A Most Treasured Letter of Reply

Dear Miss Austin,
     Your letter made me happy. I did not expect such a full return. I am eighty years old, and I am blind.There is little I can do except knit,and that is why I knit so many caps and sweaters and scarves. Of course I cannot write this, so my daughter-in-law is doing it for me. She alsa sewed the seams and made the buttonholes for the knitted things.
     What l most wanted to say, my dear, is this. For sixty years I have been making up missionary packages of such clothing or food or medicine or books as I could collect. In various parts of the world and to various parts of the world I have sent them. Sometimes I have received a printed slip of acknowledgement from the headquarters depot or mission board,sometimes nothing. Occasionally I have been informed that my contribution was destined for Syria or Armenia or the upper Yangtze. But never before in all that time have I had a personal letter picturing the village and telling me who is wearing the clothing and what they said. I did not suppose that ever in my lifetime I should receive a letter like that. May God bless you.

                                                   Sincerely yours,
                                                       Laura Russell

一封最珍贵的回信

亲爱的奥斯汀小姐：
    你的来信使我很高兴，也非常出乎意料。我已经80岁了，而且双目失明。我现在除了织些东西外，已做不了什么事情，这就是我为什么织了许多帽子、外套和围巾。  当然，我也写不了信，所以我请我的儿媳代笔，她还给我编织的衣物缝接口和开扣眼。
    亲爱的，我特别想告诉你的是，60年来我一直在为教会收集捐助的衣服、食物、药品或书籍等物。我在世界各地将这些东西寄往世界各地，有时收到过有关组织总部或教会负责机构寄来的打印的短信，表示感谢，有时什么也没有。偶尔也有来信告知，我捐赠的东西已分发到叙利亚，或亚美尼亚，或长江上游地区。可是从来没有人给我写过一封亲笔信，给我描述一些村里的事，告诉我谁穿上了寄去的衣服，以及他们说了些什么。我万万没有想到，在我的一生中竟会收到一封如此珍贵的回信。愿上帝保佑你。

你诚挚的
    劳拉·拉塞尔