>THE OLD FISHERMAN
>> > >>Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance
>> of
>> >>> John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
>> >>>>We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out patients
>> >>>>at the clinic. One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there
>> >>> was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking
>> man.
>> > > "Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I
>> > >>stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing
>> was his
>> > >>face lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet his voice was
>> pleasant
>> >>>>as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for
>> >>>>just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the
>> eastern
>> shore,
>> > >>and there's no bus 'til morning." He told me he'd been hunting
>> for a
>> room
>> > >>since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I
>> guess
>> it's my
>> >>>>face...I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few
>> more
>> >>>>treatments..." For a moment I hesitated, but his next words
>> convinced
>> me: "I
>> > >>could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves
>> early in
>> >>>>the morning." I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on
>> the
>> >>>>porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were
>> ready,
>> I
>> >>>>asked the old man if he would join us "No thank you. I have
>> plenty."
>> > >>And he held up a brown paper bag.
>>
>> >>>>When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk
>> with
>> him
>> >>>>a few minutes. It didn't take long time to see that this old man
>> had
>> an
>> >>>>oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished
>> for a
>> >>>>living to support his daughter, her five children, and her
>> husband, who
>> was
>> >>> hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didn't tell it by way
>> of
>> complaint;
>> >>>>in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for
>> a
>> blessing.
>> >>>>He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was
>> apparently a
>> >>>>form of skin cancer..He thanked God for giving him the strength to
>> keep
>> going.
>> > >>
>>
>> >>>>At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When
>> > >>I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and
>> the
>> little
>> > >>man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before
>> he
>> left for
>> > >>his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, "Could I
>> please
>> > >>come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put
>> you
>> out a bit.
>> >>> I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added,
>> "Your
>> children
>> >>>>made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but
>> children
>> don't seem
>> >>> to mind." I told him he was welcome to come again.
>>
>> >>>>On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning.
>> As a
>> gift, he brought
>> >>>>a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He
>> said
>> he had shucked
>> >>> them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh.
>> I
>> knew his bus left
>> >>> at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to
>> do
>> this for us. In the
>> > >>years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time
>> that he
>> did not bring
>> > >>us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.
>> >>>>
>> >>>>Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special
>> delivery; fish and
>> > >>oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf
>> carefully
>> >>>>washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and
>> knowing how
>> > >>little money he had made the gifts doubly precious. When I
>> received
>> these
>> > >>little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door
>> neighbor
>> > >>made after he left that first morning. "Did you keep that awful
>> looking man last night?
>> >>> I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such
>> people!"
>> Maybe we did
>> >>> lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known
>> him,
>> perhaps their
>> >>>>illnesses would have been easier to bear. I know our family
>> always
>> will be grateful to have
>> > >>known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad
>> without
>> complaint and the good
>> > >>with gratitude to God.
>> > >>
>> > >>Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse, As she
>> showed me
>> her flowers,
>> >>> we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum,
>> bursting with blooms.
>> >>> But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty
>> bucket. I thought to
>> > >>myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest
>> container I
>> had!" My
>> > >>friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained,
>> "and
>> knowing how beautiful
>> > >>this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this
>> old
>> pail. It's
>> > >>just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden." She
>> must
>> have
>> > >>wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just
>> such a
>> scene
>> > >>in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have
>> said
>> when
>> > >>he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind
>> starting in this small body."
>> > >>
>> > >>All this happened long ago-and now, in God's garden, how tall this
>> >>>>lovely soul must stand.
>> > >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> > >>God does not look at the things man looks at.
>> > >>Man looks at the outward appearance, but God
>> >>>>looks at the heart."
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> > >> *** If this has uplifted you, PLEASE PASS IT ON ***
>> > >>
>> > >>************************************************************
>> > >>*******
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>> > >>
>> > >> Like each individual star....
>> > >> Your friendship is a bright spot!
>> > >>
>> > >> ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>> > >> ~*~*~*~*
>> > >> Friends are very special.
>> > >> They make you smile and encourage you to
>> > >> succeed. They lend an ear and they share a word of praise.
>> > >> Show your friends how much you care....
>> > >> Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND |
