平静了许多，我爱抚着膝上这双丽贝卡的光滑而凉爽的新皮鞋，每一次抚摸，我都很放松，很愉悦。每一次抚摸，都让我回忆起很久以前的另一双新鞋。那时我才39岁吧？难以置信！ 1935年的一个炎热的午后，我站在花园里，好像听到有人叫我。
“夫人，您好，夫人！”
沙哑的声音让我很震惊，我很快转过身。站在篱笆旁的是一位年轻的男子，还不到20岁，一头凌乱的金发像个小男孩。他的衣服又脏又皱，我警惕地看着他。我常常看到粗糙、疲惫而孤独的男人从房子附近的围栏院子前经过。他们要么是从货轮上下来的，要么是城市的流浪者，要么是找工作的。我的杰克也在外面的某个地方。
“夫人，能让我喝口水吗？”
“进院子来吧。”我喊道，并指给他门外水龙头上挂着的瓷杯。我刚刚接了3桶水，准备浇园子用。我把水放在了太阳底下晒晒。现在水龙头还滴着水。
他大口吞饮，却慢慢咽下，接着，将水拍到脸上，用手把头发上的灰尘抹掉，又抹了抹他的后脖颈。他说：“感觉真好。” 算是以这种方式道了谢。当注意到太阳下的水桶时，他拘谨而尴尬地站在那里。
“我能为您分担什么工作吗？除草或是浇花？”
这是什么花园啊！豆类、番茄，在坚硬而干裂的土地上挣扎着生存，稀疏的草地也好不到哪去。我能让他做点什么呢？房子要重新粉刷，粉刷就要花钱，我却没有。在我向他摇头之前，我象征性地四处张望了一下。
当他倒在地上，双臂抱着头的时候，我感觉到他的劳累和绝望。我的心一下子揪了起来。我想，他可能是我的儿子，他的年龄与艾丽斯相仿。我知道他是饿了。我能给他点什么呢？冰箱里的东西太少了：一些牛奶、一块黄油，还有少许为晚餐准备的波罗尼亚香肠。
“进来吧，别在太阳底下了，坐在门廊上。” 我说，对自己这样直接的命令我感到很惊讶。“我给你拿些吃的。”在这些艰难的岁月中，我的情感有些交错，我不能信任自己，正如我不能忍受他眼中流露出的害羞一样。当我爬上楼梯回房时，我对自己很生气，气自己无能，气空空的食橱，气无情的干旱，气整个遭受苦难的村庄。
我狠狠地切下一块面包，猛地一下打开冰箱取出牛奶，拧下自制的果酱盖子，好像我狂乱的举动能够消除我的内疚感一样，因为我给他的东西太少了。当我端着食物走向门廊时，我看到花园附近的男孩，正在一个水桶里清洗他的衬衣。我放下这些根本不够的食物，回到了屋里。
虽然窗帘已经拉上了，但是房间还是很热，变成了一个满是黄光、不透风的盒子。我的印花衣服紧紧地贴在身上，湿了一片。每一块湿处，褪色的雏菊花都好像开了花一样。我瘫坐在扶手椅子上，将肿胀的双脚放在一个厚垫上。txt电子书分享平台
一双新鞋（2）
一阵纱门的剧烈拍打声惊醒了我。
“妈妈，你在哪儿？”
我挣扎着站起来，发现艾丽斯垂头丧气地坐在厨房的桌子旁。
“妈妈，艾克米店铺下星期要聘人了。” 她仰着头，凝视着我的脸，店主说女孩只要衣着整洁就能被雇佣。她的褐色眼睛寻找着我对了解她意思的肯定。“那就意味着长袜和一双正式的鞋。妈妈，看着我！” 她伸出脚，一双脏兮兮的跑步鞋。
出于本能，我扫了一眼自己穿的旧毡拖鞋。家里没有适合艾克米店铺标准的鞋子，也没有钱买一双新鞋。我的心感到很疼痛，让我的小孩去找工作，是多么愚蠢的事，我走到她的椅子旁，给了她一个拥抱，以此来安慰她。
“亲爱的，我们有整个星期的时间去解决。” 我吻了一下她柔软的头发，那上面还留有阳光的温暖。“或许会车到山前必有路呢。”
“妈妈，您常常这样说。总是期望，有用吗！”
直到开始准备晚餐，我才想起那个年轻人，我走向门廊去拿盘子。我假设着，如果发现他在老柳树旁，就像艾丽斯那样沮丧地坐着，我就在送他上路前，也吻一下他的额头。可是他已经走了，我只能默默地祝福他，年轻人，保重。
整个星期，太阳一直都炙烤着大地。我在凉爽的早上浇园子，每一满杯的水都祝愿植物能茁壮成长，开花结果。 这个每天早上的习惯，成了我们每早的祷告。当我端着令人同情的水在园中浇水时，我为杰克和艾丽斯找工作而祷告，祷告杰克一路平安，为荒芜、贫瘠的大地祷告，为来来去去、要求很低的年轻人祷告。
他在我家门前逗留的一个星期后，我和往常一样在园中浇水。一阵阵热风把一张张脏报纸吹过园子，吹进了篱笆，最后被树枝挂住。报纸就像大鸟的翅膀似的拍打着。当我穿过园子，将报纸收集起来时，邮箱上一块白色的东西映入我的眼帘。我立刻意识到是杰克，急忙跑了过去。
是一封没有邮票、没有收信人姓名、没有地址的信封，但是里面有一张有铅笔字迹的褐色纸，上面写着：
寄给园中的夫人：
在您给了我吃的，容我休息之后，我在一家商店找到了一份工作。
您让我感到值得尊敬。此时，让我来帮助您吧。
信纸中夹有3张1圆的钞票。
我凝视着手中的钱，好像再次看到那个蓬头散发、衣衫褴褛的年轻人。我的嘴唇抖了起来，但这不是哭泣的时候。“艾丽斯，亲爱的，快点。” 我一边往屋里跑，一边大叫着。“去商店买一双你能找到的最好的鞋吧。你明早将是艾克米商店应征者中最优雅的女孩。”
“妈妈，您醒了吗？您准备享用自己的生日宴了吗？”
我睁开眼睛，看到了周围我爱的人：优雅的艾丽斯，此时也已头发灰白，体态龙钟；年轻的丽贝卡，快活而可爱，所有的人，无论老少都很可爱。
“您刚才在讲故事给自己听吗，妈妈？” 艾丽斯戏弄地问道，“是一个很幸福的故事吧，妈妈。您刚才脸上还挂着笑容呢。”
“确实是一个美丽的故事。”
当我挣扎着站起来时，丽贝卡的新鞋从我的膝盖上掉了下去，发出轻柔的碰击声。
A Pair of New Shoes
Anonymous
“Don’t you just love my new shoes？”
Rebecca’s eyes shine with delight as she places a pair of elegant high…heeled shoes in my lap。 The shoes are impeccable1 in their simplicity； and nothing but my old knobby2 hands mar their sleek lines。
“Such fine leather！ These are lovely。”
“And only eighty…five dollars！”
“Heavens！I must be getting old； Rebecca。 That seems a great deal of money for a pair of shoes。”
“Oh； Nana； I knew you’d say that。”
Rebecca’s lustrous hair swings in a soft curl as she leans forward to touch my cheek with a kiss。 Her perfume embodies the essence of spring and of youth。 At twenty…three； she is the baby of the family。 txt小说上传分享
一双新鞋（3）
“Now； don’t fall asleep； Nana。 Your party’s about to begin；”she whispers； and slips out of the room。
Sleep。 It would be so easy to let my wrinkled eyelids droop and to fall asleep like a fat old cat in the sun。 I blink several times to keep awake and turn my gaze to the dining room where a silver bowl of yellow roses graces the table in honor of my eighty…sixth birthday。 The linen has been laid and soon I shall feel its crispness beneath my fingertips。 The heavy silverware is in place and for a moment I wonder if my weak； old hands will handle it without embarrassing clatters on the delicate china。 The forting sound of voices and dinner preparations lulls me and I begin to caress the smooth； cool leather of Rebecca’s new shoes； which lie in my lap。 With each touch； I relax； I let go。 With each touch I remember another pair of shoes so long ago。 Was I only thirty…nine？ Impossible！ I can almost hear the voice that called to me as I stood in my garden on that scorching3 afternoon in that relentless summer of 1935。
“Missus； say； Missus！”
The husky voice startled me and I turned quickly。 The man at the fence was young； hardly twenty； with blond hair tousled like a little boy’s。 His clothes were dusty and rumpled； and I eyed him warily。 I often saw ragged； tired； solitary men pass by the house from the rail yards nearby； men off the freights； men moving about the country； looking for work。 My Jack was out there somewhere； too。
“Missus； could I please have a drink of water？”
“e into the yard。” I called； and pointed to the enameled cup that hung over the outdoor tap。 I had just filled three pails of water for my garden and had set them to warm in the sun。 The tap still dripped。
He drank in great gulps； swallowing slowly； and then splashed water on his face and ran his hands over his dusty hair and along the back of his neck。 “That feels good；” he said； by way of thanks； and stood there； self…conscious and awkward； a sudden tenseness ing over him when he noticed the pails sitting in the sun。
“Have you any work I can do for you？ Weed and water your garden？”
Some garden！ The bean and tomato plants struggled to survive in ground that was hard and cracked； and the sparse patch of lawn was no better。 What work could I offer him？ The house required a coat of paint； but paint cost money； and I had none。 I made a pretense of looking around； before shaking my head。
When he dropped to the grass and placed his head on folded arms； I felt his tiredness and despair。 A sudden tightness caught at my throat。 He could be my son； I thought。 He looks as young as Alice。 I knew he must be hungry。 What could I give him？ The icebox held so little： some milk； a knob of butter； and a few slices of bologna for Aice’s supper。
一双新鞋（4）
“e in out of the sun。 Sit on the porch；” I said； surprised at the frankness of my mand。 “I’ll get you something to eat。” Emotions had a way of getting mixed up these difficult days and I couldn’t trust mine； just as I couldn’t bear the shame…faced look of gratitude in his eyes。 As I climbed the steps to the house； I became angry at myself； at my helplessness； at my empty cupboards； at the unrelenting drought； at the whole damned suffering country。
I sliced a loaf of bread with vicious swipes of the knife； jerked open the ice…box for milk； twisted the lid off a jar of home…made jam； as though my frenzied actions would wipe out the feeling of guilt at offering him so little。 When I carried the food to the porch； I saw the boy near the garden； rinsing his shirt in one of the pails。 I beckoned to him； left him my scanty offering； and returned indoors。
Despite the drawn blinds； the house had trapped the heat and had bee an airless box of yellow light。 My flowered print dress clung to me in wet patches。 On each patch； the faded daisies4 dared to bloom。 I dropped into an armchair and swung my swollen feet up on a hassock。
When the sharp slap of the screen door awakened me； I was startled。
“Mama； where are you？”
I struggled to my feet and found Alice sitting at the kitchen table； her head and shoulders bowed in dejection。
“Mama； Acme Stores are hiring next week。” She raised her head and stared into my face。 “The employment officer said girls would be hired only if they were properly dressed。” Her brown eyes sought confirmation that I understood her statement。 “That means stockings and a decent pair of shoes； Mama； and look at me！” She thrust out her feet in their dusty running shoes。
Instinctively； I glanced at the old felt slippers I wore。 There were no shoes in the house that could meet Ac