When people come to America, they are often homesick, because things are not the same as in their own land. 人们来到美国的时候，往往会思念家乡，因为这里的一切与他们家乡不同。

In this story a wonderful Christmas surprise made a homesick little girl very happy. 在这则故事中，一份奇妙的圣诞节礼物让一个思乡的小姑娘非常高兴。

The Empty Shoes 空空的鞋子

It was almost Christmas time, when one of the great ships that sail across the sea came to America. 一艘巨轮漂洋过海来到美国的时候差不多快到圣诞节了。

It brought a little girl named Gretchen, who had come with her father and mother to find a new home in our land. 它带来了一个名叫格雷琴的小姑娘，小姑娘跟随父母来到我们的大陆寻找一个新家。

Gretchen knew all about the story of Christmas. 格雷琴对圣诞节的故事了如指掌。

She had heard it over and over in her home across the sea. 她在大洋彼岸的家里听过遍又一遍。

Every year she had placed her shoes in the garden so that Rupert could fill them. 每年她都会把她的鞋子放在花园里，这样鲁伯特就能把鞋子塞满东西。

For, in her country, children believe that Santa Claus has a helper named Rupert, 因为在她的国家里，孩子们相信圣诞老人有一个名叫鲁伯特的助手，

who comes each night at Christmas time to fill their wooden shoes with candy and nuts. 每到圣诞节的夜晚，他都会过来，用糖果和坚果塞满他们的木鞋。

When Gretchen was coming across the ocean, she wondered what Christmas in the new country would be like. 当格雷琴漂洋过海的时候，她想知道这个新国家的圣诞节会是什么样子。

She wondered still more, when she reached a great city and went with her mother and father to a little room in a boarding-house. 当她到了一个大城市，和她的父母来到个寄宿小屋的时候，她更困惑了。

Gretchen did not like the boarding-house; she could not feel at home there. 格雷琴不喜欢寄宿的地方，她在那里找不到家的感觉。

But worst of all, her father became sick the day after they reached the big city. 而且最糟糕的是，他们到达这座大城市的第二天，她的父亲就病倒了。