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1. One morning Johnny had occasion to cross the fi elds near a small pond about half a mile from his mother’s house. He was busily thinking about his little fund, and what he could do to increase it, when his attention was all at once attracted by a sharp cry of distress. Looking up, he saw a gentleman in a row-boat on the pond, who appeared to be in the greatest trouble.
“Boy,” he called out, “can you swim?”
“Yes, sir,” said Johnny.
“Then save my little daughter, if you can. She has just fallen out of the boat. There she is.”
2. The little girl just appeared above the surface of the water. Luckily it was very near the shore, yet too deep for any one to venture who was unable to swim. Our young hero had plenty of courage. Moreover, he was an expert swimmer, having been taught by his father before he went to the war. Without a minute’s hesitation he stripped off his jacket and plunged in. A few vigorous strokes brought him to the little girl. He seized her, just as she was about sinking for the third time. He held her till her father could receive her from his arms into the boat.
3. “Let me lift you in, too,” he said.
“No, sir, I’ll swim to shore,” said Johnny.
“Come up to the hotel this afternoon. I want to see you.”
The father applied himself to the restoration of his daughter, and Johnny went home and changed his wet clothes. He had recognized the gentleman as a merchant from the city who had been boarding at the hotel for a week or two. He felt a glow of satisfaction in the thought that he had been instrumental in saving a human life; for it was very evident that, her father being unable to swim, the little girl would, but for him, have been drowned.
4. In the afternoon he went to the hotel, and inquired for Mr. Barclay, for he had heard the gentleman’s name. He was conducted upstairs into a private parlor.
Mr. Barclay advanced towards him with a smile of welcome. “I am glad to see you, my brave boy,” he said.
“Is your little girl quite recovered?” asked Johnny, modestly.
5. “Yes, nearly so. I thought it best to let her lie in bed the remainder of the day, as she might have got chilled. And now, my dear boy, how shall I express my gratitude to you for your noble conduct? Under God, you have been the means of saving my dear child’s life. I am quite unable to swim, and I shudder to think what would have happened but for your timely presence and courage.”
6. “I am very glad I was able to be of service,” said Johnny.
“I can not allow such a service to go unrewarded,” said Mr. Barclay. “Adequate compensation I can not offer, for money will not pay for the saving of life; but you will allow me to give you this as a first instalment of my gratitude.” He pressed into the hands of the astonished boy a onehundred-dollar bill.
7. “One hundred dollars!” exclaimed Johnny in bewilderment. “Do you really mean to give me so much?”
“It is little enough, I am sure.”
“O, I am so glad!” said Johnny, delighted. “Now I can buy mother a sewing-machine.”
“But don’t you want to buy something for yourself?” asked Mr. Barclay, with interest.
“No, sir; I would rather have a sewing-machine than any thing.”
8. Then Johnny, encouraged by Mr. Barclay’s evident interest, proceeded to tell him how for nearly a year he had been saving up money, without his mother’s knowledge, to buy her a machine, in order that she need not work so hard in future. But thus far he had only succeeded in saving up fifteen dollars. Now, thanks to this unexpected gift, he would be able to buy it at once. “And it will come just fright, too,” he said, with sparkling eyes; “for it will be mother’s birthday in a week from to-day, and I can give it to her then. Only,” he said, doubtfully, “I don’t know whom I can get to buy it.”
9. “I can help you there,” said Mr. Barclay. “I am going to the city in a day or two. I will select the machine, and arrange to have it sent down by express on your mother’s birthday.”
“That’ll be just the thing,” said Johnny. “Won’t she be astonished! I shan’t say anything to her about it before-hand. Here’s the money, sir; I thank you very much for that, and for your kind offer.”
“I ought to be kind to you, my dear boy, when I think how much you have done for me.”
“Good afternoon, sir.”
“Good afternoon. Call again to-morrow, and you shall see the little girl you have saved.”
10. Johnny did call the next day, and made acquaintance with little Annie Barclay, whom he found a sprightly little girl of four years of age. She took quite a fancy to our young hero, with whom she had a fi ne game of romps.
Mrs. Cooper knew that Johnny had saved a little girl from drowning, but never inquired what reward he had received, feeling sure that he would tell her sometime. As for Johnny, he had his reasons for keeping silent, as we know.
11. At length Mrs. Cooper’s birthday came. Johnny was full of impatience for evening, for then the express wagon would arrive from Boston, with the present for his mother. As soon as he heard the rumble of the wheels, he ran to the door. To his delight, the wagon stopped at the gate.
“Come here, youngster, and give us a lift,” called the express-man. “I’ve got something heavy for you.”
12. It was a large article, looking something like a table; but what it was Mrs. Cooper could not tell, on account of its many wrappings. “There must be some mistake,” she said, going to the door. “I am not expecting any thing.”
“No, there isn’t,” said Johnny, “it’s all right, directed in large letters to Mrs. Mary Cooper, Benton.”
“I shall want fi fty cents,” said the express-man.
“I’ve got it here,” said Johnny, seeing that his mother was searching for her pocketbook.
13. “O, by the way, here’s something else,—a letter directed to you. That will be fi fteen cents more.”
“Indeed!” said Johnny, surprised. “Well, here’s the money.” He took the letter, but did not open it at once. He wanted to enjoy his mother’s surprise. Mrs. Cooper was unwrapping the machine. “What is this?” she exclaimed in delighted surprise. “A sewing-machine! Who could have sent it? Do you know anything about it, Johnny?”
14. “Yes, mother. It’s a birthday present for you from me.”
“My dear boy! How could you ever have earned money enough to pay for it?”
Then Johnny told his mother all about it. And her eyes glistened with pride and joy as she heard, for the fi rst time, how he had worked for months with this end in view; and she could not help giving him a grateful kiss, which I am sure paid Johnny for all he had done.
15. It was really a beautiful machine, and, though Johnny did not know it, cost considerably more than the hundred dollars he had sent. Mrs. Cooper found that it worked admirably, and would lighten her labors more even than she had hoped.
“But you haven’t opened your letter,” she said, with a sudden recollection.
“ So I haven’t,” said Johnny.
What was his surprise, on opening it, to discover the same hundreddollar bill which Mr. Barclay had originally given him, accompanied by the following note:
16. “My Dear Young Friend:—I have bought your mother a sewing-
machine, which I send by express to-day. I hope it will please you both, and prove very useful. I also send you a hundred dollars, which I wish you to use for yourself. The sewing-machine will be none the less your present to your
mother, since both that and the money are a very insuffi cient recompense for the service you have rendered me. Continue to love and help your mother, and when you are old enough to go into a store I will receive you into mine.
Your friend,
HENRY BARCLAY.”
17. There was great joy in the little cottage that evening. Johnny felt as rich as a millionaire, and could not take his eyes from the corner where the handsome new sewing-machine had been placed. And his mother, happy as she was in her present, was happier in the thought that it had come to her through the good conduct of her son.
( HORATIO ALGER, JR )
中文阅读
1. 妈妈住的房子半英里远的地方有一个池塘。一天清晨，强尼碰巧穿过这个小池塘附近的田野。他忙着思考自己的那点儿积蓄，正在想干点儿什么能多挣钱，就在此时，突然传来一声痛苦的尖叫。他抬头一看，只见池塘小船上的一位绅士好像遇到了大麻烦。
“孩子！”他大声喊道，“你会游泳吗？”
“会，先生。”强尼说。
“那赶紧救救我女儿吧！她刚刚掉下船了！就在这儿！”
2. 这时，小女孩刚好露出水面。幸运的是，她落水的地方离岸边很近，但是，那里水太深了，如果你不会游泳，绝不敢贸然下水。我们的小英雄有的是勇气。更何况他还是游泳健将呢，父亲参军前教过他游泳。他不假思索，马上脱下外套，一个猛子扎进水里。往前猛蹬几下就游到了小女孩跟前。就在小女孩第三次要沉下去的时候，他一把抓住她。他举着小女孩，直到她船上的父亲伸手够到，把她接过去。
3. “我把你也拉上来吧。”那位绅士说。
“不了，先生，我游到岸上去。”强尼说。
“今天下午来酒店找我。我想见见你。”
说完，那位父亲赶紧一心去救自己女儿了，强尼回家去换湿漉漉的衣服。他已经认出来了，那位先生是城里的商人，每隔一两周都会到酒店住几天。他一想到自己刚刚救了一个人的性命，就非常开心。显然，这个小女孩儿的父亲不会游泳，要不是强尼，那女孩就会溺水而亡。
4. 下午，他去酒店找巴克利先生——他听说过那位先生的名字。有人引着他上了楼梯，走进一间私人会客厅。
巴克利先生迎上来，面带微笑欢迎他。“见到你真高兴，我亲爱的孩子。”他说。
“您女儿好些了吗？”强尼谦恭地问。
5. “嗯，快好了。我想今天最好还是让她卧床休息，怕她受凉感冒。现在，我亲爱的孩子，我该怎么对你高尚的行为致谢呢？老天在上，是你救了我宝贝女儿的命。我一点儿都不会游泳，我简直不敢想，要是你没有及时出现，没有勇敢地下水救人，会发生什么后果。”
6. “我非常乐意效劳。”强尼说。
“这样的效劳要是得不到酬谢，我可不答应。”巴克利先生说，“我找不到合适的酬劳感谢你，救命之恩岂是钱财能答谢得了的？不过，这点儿小小意思，你先收下，剩下的容我日后再慢慢答谢。”他往男孩手中塞了一张一百美元的支票，男孩大吃一惊。
7. “一百美元！”强尼不安地惊叫了一声，“您真的要给我这么多吗？”
“是啊，我非常肯定，这点儿酬劳微不足道。”
“噢，我太高兴了！”强尼开心地说，“现在我有钱给妈妈买缝纫机了。”
“可是，你就不想给自己买点什么吗？”巴克利兴致勃勃地问。
“不，先生，我现在只想要一台缝纫机。”
8. 接着，强尼在巴克利先生的鼓励下，把这近一年来自己为了让妈妈以后不用那么辛苦工作，瞒着她偷偷攒钱打算为她买缝纫机的事儿，一五一十地告诉了巴克利先生。巴克利先生听得非常认真。不过，到现在为止，他只攒了十五美元。现在，多亏了这意外的礼物，他马上就可以把缝纫机买回家了。“而且，它来得正好，”他眼睛闪闪发光，“因为一周后的今天就是妈妈的生日，到时候我就可以送给她了。只是……”他犹豫着说，“我不知道该让谁帮忙去买。”
9. “我可以帮你买。”巴克利先生说，“这一两天我就要到城里去，我会去挑选一台缝纫机，安排邮递在你妈妈生日的那天送过去。”
“那就太好了，”强尼说，“她肯定会大吃一惊！在那之前我什么都不说。给您钱，先生。非常感谢，感谢您热心相助。”
“一想起你为我做了那么多，我就觉得应该对你好，我亲爱的孩子。”
“午安，先生。”
“午安。明天再来，你应该见见你救下的小姑娘。”
10. 强尼第二天又来了，他认识了小安妮·巴克利。这个活泼的小女孩只有四岁，她很喜欢我们的小英雄，跟他玩得十分开心。
库珀太太知道强尼救了个落水的小女孩，但是，至于他得到了什么酬劳，她连问都没问，她知道强尼总有一天会告诉她的。至于强尼，我们知道，他也肯定不会说，因为自有保持沉默的道理。
11. 终于，库珀太太的生日到了。
强尼迫不及待地等着傍晚的到来，因为邮递马车傍晚时分就会带着给妈妈的礼物到达波士顿。他一听到车轮隆隆驶近的声音，就朝门外跑去。让他高兴的是，马车在大门口停下了。
“过来，年轻人，来帮把手。”信差叫道，“我这里有你的东西，很重。”
12. 那是个庞大的家伙，看上去像张桌子；可到底是什么东西呢，库珀太太看不出来，因为外面包了一层又一层的包装。
“肯定是搞错了，”她走到门口说，“我没包裹。”
“不，没搞错。”强尼说，“没错，白纸黑字写得很清楚，寄给本顿的玛丽·库珀太太。”
“请给我五十美分。”信差说。
“我这里有。”强尼看到妈妈在钱包里翻找，抢着说。
13. “噢，对了，还有东西呢——是一封寄给你的信。还要再拿十五美分。”
“真的！”强尼惊讶地说，“好的，给你。”他接过信，却不急着打开。他想看看妈妈有多惊喜。
库珀太太拆开机器的包装。“是什么东西？”她惊喜地大叫：“缝纫机！谁送的？你知道是怎么回事儿吗，强尼？”
14. “是的，妈妈。这是我送您的生日礼物。”
“我亲爱的孩子！你是怎么挣够这么多钱的！”
于是，强尼把他挣钱的事一五一十地告诉了妈妈。她第一次听说他为了买这台缝纫机干了几个月的零差，眼中泛起骄傲、快乐的光芒。她忍不住感激地吻了吻他，我相信，这是对强尼所做的这一切最好的回报。
15. 这真是一台漂亮的缝纫机，尽管强尼不知道，可它的卖价远不止他拿出去的那一百美元。库珀太太发现它相当好用，能大大减轻她的工作负担，好用得出乎她的意料。
“你还没打开你的信呢？”她突然记了起来，说道。
“还没呢。”强尼说道。
打开信封，他大吃一惊，里面露出巴克利最初给他的那张百元支票，里面还夹着一张便条：
16. 我亲爱的年轻朋友：
我给你妈妈买了台缝纫机，今天让邮递寄了过去。希望你们俩喜欢，也希望它对你们有用。我还寄给你一百美元，想让你给自己买点儿东西。毋庸置疑，那台缝纫机还是你送给妈妈的礼物，因为把缝纫机和那一百块钱加到一块儿也不足以酬谢你为我做的事。继续爱你的妈妈，帮助你的妈妈吧！等你长到能到商店工作那么大的时候，我会让你到我店里来。
你的朋友，
亨利·巴克利
17. 当晚，那个小屋里充满了巨大的欢乐。强尼觉得自己富得像个百万富翁，他望着角落里那台漂亮的新缝纫机挪不开目光。妈妈收到礼物十分开心，想到儿子的优良品行，她更开心。
（小霍雷肖·阿尔杰）