October 25

"Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full"(John 16:24)

During the Civil War, a man had an only son who enlisted¹ in the armies of the Union. The father was a banker and, although he consented to his son's going, it seemed as if it would break his heart to let him go.

He became deeply interested in the soldier boys, and whenever he saw a uniform, his heart went out as he thought of his own dear boy. He spent his time, neglected his business, gave his money to caring for the soldiers who came home invalid². His friends remonstrated³ with him, saying he had no right to neglect his business and spend so much thought upon the soldiers, so he fully⁴ decided⁵ to give it all up.

After he had come to this decision, there stepped into his bank one day a private soldier in a faded, worn uniform, who showed in his face and hands the marks of the hospital.

The poor fellow was fumbling⁶ in his pocket to get something or other, when the banker saw him and, perceiving his purpose, said to him:

"My dear fellow, I cannot do anything for you today. I am extremely busy. You will have to go to your headquarters; the officers there will look after you."

Still the poor convalescent stood, not seeming to fully understand what was said to him. Still he fumbled⁷ in his pockets and, by and by, drew out a scrap⁸ of dirty paper, on which there were a few lines written with a pencil, and laid this soiled sheet before the banker. On it he found these words:

"Dear Father: "This is one of my comrades who was wounded in the last fight, and has been in the hospital. Please receive him as myself.━Charlie."

In a moment all the resolutions of indifference⁹ which this man made, flew away. He took the boy to his palatial¹⁰ home, put him in Charlie's room, gave him Charlie's seat at the table, kept him until food and rest and love had brought him back to health, and then sent him back again to imperil his life for the flag.━Selected

"Now shalt thou SEE what I will do. " (Ex.6:1)

十月二十五日

「向来你们没有奉我的名求什么，如今你们求就必得着，叫你们的喜乐可以满足。」 （约16：24）

当美国在南北内战时期，有一人的独生子加入联邦方面的军队作战，父亲是银行家，他虽同意儿子投军，但父子分离，他心中终觉得黯然自伤。

他开始对年轻的军人发生深挚的关怀，每当看到穿军服的人，他的心就因为想到自己的儿子而要跳出胸膛。他神不守舍，疏忽业务，把钱财用去照顾回乡的残废军人。他的亲友从旁规劝，说他不应该荒废事业，不该为军人花费那么多的心思，他听了劝谏，于是决心改变方针。

当他如此决定之后，有一天，有个士兵走进银行来，军服破烂不堪，脸上和手上都有医疗过的伤痕。

那可怜的士兵手忙脚乱地想从口袋里掏出什么东西来，银行家看见了，猜知他的目的，就对他说：

「孩子，今天我实在忙不过来，没有办法接待你。你应该到你们的司令部去；那儿有军官会照顾你。」

那个士兵仍旧站着不动，好像不大明白对他说的话。仍旧在口袋里摸索，不久掏出一张肮脏的字条，上面有几行铅笔字，他把这张污秽的字条放在银行家的面前，上面写的是：

「亲爱的父亲：这是我的战友之一，他在上次战役中负伤，进过医院，请你接待他像接待我一样。–查理。」

银行家顿时打消了原来准备采取漠视态度的决定，他把那孩子带到豪华的家里，让他住在他儿子查理的房间，用餐时坐在查理的位置，留住他直到饮食休息和爱护使他恢复了健康，然后再送他到前方为国效命。━选

「你必看见我所行的事」。(出六:1)

1 enlisted   

adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持）

参考例句：

• enlisted men and women 男兵和女兵
• He enlisted with the air force to fight against the enemy. 他应募加入空军对敌作战。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 invalid   

n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的

参考例句：

• He will visit an invalid.他将要去看望一个病人。
• A passport that is out of date is invalid.护照过期是无效的。

3 remonstrated   

v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫

参考例句：

• They remonstrated with the official about the decision. 他们就这一决定向这位官员提出了抗议。
• We remonstrated against the ill-treatment of prisoners of war. 我们对虐待战俘之事提出抗议。 来自辞典例句

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 fumbling   

n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理

参考例句：

• If he actually managed to the ball instead of fumbling it with an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动，经常这样结束。
• If he actually managed to secure the ball instead of fumbling it awkwardly an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-50提议有时。他从off-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动，经常这样结束。

7 fumbled   

（笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下

参考例句：

• She fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief. 她在她口袋里胡乱摸找手帕。
• He fumbled about in his pockets for the ticket. 他（瞎）摸着衣兜找票。

8 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

9 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

10 palatial   

adj.宫殿般的，宏伟的

参考例句：

• Palatial office buildings are being constructed in the city.那个城市正在兴建一些宫殿式办公大楼。
• He bought a palatial house.他买了套富丽堂皇的大房子。