後門
徐太太和作家徐天鶴結婚多年,未有小孩,心靈空虛,常愛站在窗前注視對面何家的後門。原來何家有一小女孩,名喚阿琳,樣子很可愛,常常抱着小花貓在後門玩耍,徐太太看得入神,心想:假如有這樣一個孩子多好哩!
徐太太從傭人王媽口裡,知道阿琳自己的母親離了婚,連看也不來看她,父親整天忙,後母又已有了孕,誰也不愛她。徐太太不禁對阿琳起了同情與愛憐之心,想收她做女兒,向丈夫試探,但徐天鶴認爲這是人家的骨肉,反應冷淡。
徐天鶴在書店裡買東西,那天正是兒童節,店員送他一個汽球,他回到家門,見阿琳孤獨地連在後門口,便把汽球送給阿琳,果然也覺得她的確很逗人喜愛,於是待太太回家,便表示同意收阿琳爲繼女,徐太聽了喜出望外。
徐太太立即叫王媽去詢問阿琳的父母何澤美夫婦,何澤美向來敬重徐氏夫婦爲人,覺得這樣將會使阿琳更幸福,欣然答允。徐太聞訊大喜若狂,立促丈夫購一架鋼琴給阿琳,並選定在阿琳生日的那一天,正式過繼,大宴親朋。
爲了慶祝這重要的一天,徐家大請客,阿琳父親和後母也參加。徐太太又興奮又緊張,忙着替阿琳打扮,爲她佈置一個房間。徐天鶴愉快地招呼着客人,大家圍着阿琳唱快樂誕辰歌之後,何澤美當衆宣佈阿琳過繼給徐天鶴夫婦。
親友們莫不爲徐氏夫婦慶幸,何澤美並叫阿琳即晚遷居徐家,阿琳聽了忽然哭起來,大家感到莫名其妙,徐氏夫婦尤爲驚愕,幾經哄說,始知阿琳原來爲了捨不得那隻小花貓,要抱牠一起過來。孩子的天真,惹得一陣哄堂大笑。
第二天早晨,阿琳起來,抱着小花貓走到徐太太房裡,徐太太驚醒,但又閉目詐睡,阿琳却輕步跑到她床前,把小嘴凑上去吻她的臉,徐太感到莫大的安慰,情不自禁地一把將阿琳摟到懷裡,說:「真乖,你那麽早就起來啦?」
家裡添了一個孩子,頓時熱鬧許多,徐氏夫婦無事便帶阿琳到公園去玩耍,或到郊外去旅行。一天,他們去釣魚,釣了一條大魚,三人歡天喜地回家,剛進門,便見王媽神色有異地迎出來,吿訴徐太說阿琳的親母史小姐來找她。
徐氏夫婦强顏爲歡地和史小姐寒喧,阿琳驟見親母却天性流露,哭着叫着,投入母親懷裡。徐氏夫婦面面相覷,預感到事態嚴重。果然史小姐提出要接阿琳回去撫養,徐太與之力爭,天鶴亦責以大義,史小姐果爲感動,黯然離去。
徐太太爲了拆散人家骨肉,內心不安,特邀史小姐外出,向她道歉。兩人話頗投機,徐太太對史小姐有了進一步的認識,頗同情她的際遇。這時徐太太的表弟應作圖剛從英國回來,徐太靈機一觸,替他倆介紹,有意撮合一段好姻緣。
應作圖與史小姐經過幾次遊宴,果然雙雙墜入情網,正欲舉行婚禮,史小姐忽因汽車失事進了醫院,阿琳關心親母,堅要隨徐太太往醫院探問,她一見了史小姐却便不肯離開,徐太太費盡心思也無法使阿琳回心轉意,惟有傷心離去。
徐太太受此打擊,心灰意冷,恍悟凡事不能勉强,遂毅然將阿琳交史領回,使他們骨肉團聚。應作圖與史小姐結婚後,携阿琳同赴英國,徐氏夫婦親往送機,徐太太的心彷彿也被帶走了,留下了一份無可補償的空虛!(完)
後門
本事
徐天鶴太太結婚多年,未有小孩,心靈空虚,常愛站在窗前,注視對面何家的後門。是甚麼吸引她這樣注意呢?原來何家有一小女孩,叫阿琳,六七歲大,樣子很可愛,經常抱着小花貓在後門口玩耍。
一天淸晨,阿琳起身不見花貓,便出後門尋覓,果然發現花貓在晒太陽,喜不自勝,抱着花貓撫玩,嘴裡唱着不成調的歌。
阿琳見徐家門前放着報紙與牛奶,許久沒人來取,不禁上前掀鈴,徐太聞鈴聲,立叫女傭王媽出去探視。王媽見是河琳,喜她乖巧,沒口稱讚。何家女傭張媽適出,喚阿林進去早餐。兩傭碰面便議論起來;張媽吿訴王媽說阿琳命苦,親生母親與阿琳父親早已離婚,後母對阿琳漠不關心,
徐太由王媽口中知道阿琳的身世,對阿琳不禁起了同情與愛憐之心,欲收爲繼女。於是向丈夫試探,徐天鶴雖早注意到這個看來很孤獨的女孩,但因是儿家的骨肉,反應冷淡,徐太祇好把這意思悶在心裡。
徐天鶴吃過早餐出外購筆,適逢這天是兒童節,碰面都是父母領着孩子,令他感觸甚深,回到家裡太太適巧出外,更浮起孤寂之感,忍不住也走到窗前向下望,瞧見太太從外歸來,走近阿琳,親熱地招呼,拿蘋果給她吃,心中若有所悟。於是,用開玩笑的口吻對太太說何不認阿琳做女。徐太喜出望外,連忙吩咐王媽向阿琳的父親何澤美徵求意見。
徐太仍渴望自己能養育一個孩子,偷偷去請敎醫生,而醫生証實她今生已無生育的希望,徐太失望之餘,認阿琳做繼女之念更爲堅定。
何澤美敬重徐氏夫婦爲人,終於答應把女兒過繼。徐太聞訊,大喜過望,立促丈夫購一架鋼琴給阿琳。
他們選擇阿琳生日那天,正式過繼。爲了慶祝這重要的一天,徐家大請客,阿琳父親及後母也參加。徐太又興奮又緊張,忙着替阿琳打扮,爲她佈置一個房間,徐天鶴愉快地招呼着客人。
大家圍着阿琳唱快樂誕辰歌,之後,何澤美便當眾宣佈阿琳即晚遷居徐家,阿琳聽了忽然哭起來,大家感到莫名其妙,徐氏夫婦更爲驚愕,幾經哄說,始知爲一隻小花貓,孩子的天真惹得大家哄堂大笑,可是徐氏夫婦心中却有異樣的感覺。
家裡添了一個孩子,頓時熱鬧許多,過去的寂寞氣氛,一掃而空,笑聲不絕於耳。
他倆無事便帶阿琳到公園去玩耍,或帶她到郊外去旅行。
日子在歡樂中過去了,阿琳成爲徐家重要的一員,但不久,一件意外的事情突然發生!
一天,他們帶阿琳去釣魚,釣着一條大魚,三人歡天喜地回家。剛進門,便見王媽神色有異地迎出來,告訴徐太說阿琳的親母史小姐訪她。
這消息令他們大吃一驚,强顏爲歡地與史小姐寒暄,阿琳驟見親母,天性流露,哭着叫着,投入母親懷抱。徐氏夫婦面面相覷,預感到事態嚴重。果然史小姐提出要接阿琳回去。徐太悲憤莫名,與之力爭,徐天鶴並責以大義,史小姐爲他倆摯情感動,黯然離去。
徐太因爲拆散別人骨肉,衷心不安,特邀史小姐外出,向她道歉。兩人談笑甚歡,徐太對史小姐有了進一步的認識,頗同情她的際遇,欲爲她撮合一段好姻緣。
徐太太的表弟應作圖剛從國外回來,應邀倒徐家作客,不知徐太實有作用,特爲之介紹史小姐認識。
經過幾次遊宴,應作圖與史小姐雙雙墮入情網,正欲結婚後同往英國,史因汽車失事送入醫院救治。
應作圖電促徐太來,阿琳關心母親,哭着堅要隨往,徐太無奈携她同去,阿琳見着母親死也不肯離開,徐太狼狽不堪,費盡心思,無法令阿琳回心轉意,傷心離去。
徐太受此打擊,心灰意冷,恍悟凡事不可勉强,遂毅然將阿琳交史小姐領回,使他們骨肉團聚。
BACK DOOR
the story
Writer Hsu Tien-he and his wife have been married for a number of years. They are a happy middle-aged couple, but they find a vacuum in their lives, because they have no children.
Mrs. Hsu knows that she cannot have any children.
She often stands by her window looking out at a small girl playing .with a kitten outside the rear entrance of the house opposite.
The child's name is Ya Lin, a sweet charming girl of six or seven. She is the daughter of Ho Tse-mei.
One day Ya Lin sees that the newspaper and milk has been left outside the Hsu residence for sometime without anyone coming out for them. She goes up and rings the bell to call attention to it.
Chang Ma, the servant of the Ho family, comes out to call Ya Lin in for breakfast. The servant of the Hsu family comes out at the same time to answer the bell, and the two servants start talking about Ya Lin.
Chang Ma tells the other servant Wang Ma, that Ya Lin has no one to look after her, because her parents are divorced, and her step-mother is more interested in mahjong than Ya Lin.
Wong Ma returns and tells her mistress about Ya Lin, Mrs. Hsu after consulting her Husband decides to a adopt Ya Lin. To this Mr. Ho agrees.
The vacuum in the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Hsu is now filled with the sweet innocent laughter and childish patter of Ya Lin, and the three are happy together.
One day on returning happily home after a fishing trip, they are greeted by an uninvited guest. Ya Lin seeing the guest, rushes into her arms. The guest is her own mother.
Miss Shi, the mother of Ya Lin, wants the little girl to go home with her. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hsu refuse. Miss Shi goes away disappointed.
Mrs. Hsu feeling Sorry for Miss Shi tries to match her ott with Ying Tso-tu.
The two young persons fall in love and are about to become married, when Miss Shi is injured in an accident.
Mrs. Hsu rushes to the hospital to see her but Ya Lin hearing that her mother is in hospital insists on going with Mrs. Hsu.
Unable to refuse the girl, Mrs. Hsu takes her along. When Ya Lin sees her mother, she refuses to return home.
Mrs. Hsu walks sadly out of the hospital. She realizes that Ya Lin needs her mother as much as the mother needs her daughter and that her love for Ya Lin could not be stronger than a natural mother's love. She suppresses her own sorrow and disappointment and allows Ya Lin to return to her mother.