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一架红木钢琴 the red ahgany ian（第1页）

佚名

Anonymous

Manyyearsago，whenIwasayoungmaninmytwenties，IworkedasasalesmanforaSt。Louisianocomany。

Wesoldourianosalloverthestatebyadvertisinginsmalltownnewsaersandthen，whenwehadreceivedsufficientrelies，wewouldloadourlittletrucks，driveintotheareaandselltheianostothosewhohadrelied。

EverytimeweadvertisedinthecottoncountryofSoutheastMissouri，wewouldreceivearelyonaostcardwhichsaid，ineffect，“Pleasebringmeanewianoformylittlegranddaughter。Itmustberedmahogany。Icanay$10amonthwithmyeggmoney。”Theoldladyscrawledonandonandonthatostcarduntilshefilleditu，thenturneditoverandevenwroteonthefront——aroundandaroundtheedgesuntiltherewasbarelyroomfortheaddress。

Ofcourse，wecouldnotsellanewianofor$10amonth。Nofinancecomanywouldcarryacontractwithaymentsthatsmall，soweignoredherostcards。

Oneday，however，Ihaenedtobeinthatareacallingonotherrelies，andoutofcuriosityIdecidedtolooktheoldladyu。IfoundrettymuchwhatIexected:theoldladylivedinaoneroomshare-croerscabininthemiddleofacottonfield。

Thecabinhadadirtfloorandtherewerechickensinthehouse。Obviously，theoldladycouldnothavequalifiedtourchaseanythingoncredit—nocar，nohone，norealjob，nothingbutaroofoverherheadandnotaverygoodoneatthat。Icouldseedaylightthroughitinseverallaces。Herlittlegranddaughterwasabout10，barefootandwearingafeed-sackdress。

Iexlainedtotheoldladythatwecouldnotsellanewianofor$10amonthandthatsheshouldstowritingtouseverytimeshesawourad。Idroveawayheartsick，butmyadvicehadnoeffect—shestillsentusthesameostcardeverysixweeks。Alwayswantinganewiano，redmahogany，lease，andswearingshewouldnevermissa$10ayment。Itwassad。

Acouleofyearslater，Iownedmyownianocomany，andwhenIadvertisedinthatarea，theostcardsstartedcomingtome。Formonths，Iignoredthem—whatelsecouldIdo?

Butthen，onedaywhenIwasintheareasomethingcameoverme。Ihadaredmahoganyianoonmylittletruck。DesiteknowingthatIwasabouttomakeaterriblebusinessdecision，IdeliveredtheianotoherandtoldherIwouldcarrythecontractmyselfat$10amonthwithnointerest，andthatwouldmean52ayments。ItookthenewianointhehouseandlaceditwhereIthoughttheroofwouldbeleastlikelytorainonit。Iadmonishedherandthelittlegirltotrytokeethechickensoffit，andIleft—sureIhadjustthrownawayanewiano。

Buttheaymentscamein，all52ofthemasagreed—sometimeswithcoinstaedtoa3x5inchcardintheenveloe。Itwasincredible!

So，Iuttheincidentoutofmymindfor20years。

ThenonedayIwasinMemhisonotherbusiness，andafterdinnerattheHolidayInnontheLevee，Iwentintothelounge。AsIwassittingatthebarhavinganafter-dinnerdrink，Iheardthemostbeautifulianomusicbehindme。Ilookedaround，andtherewasalovelyyoungwomanlayingaverynicegrandiano。

Beingaianistofsomeabilitymyself，Iwasstunnedbyhervirtuosity，andIickedumydrinkandmovedtoatablebesideherwhereIcouldlistenandwatch。Shesmiledatme，askingforrequests，andwhenshetookabreakshesatdownatmytable。

“Arentyouthemanwhosoldmygrandmaaianoalongtimeago?”

Itdidntringabell，soIaskedhertoexlain。

Shestartedtotellme，andIsuddenlyremembered。MyLord，itwasher!Itwasthelittlebarefootgirlinthefeedsackdress!

ShetoldmehernamewasEliseandsincehergrandmothercouldntaffordtoayforlessons，shehadlearnedtolaybylisteningtotheradio。Shesaidshehadstartedtolayinchurchwheresheandhergrandmotherhadtowalkovertwomiles，andthatshehadthenlayedinschool，hadwonmanyawardsandamusicscholarshi。ShehadmarriedanattorneyinMemhisandhehadboughtheragrandiano。

Somethingelseenteredmymind。“Look，Elise，”Iasked，“MayIaskyouwhatkindofwoodisyourfirstianomadeof，theoneyourgrandmotherboughtyou?”

“Itsredmahogany，”shesaid，“Why?”

Icouldntseak。

Didsheunderstandthesignificanceoftheredmahogany?Theunbelievableaudacityofhergrandmotherinsistingonaredmahoganyianowhennooneinhisrightmindwouldhavesoldheraianoofanykind?Ithinknot。

Andthendidtheoldladyunderstandthemarvelousaccomlishmentofthatbeautiful，terriblyunderrivilegedchildinthefeedsackdress?No，Imsureshedidntunderstandthateither。

ButIdid，andmythroattightened。

Finally，Ifoundmyvoice。“Ijustwondered，”Isaid。“Imroudofyou，butIhavetogotomyroom。”

AndIdidhavetogotomyroom，becausemendontliketobeseencryinginublic。

多年以前，我是圣路易斯市一家钢琴公司的推销员。那时我二十几岁。