Lesson 10 His Good Angels
One bleak① winter night two little girls went out into the streets to go in search of their father. The wind swept fiercely② along, and almost drove them back.
But they tightly③ held each other’s hands, and, bending their little forms to meet the pressure of the cold air, hurried on as fast as they could.
The streets were dark and deserted, but the children were not afraid: love filled their hearts, and left no room for fear.
At last they stopped before a house, over the door of which was a handsome gaslamp, and a sign④ in large letters.
It was a strange place for little girls to enter, and at such an hour; but, after standing for a moment, they pushed open the green door, and walked into a large and well lighted room.
“Well, now!” cried a man who sat reading at a table. “Here are those babes again!—Come here, my little girls.”
The children stopped and looked at him. Then he signed to them to approach⑤; and they did so.
“Are you looking for your father?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” replied Ada.
“Does your mother know you have come?”
“Yes, sir. She told us to go to bed: but we could not go until father returned; and so we came for him first.”
“Is he?” And the children’s faces brightened.
“Yes. He is at the other side of the room asleep, I will wake him for you.”
Being sound asleep, it was with diffi culty that their father could be woken up.
As soon, however, as his eyes were fairly opened, and he found that Ada and Jane had each grasped⑥ tightly one of his hands, he rose up, and suffered them to lead him away.
“Oh dear!” said a man who had looked on with wonder and deep interest; “God bless the little ones, and give them a sober⑦ father!”
“They are his good angels,” said another.
“But I’m afraid they are not strong enough to lead him back to the paths he has given up. But God may yet turn his heart, and give these children a happy home.”
The next evening, to the joy of his family, their father came home quite sober. After tea, while Ada and Jane were standing one on either side of him, he said, in a low whisper, “You shall never again have to go out at night to bring me home.”
The children lifted their eyes quickly to his face, only half understanding what he meant.
“God helping me, I will never go to that place again,” he added. “I will always stay at home with you.”
Ada and Jane, now understanding what their father meant, hid their faces in his lap and cried for very gladness.
The children’s love had saved their father. They were indeed his good angels. But he did not trust to his own strength alone: he continued to ask God to help him in his effort⑧ to live a sober life; and before long it was seen that he was a changed man.
(513 words)
Note
① bleak [bliːk] adj. 寒冷的，刺骨的；暗淡的，昏暗的
② fi ercely ['fɪəslɪ] adv. 凶猛地；残酷地；猛烈地；激烈地
③ tightly ['taɪtlɪ] adv. 紧紧地，坚固地，牢固地
④ sign [saɪn] n.记号，符号；信号，暗号；手势；预兆
⑤ approach [ə'prəʊtʃ] vi. 接近，走近，靠近
vt.接近；着手处理；使移近
⑥ grasp [ɡrɑːsp] vt. 抓住；了解；急忙抓住；急切（或贪婪）地抓住
⑦ sober ['səʊbə(r)] adj. 头脑清醒的，冷静的；未醉的，没喝醉的
⑧ effort ['efət] n. 努力，尝试；工作
Exercises
Ⅰ. How well did you read?
1. [Check the details] What drove the two little girls to walk on in such bad weather?
A. Their love for their father.
B. Their fear of losing their father.
C. The miss for their father.
2. [Evaluate the information] We can learn from the passage that the girls might fi nd their father__________.
A. on the street
B. in a shop
C. in a pub
3. [Note the fact] What was the father doing when the girls found him?
A. He was drinking.
B. He was reading at a table.
C. He was sleeping.
4. [Give the reason] Why were the children’s faces brightened when they were told the father was there?
A. Because they were glad to fi nd their father.
B. Because they felt sorry to know their father was there.
C. Because they were disappointed that their father was there.
5. [Draw a conclusion] What did the father do at last?
A. He made up his mind not to go to that place again.
B. He decided to treat the children well.
C. He came back home sober.
Ⅱ. Read for words.
Choose the best paraphrase or Chinese meaning for the underlined words.
1. But they tightly held each other’s hands, and, bending their little forms to meet the pressure of the cold air, hurried on as fast as they could. (Para. 2, Line 3)
A. 寒冷 B.压力 C.吼声
2. Love filled their hearts, and left no room for fear. (Para. 3, Line 2)
A. 空间 B.房间 C. 空地方
3. “Is he?” And the children’s faces brightened. (Para. 13)
A. 发亮 B.发白 C.闪亮
Ⅲ. Writing practice.
In no more than 80 words describe how the girls found their father. Do not include anything that is not in the passage.
Answer these questions in note form to get your points.
1. What was the weather like on that day?
2. Were there many people on the street?
3. Why weren’t the two girls afraid?
4. Where did they stop?
5. Did they go in? Did they find their father?
6. What was the father doing when the two girls found him?
7. What did the father decide to do at last?
8. What made him change so much?
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