Work: A Story of Experience - Chapter 18

THREE months later the war seemed drawing toward an end, and Christie was dreaming happy dreams of home and rest with David, when, as she sat one day writing a letter full of good news to the wife of a patient, a telegram was handed to her, and tearing it open she read:, ,"Captain Sterling ¹ dangerously wounded. Tell his wife to come at once. E. WILKINS.", ,"No bad news I hope, ma'am?" said the young fellow anxiously, as his half-written letter fluttered to the ground, and Christie sat looking at that fateful strip of paper with all the strength and color stricken out of her face by the fear that fell upon her., , ,In a moment she was up and doing as calm and steady as if her heart was not torn by an anxiety too keen for words. By the time the news had flown through the house, she was ready; and, coming down with no luggage but a basket of comforts on her arm, she found the hall full of wan ⁴ and crippled creatures gathered there to see her off, for no nurse in the hospital was more beloved than Mrs. Sterling. Many eyes followed her, - many lips blessed her, many hands were outstretched for a sympathetic grasp: and, as the ambulance went clattering ⁵ away, many hearts echoed the words of one grateful ghost of a man, "The Lord go with her and stand by her as she's stood by us.", ,It was not a long journey that lay before her; but to Christie it seemed interminable, for all the way one unanswerable question haunted her, "Surely God will not be so cruel as to take David now when he has done his part so well and the reward is so near.", ,Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺 ，这有助于减轻通胀压力 。,She was a brave woman but she felt daunted by the task ahead. 她是一个勇敢的女人
，但对面前的任务却感到信心不足
。