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 for a treatment this morning from 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...” For a moment I hesitated， but his next words convinced me： “I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning.”
I told him we would find him a bed， but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready， I asked the old man if he would join us.
“No thank you. I have plenty.” And he held up a brown paper bag.
When I had finished the dishes， I went out on the porch to talk with him 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 was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didn’t tell it by way of complaint； in fact， every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease， which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going.
At bedtime， we put a camp cot in the children’s room for him.
When I got up in the morning， the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast， but just before he left for his bus， haltingly， as if asking a great favor， he said，“Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment？ I won’t put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair.” He paused a moment and then added， “Your children made me feel at home. Grown-ups are bothered by my face， but children don’t seem to mind.”
I told him he was welcome to come again.
On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift， he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they’d be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4：00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. Other times we received packages in the mail， always by special delivery； fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale， every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these， and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious. When I received these little remembrances， I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning.
“Did you keep that awful looking man last night？ I turned him away！ You can lose roomers by putting up such people！”
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh！ If only they could have known him， perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear. I know our family will always be grateful to have known him； from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint.
Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse. As she showed me her flowers， we came to the most beautiful one of all， a golden chrysanthemum， bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise， it was growing in an old dented， rusty bucket. I thought to myself， If this were my plant， I’d put it in the loveliest container I had！ My friend changed my mind.
“I ran short of pots，” she explained， “and knowing how beautiful this one would be， I thought it wouldn’t mind starting out in this old pail. It’s just for a little while， till I can put it out in the garden.”
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly， but I was imagining just such a beautiful moment—in garden， how tall this lovely flower must stand.
我们住在巴尔的摩，正对着我们家的马路对面，就是约翰？霍普金斯医院的门诊部大门。我们住在楼下，把楼上的房间租给来医院的门诊病人。
一个夏日的傍晚，我正在做晚饭的时候，突然听到一阵敲门声。我打开门，看见一个确实长得很吓人的男人。我何出此言？他和我八岁的孩子差不多高！我边想边看着他那佝偻萎缩的身躯。但真正让人毛骨悚然的是他的脸——他红肿发炎的脸因为肿块而变成一边大一边小，严重扭曲变形了。
但他的声音还算悦耳：“早上好。请问你们有没有房间可供我住一晚？今天一早我从东海岸赶来这里接受治疗，我要等到明天早上才有公共汽车回去。”他说他从中午开始就一直在找房子，但没找到。似乎没有谁可以腾出一间空房间来。“我想是我长相的问题……我知道，我看起来有几分恐怖，但医生说，只要我再多接受几次治疗……”我在犹豫着，但他接下来的话打动了我：“我可以睡在走廊的摇椅上。我明天一早就会坐车走的。”
我告诉他，我们可以为他提供一张床，但他得睡在走廊上。然后，我进屋继续做晚饭。做好饭后，我请那位老人过来和我们一起吃。
“不用了，谢谢。我自己准备了很多食物。”他举了举手中的牛皮纸袋。
晚饭后，洗好碗碟，我就走到走廊上和他聊了一会儿天。很快我就发现，眼前这个瘦弱单薄的身躯内，是一颗宽宏厚量的心。他告诉我，他以捕鱼为生，抚养着他的女儿，五个外孙，还有他的女婿，他的女婿由于背部受伤而残废了。他说的时候，并没有流露出一丝抱怨，相反，他的每一句话里都充满了对上帝的感激。他虽然患有某种皮肤癌，但除此之外无其它病痛。他感谢上苍给了他一路走过来的勇气。
晚上睡觉的时候，我们在孩子的房间里为这位老人安置了一张露营用的小床。
第二天早上，我醒来的时候，发现那位老人在走廊那里，他已经把被单整整齐齐地叠好了。我们邀请他共进早餐，但他拒绝了。但在他出门去坐车的前一刻，他犹豫了一下，用恳求别人帮一个大忙的口吻问道：“下次我再回来治疗的时候，还能在这里呆一晚吗？我绝对不会打扰你的。在椅子上我也能睡得很好。”他停了一阵，接着说：“你的孩子让我觉得像在自己家一样。成年人总会被我的脸吓着，但小孩子似乎不会在意。”
我回答说，欢迎他下次再来。
他第二次来的时候，早上七点刚过就到了。为了答谢我们，他给我们带来了一条很大的鱼，还有一夸脱牡蛎，那是我所见过的最大的牡蛎。他说，他出发之前才把牡蛎去壳，这样能保持肉质鲜美。我知道他乘坐的公共汽车是凌晨四点启程的，那他究竟要多早起床为我们做这些事啊！
接下来的几年里，凡是他来我们家过夜，他没有一次是空手而来的，他总会给我们带一些鱼或牡蛎，或者是他自己种的蔬菜。我们还会不时收到他给我们寄来的包裹，常常还是用特快专递，包裹里有用新鲜菠菜或甘蓝包着的鱼和牡蛎，他甚至已经仔细地把每一片蔬菜叶子都清洗得干干净净。我知道他得走上三英里路（约4.8公里）到邮局邮寄，而且他的收入非常微薄，这使得他的礼物显得弥足珍贵。当我手捧着这些礼轻情意重的包裹时，总会想起他第一次离开我们家时，邻居说的一番话：
“你昨晚让那个恐怖的男人在家里过夜了？我拒绝了他！你如果收留他，会吓跑其他客人的！”
也许我们的确有一两次损失了一些客源。但那又怎样！假如他们有机会真正了解他，也许他们会更容易面对自己的病痛。我们一家人都很庆幸有机会认识他，从他身上，我们学会了毫无怨言地接受生命中很糟糕的东西。
最近我去探访一个朋友，她带我到她家的温室看花。那里最美丽的是一朵怒放的七彩金叶菊。但令我惊讶的是，这朵花是种在一个锈迹斑斑的烂铁桶里。我想，如果是我，我一定把它种在最漂亮的花盆里！但朋友的话改变了我的看法。
“种花的罐子不够，”她解释道，“我知道它以后一定会漂亮得惊人，我想，让它先在这个破桶里呆一会，它不会介意的。仅仅是很短一段时间，然后我就会把它移植到花园里了。”
我开怀大笑，朋友一定困惑不已，其实，我是在设想着那美妙的一刻——株异常美丽的花在花园里傲然怒放着。