Miss Isabel伊莎貝爾女士

暑期打工的我碰上了一位奇怪的雇主。我為她除草、擦地板，報酬豐厚；她教我開車、做書評，甚至推薦我去圖書館工作，分文不收。我和她非親非故，她對我毫無所求，但是她的恩惠卻讓我一生銘記。

“I dont believe in power mowers1，” she said， “and on Saturdays you will work inside.”

Sitting in the library of a three story Victorian home with warm spring sunlight dancing among the books nestled2 in the floor to ceiling shelves， Miss Isabel began to explain my duties as her summer hired helper.

“I pay $1.25 per hour. Tuesdays we mow； Thursday is flower garden day， and Saturdays will be house cleaning.”

I really didnt hear much past the $1.25. As in 1958， I was only 14 and that meant much money. I had come to this chance by way of an older neighborhood friend who had worked for Miss Isabel for the past 3 years and was leaving for Notre Dame in mid summer and so had referred3 me.

“Can you start next Saturday 8 a.m. exactly？” she asked.

“Sure！” I said， “I mean， yes， Maam.” There was something about Miss Isabel that made you say so.

Saturday arrived， and at 8 a.m. exactly I rang the doorbell. Miss Isabel opened the door. “Good morning，” she said， “follow me. I had some hot tea ready， but we wont have time， now. Were running behind.”

Running behind？ How could we be running behind？ She had said 8 and it was 8 exactly. As Miss Isabel led me down the hall to the kitchen， she imparted4 to me lesson one. “I have found，” she said， “that when you arrive at work 15 to 20 minutes early， it allows you to settle in.” It wasnt a scold5， but I felt somehow I had cheated her out of something important， and I wasnt sure what.

Miss Isabel had already laid out several pieces of white cotton cloth and a bottle of furniture polish6. I had observed that the old Victorian house had highly polished ebony7 hardwood floors. I was about to find out how they became so highly polished.

On hands and knees I began to attend to those boards， with which over three years of Saturdays I would form a love-hate relationship. After a while Miss Isabel suddenly asked， “Whats your favorite flavor8 of soda pop？”

“Orange， I suppose，” I replied， not sure what this was about.

“Im going to Ralph Browns market，” she said， “and Ill be coming back in half an hour. Will you please come outside and swing open the garage doors？”

As I opened the doors， I saw， resting comfortably in the huge three-car garage， a brand-new four door sea green Plymouth， about made in 1947， and even though 11 years old， looking brand new. I would soon come to learn how this car stayed so spotless9. Miss Isabel drove away， and true to her word， returned in 30 minutes. I had gone back to finishing up the floors， so she tooted10 for me to come outside. “Please carry in the groceries and put them on the sideboard，” she said， and off she went to the house. As I sat the groceries on the sideboard， she instructed me to dust down the Plymouth and put it away. Here lay a problem—I couldnt drive.

“Miss Isabel，” I said， “I dont know how to drive. Im only fourteen.”

“Fine，” she said， “Ill pull her in and you dust her down and close the doors.” Off she went with me trailing behind. For a woman in her late 60s and barely 5 feet tall， she was surprisingly quick， and I had to hurry up to keep up. When I returned to the kitchen， Miss Isabel had prepared two ice cream sodas with orange soda pop. “Bring these along to the library，” she ordered.

As I carried these drinks along behind， she suggested that I arrive 30 minutes early on Tuesday for my driving lesson. I was very surprised. Driving lesson？ I couldnt believe that I was going to get to drive. Lesson two.

Miss Isabel took a seat in one of her chairs. For the first time， I took a moment to observe11 her. It was hard to believe that someone so tiny could be so impressive. I was used to football and basketball coaches， big men， and even my dad was six feet four. But no one I had ever met was in such control of her surroundings.

“Jerry， do you read？” she asked.

“Yes， I can read really well，” I replied.

“No， Jerry， not can you read， do you read？”

“Do you mean for the fun of it？”

“Exactly！ Whats the last book you read for fun？”

“Riders of the Purple Sage12， I guess， a couple of years ago.”

“Have you ever seen Purple Sage？” she asked.

“I dont guess so.”

“Well， well plant some in the garden and you can tend to it. Now， Jerry， pick a book youd like to read， and well discuss it next week.”

That started three years of ice cream sodas and book reports， although I never knew I was giving book reports. As we discussed the books， Miss Isabel could make me feel the cold of the Yukon， the heat of the jungle， the dry winds of the African desert and see the glitter13 of the jewels of King Solomons mines.

For the first few weeks， I only reported my reading to escape the hated task of pulling the annoying chickweed14 from the garden， but eventually， I came to consider those book review sessions the very best part of Saturday.

After three years of polishing floors， learning to drive， and developing a growing hate for chickweed， Miss Isabel told me one Saturday to come to work in tie and jacket. This seemed very strange for a lawn boy and floor polisher， but by then， I had learned not to question Miss Isabels requests. Unknown to me， Miss Isabel had invited Mr. Fox， the director of the Springfield-Greene County Library， over to have an ice cream soda.

Mr. Fox chose strawberry， and as he sipped15 away， Miss Isabel explained to him that I was able to work in the library system， the very next week. She went on to discuss my qualities as an employee， and spoke of my knowledge of authors， subject matter and great interest in National Geographic， although she said she didnt know why. But maybe she did.

Mr. Fox was at least six feet four inches tall， but before Miss Isabel， he became her willing-and-eager-to-please student. He immediately briefed16 me on when and where to report the following Saturday. Miss Isabel and I spent the rest of the afternoon discussing the responsibilities of librarians， and how I should find a suitable person for my job.

These things came to pass， and though Miss Isabel has long since passed away， I often think of the unforgettable time I spent among the flowers， sage， dreaded chickweed and books of Miss Isabel Shepards home， or even some time spent in the Shepard Room of the public library， which was named in her honor.

“我不相信電動割草機，”她說，“星期六，你可以在屋里干活?！?/p>

我坐在那間具有維多利亞時代特點的三層建筑物的藏書室里——那里從地板到天花板舒適地擺放著許多書，春日暖暖的陽光就跳躍其間——伊莎貝爾女士開始告訴我作為她的夏季雇工所要承擔的職責。

“我每小時付給你1.25美元。我們星期二割草，星期四修整花園，星期六打掃房子?！?/p>

在聽到1.25美元這個數(shù)字之后，我就沒有再聽進去多少了——要知道在1958年，這對年僅14歲的我來說可是很大一筆錢呀。而我是通過一個鄰居朋友才得到這個機會的。他比我年長，在過去的三年他一直為伊莎貝爾女士工作，但這個仲夏他要去巴黎圣母院，所以就推薦了我。

“你下個星期六八點整能開始工作嗎？”她問。

“當然！”我說，“我的意思是，是的，夫人?！币辽悹柵可砩嫌心撤N東西迫使你這么回答。

星期六到了，早上八點整我按響了門鈴。伊莎貝爾女士打開門。“早上好，”她說，“跟我來，我準備了一些熱茶，但是我們現(xiàn)在沒有時間了。我們遲了。”

遲了？我們怎么會遲了呢？她說是八點，而現(xiàn)在正好八點。當伊莎貝爾女士領著我穿過大廳向廚房走去的時候，她給我上了第一課?！拔野l(fā)現(xiàn)，”她說，“當你提前15到20分鐘來上班的話，你就會有時間適應這里?！边@不是指責，但我感覺就像我曾在某個很重要的問題上欺騙了她，并且我還不確定那個問題是什么。

伊莎貝爾女士已經(jīng)擺出來幾塊白棉布和一瓶家具上光劑。我已經(jīng)觀察到這所維多利亞風格的老房子的烏木硬地板被打磨得非常光亮。我馬上就會發(fā)現(xiàn)它們是如何變得這么光亮的。

我跪在地板上，開始用雙手去擦那些將在以后三年多的每個星期六與我建立起一種愛恨交加關系的木地板。過了一會兒，伊莎貝爾女士突然問，“你喜歡喝什么口味的汽水？”

“我想是甜橙吧?！蔽一卮鸬?，不知道她問這個干什么。

“我要到拉爾夫·布朗市場去，”她說，“半個小時后回來。你能到外面來幫我開一下車庫門嗎？”

當我打開車庫門的時候，我看見在那個能放得下三輛汽車的大車庫里正舒適地停著一輛嶄新的海綠色四門普利茅斯車。那輛車大約制造于1947年，盡管已有11年的歷史，但看上去仍然很新。很快，我就搞明白這輛汽車為什么會這么一塵不染了。伊莎貝爾小姐開車走了，而且確如她所言，30分鐘后就回來了。那個時候我已經(jīng)回屋里繼續(xù)擦地板了。所以，她回來的時候就按響喇叭喊我出來?！罢埌堰@些食品拿進屋去，放在餐具柜上?！彼呎f邊下了車向屋里走去。等我把那些食品放在餐具柜上后，她命我把那輛普利茅斯車上的灰塵擦去，并把它開回車庫。問題來了——我不會開車。

“伊莎貝爾女士，”我說，“我不會開車。我才14歲?！?/p>

“好吧，”她說，“我把車開進車庫，你把車上的灰塵擦去，關上車門?！蔽椅搽S在她身后。對于一個年近六七十歲、身高不足5英尺的女人來說，她的動作真是快得驚人，我必須緊趕慢趕才能跟得上她。當我回到廚房里的時候，伊莎貝爾女士已經(jīng)準備好了兩杯甜橙汽水味道的冰淇淋蘇打。“端著這些來藏書室?！彼愿赖?。

我端著飲料跟在她身后，她建議我在星期六早上早來30分鐘學開車。這讓我大吃一驚。駕駛課？我簡直不相信我就要學開車了。這是她給我上的第二課。

伊莎貝爾女士在一把椅子上坐下來。我第一次仔細地觀察她。簡直令人難以置信，這樣一個瘦小的人卻能令人印象如此深刻。我已經(jīng)習慣了橄欖球教練和籃球教練那樣高大的男人，就連我爸爸，也有六尺四高，但是，我見過的所有人中還從來沒有一個人能像她這樣如此控制自己周圍的環(huán)境。

“杰里，你讀書嗎？”她問。

“是的，我讀得非常好?！蔽一卮?。

“不，杰里，我不是問你會不會讀，我是問你讀書嗎？”

“您的意思是我對讀書感不感興趣？”

“對！你最近閱讀的感興趣的是什么書？”

“《紫鼠尾草叢中的騎士們》，我想那是幾年前的事了?！?/p>

“你見過紫鼠尾草嗎？”她問。

“我想我沒見過。”

“唔，我們將在花園里種一些，你可以照料它們?，F(xiàn)在，杰里，挑一本你喜歡讀的書，我們下個星期來討論它吧?！?/p>

就這樣，由冰淇淋蘇打和書評相伴的三年開始了，盡管我從來都不知道我當時是在做書評。當我們討論那些書的時候，伊莎貝爾女士能夠讓我感覺到育空河的清涼，叢林地帶的酷熱，非洲沙漠的干風，還能讓我看到閃耀在所羅門王藏寶庫中的寶石的光芒。

最初幾周，我評論我讀過的書只是為了逃避在花園里拔那討厭的繁縷，但最終，我逐漸覺得評論那些書是星期六最令人愉快的部分。

我擦地板，學駕駛，對繁縷的討厭有增無減，這樣的生活過了三年。在之后的一個星期六，伊莎貝爾女士告訴我，下次來工作的時候要系領帶，穿夾克衫。這對一個修剪草地、擦地板的男孩來說無疑非常古怪，但到那個時候，我早已學會不質(zhì)疑伊莎貝爾女士的要求。我不知道，伊莎貝爾女士早已請斯普林菲爾德·格林縣縣立圖書館的館長?？怂瓜壬鷣硭液缺苛芴K打。

福克斯先生選了草莓味的冰淇淋蘇打。當他啜吸飲料時，伊莎貝爾女士向他解釋說我已經(jīng)有能力做圖書系統(tǒng)的雇員了，下個星期就能去上班。她進一步詳述我作為一名雇員的能力，說起我知道的作家、著作以及我對《國家地理》的濃厚興趣，雖然她說自己并不知道這其中的緣由。但也許她知道。

福克斯先生至少有六尺四高，但在伊莎貝爾女士面前，他卻成了甘愿盡自己所能讓她高興的學生。他立即簡要地告訴我下個星期什么時候到哪里去報到。在那天下午余下的時間里，伊莎貝爾女士和我一起討論圖書管理員的職責，以及我該如何找一名合適的人來接替我的工作。

這些事情實現(xiàn)了，伊莎貝爾女士卻早已經(jīng)去世了，但是我還是會經(jīng)常想起那些我在鮮花、鼠尾草、討厭的繁縷中和在伊莎貝爾·謝潑德女士的房子里的藏書中度過的難忘時光，甚至會想起那些在公共圖書館以她的名字命名的謝潑德圖書室里度過的時光。