An Absent-Minded Mother
Yi Ping文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/10778.html
文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/10778.html
It was late in a spring afternoon. I was sitting idle at a cold drink stall near Beihai Lake enjoying the sight of shining ripples. The faint fragrance of foliage in the air awoke me to a full sense of life.文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/10778.html
文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/10778.html
A little aslant opposite me sat a mother and a daughter. The latter, a little lovely girl of seven or eight with a small upturned nose, was occupied with an ice-cream, while the mother holding the child’s coat was whispering to her.文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/10778.html
文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/10778.html
A sudden breeze made the child sneeze. Her mother immediately put the coat on her and began to button it up. She was in such a hurry that she didn’t notice the wrongly matched buttons until halfway done. Then she hastily unbuttoned the coat and did it again. Such a careless slip, however, did not escape the child. “Ha-ha, mum, see how your mind wandered!” said the girl with a loud laughter, which brought a sullen look to the mother’s face. As an onlooker, I anticipated a good dressing-down for the little girl because of her insolent remark. But there was only an embarrassing interval of a few seconds. Then I heard the mother’s gentle voice. “Yes, it certainly did, for my heart went out to you!” said the mother, pointing a kind finger at the girl. The child blinked in bewilderment, hiding her blush in the bosom of her mother, who hugged her gently in her arms. A smile of gratification spread over the mother’s face.文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/10778.html
文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/10778.html
I was deeply stuck by the moving scene of motherly love. But what was more impressive to me was her way of treating the child’s misbehavior, for quite a few people seem to forget that the best way to educate a child is not indulging or blaming, nor even moral lecturing, but tender enlightening with love.文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/10778.html
文章源自英文巴士-https://www.en84.com/10778.html
（陈文伯 译）
