My family lived in Baltimore. One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door.
I opened it to see a truly terrible-looking man."Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I
stared at the stooped (弯腰屈背的) body.
Yet his voice was pleasant as he said,"Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night.
I came here for a treatment this morning form the eastern shore, and there's no bus till morning." He told me
he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success. No one seemed to have a room."I guess it's my
face. I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments…"
I told him I would find him a bed. I went inside and finished getting supper. When I was ready, I asked the
old man if he would join me. "No, thank you. I have plenty." And he help up a brown paper bag.
When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch (走廊) to talk with him for a few minutes. It didn't
take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he
fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who lost his legs in a car
accident.
At bedtime, I put a bed in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning,the bed linens (床单)
were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his
bus, haltingly (犹豫不决地), as if asking a great favor, he said,"Could I come back and stay the next time I
have a treatment? I can sleep fine in a chair." I told him he was welcome to come again.