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“I loved school, though I didn't make good grades. Miss Wood's room was a happy place; it seemed like heaven to me. One day, after my folks had a big fight at breakfast, I came to school late, holding back the tears. Miss Wood kept me after school. I thought she would scold me but, instead, she let me tell her my troubles. She made me feel how much my brothers and sisters, and even my parents, needed me and from that day on, my life was worth living.
“我喜歡上學，雖然功課不怎么樣。伍德小姐的教室是個快樂的地方，在我看來就像天堂一樣。有一天，我爸媽早餐時大吵一場，我上學都遲到了，還眼淚汪汪的。伍德小姐放學后讓我留下來。我以為她要批評我，可相反，她卻讓我把不高興的事說給她聽。她讓我明白，我的弟弟妹妹們，甚至我的父母，是多么的需要我—從那天起，我的生活就變得有意義了。
“A few months later, I heard a little girl say: ‘Miss Wood's going to marry a missionary and go live in China!' I went home crying. My parents stopped in the middle of a fight to ask me what was wrong, but they could not know how great a light was going out in my life. I couldn't sleep that night.
“幾個月之后，我聽見一個小女孩說：‘伍德小姐要嫁給一個傳教士了，還要到中國去住呢！'我哭著回到了家。正在吵架的父母停下來問我出了什么事，可他們沒法理解，我的生活中將要失去多大一片光明。那一夜我沒睡著。
“The next day, Miss Wood again kept me after school to see what was wrong.
“第二天，伍德小姐又讓我放學后留下來，問我出了什么事。
“When I told her, she looked surprised and tender. ‘Please don't go way off to China!' I begged.
“我告訴了她，她露出既吃驚又親切的神色。‘請不要到老遠的中國去！'我懇求說。
“‘Viola,' she answered, ‘I can't give up China. I'm going where my heart calls me, with the man I love. But I'll think of you often, and I'll send you a postcard.'
“‘維奧拉，'她回答說，‘我不能改變去中國的主意。我要到我心靈呼喚我的地方去，跟我所愛的人一起去。可我會經常想你的，我會寄一張明信片給你。'
