英语美文欣赏: A Lady Named Lill
A Lady Named Lill
Lillian was a young French Canadian girl who grew up in the farming community of River Canard, Ontario. At the age of 16, her father thought "Lill has had enough schooling,"and she was forced to drop out of school to contribute to the family income. In 1922, with English as her second language and limited education and skills, the future didn't look bright for Lill.
Her father, Eugene Bezaire, was a stern man who rarely took no for an answer and never accepted excuses. He demanded that Lill find a job. But her limitations left her with little confidence and low self-esteem, and she didn't know what work she could do.
With small hope of gaining employment, she would still ride the bus daily into the "big cities"of Windsor or Detroit. But she couldn't muster the courage to respond to a Help Wanted ad; she couldn't even bring herself to knock on a door. Each day she would just ride to the city, walk aimlessly about and at dusk return home. Her father would ask, "Any luck today, Lill?" "No ... no luck today, Dad,"she would respond meekly.
As the days passed, Lill continued to ride and her father continued to ask about her job-hunting. The questions became more demanding, and Lill knew she would soon have to knock on a door.
On one of her trips, Lill saw a sign at the Carhartt Overall Company in downtown Detroit. "Help Wanted,"the sign said, "Secretarial. Apply Within."She walked up the long flight of stairs to the Carhartt Company offices. Cautiously, Lill knocked on her very first door. She was met by the office manager, Margaret Costello. In her broken English, Lill told her she was interested in the secretarial position, falsely stating that she was 19. Margaret knew something wasn't right, but decided to give the girl a chance. She guided Lill through the old business office of the Carhartt Company. With rows and rows of people seated at rows and rows of typewriters and adding machines, Lill felt as if a hundred pairs of eyes were staring at her. With her chin on her chest and her eyes staring down, the reluctant farm girl followed Margaret to the back of the somber room.
Margaret sat her down at a typewriter and said, "Lill, let's see how good you really are."She directed Lill to type a single letter, and then left. Lill looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:40 a.m. Everyone would be leaving for lunch at noon. She figured that she could slip away in the crowd then. But she knew she should at least attempt the letter.
On her first try, she got through one had five words, and she made four mistakes. She pulled the paper out and threw it away. The clock now read 11:45. "At noon,"she said to herself, "I'll move out with the crowd, and they will never see me again."
On her second attempt, Lill got through a full paragraph, but still made many mistakes. Again she pulled out the paper, threw it out and started over. This time she completed the letter, but her work was still strewn with errors. She looked at the clock: 11:55 — five minutes to freedom.
Just then, the door at one end of the office opened and Margaret walked in. She came directly over to Lill, putting one hand on the desk and the other on the girl's shoulder. She read the letter and paused. Then she said, "Lill, you're doing good work!"
Lill was stunned. She looked at the letter, then up at Margaret. With those simple words of encouragement, her desire to escape vanished and her confidence began to grow. She thought, "Well, if she thinks it's good, then it must be good. I think I'll stay!"
Lill did stay at Carhartt Overall 51 years, through two world wars and a Depression, through presidents and six prime ministers — all because someone had the insight to give a shy and uncertain young girl the gift of self-esteem when she knocked on the door.
-
2023年经典人生的哲理语录集合68句
不要随随便便的爱了。因为有一种单身叫"宁缺勿滥",有一种单身只为等待某人。以下是小编帮大家整理的人生的哲理语录68句,欢迎阅读,希望能够对大家有所帮助。1、人生没有完美,花开花谢,人生的成熟,是意识的提升。世上有很多不平的事,关键是我们要拥有一颗平淡、平静...
-
经典个性早安文案45句精选
一个人的观念最难扭转,而观念扭转要靠氛围。我们不是没有好的机会,而是没有好的观念。量身高要用尺子,称体重要用秤,衡量真理,要用时间和实践。以下这篇是小编为你整理的一些个性早安文案,希望能够帮助到你。1、人生路上,可能春风得意,也可能坎坷不平,无论如何,我们都要...
-
【实用】2023年正能量的励志语录锦集86句
男人可以当做你任何东西,却千万不要把男人当做你所依赖的天。以下是小编为大家整理推荐的正能量的励志语录86句,供大家参考借鉴,希望可以帮助到有需要的朋友。1、人生在世,行路匆匆,人活得累,是因为能左右你心情的东西太多。天气的变化,人情的冷暖,不同的风景都会影响...
-
【热门】正能量的励志语录汇编76条
避免尴尬又让能让自己开心的方法:不要每次都高估了自己在别人心里的位置。晚安!以下是小编整理的正能量的励志语录76条,希望能够帮助到大家。1、不要轻易放弃梦想,因为奇迹每天都在上演。2、世上有这一类事,不知情反而更好。知道了真相,反倒会伤害你。而且,一旦知道...
相关文章
- Plan summer holiday英语作文
- Summer Holiday Plan英语作文
- 英语《Module 6 Unit 1 You can play football well》的教案设计
- 英国文学I wondered lonely as a cloud的赏析整理
- Diaspora Finance Powers Global Development美文欣赏
- 《You Cant Judge a William by Its Cover》英语美文欣赏
- 英语作文:Gulangyu,A fairyland in the world
- To be really happy and really safe优秀英语作文
- 英语四级作文:Knowledge and Diploma
- 英语阅读:African Union Leaders Talk Mali, Chinese Investmen