Work: A Story of Experience - Chapter 4

MR. PHILIP FLETCHER., ,DURING the next few weeks Christie learned the worth of many things which she had valued very lightly until then. Health became a boon ¹ too precious to be trifled with; life assumed a deeper significance when death's shadow fell upon its light, and she discovered that dependence ² might be made endurable by the sympathy of unsuspected friends., ,Lucy waited upon her with a remorseful ³ devotion which touched her very much and won entire forgiveness for the past, long before it was repentantly implored ⁵. All her comrades came with offers of help and affectionate regrets. Several whom she had most disliked now earned her gratitude ⁶ by the kindly ⁷ thoughtfulness which filled her sick-room with fruit and flowers, supplied carriages for the convalescent, and paid her doctor's bill without her knowledge., , ,Slowly Christie gathered her energies after weeks of suffering, and took up her life again, grateful for the gift, and anxious to be more worthy ¹³ of it. Looking back upon the past she felt that she had made a mistake and lost more than she had gained in those three years. Others might lead that life of alternate excitement and hard work unharmed, but she could not. The very ardor ¹⁴ and insight which gave power to the actress made that mimic ¹⁵ life unsatisfactory to the woman, for hers was an earnest nature that took fast hold of whatever task she gave herself to do, and lived in it heartily ¹⁶ while duty made it right, or novelty lent it charms. But when she saw the error of a step, the emptiness of a belief, with a like earnestness she tried to retrieve ¹⁷ the one and to replace the other with a better substitute., ,In the silence of wakeful nights and the solitude ¹⁸ of quiet days, she took counsel with her better self, condemned ¹⁹ the reckless spirit which had possessed ²⁰ her, and came at last to the decision which conscience prompted and much thought confirmed., ,These machines have proved a real boon to disabled people.事实证明这些机器让残疾人受益匪浅 。,Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。