On a train to Smithville,a man happened to sit down next to the young man no more than 17 years old.Because the boy was tense,the man wondered what could be worrying him.Whatever it was,the boy's tension was clear.

The boy kept staring out of the window,paying no attention to anyone else on the train.The man opened up a book and started reading.Now and then,he would look up and see the boy's face pressed against the window.He sensed that the boy was fighting to keep from crying.This was how they traveled through the night—the man attempting to read and the boy staring out of the window.

Finally,the boy asked the man,"Do you know what time it is?And do you know when we are to arrive at Smithville?"

The man gave the boy the time,and went on to say,"Smithville,that's a very small town,isn't it?I didn't know the train stopped there.""It usually doesn't,"said the boy,"But they said that they would stop there for me so that I could get off—If I decide to.I used to live there."

The boy returned to the window and the man to his book.It was quite a while before conversation began once again.But when it did,the boy told the man the whole story of his life."Four years ago,"he said,"I did something very bad,so bad that I had to run away from home.I couldn't face my father.So I left without even saying goodbye to him.Since then,I have worked here and there.I never stayed very long in one place.I've been pretty lonely.Until finally,I decided that I want to go back to my father's house."

The man went on to ask,"Does your father know you're coming?And the boy responded,"He knows I'm coming,but I don't know if he will be there.I sent him a letter.I didn't know if he would still want me back.I wasn't sure if he would forgive me.So in my letter,I said that I would come home if he wanted me to.I told him that if he wanted me to come home,he could put a sign on a tree which is a few hundred yards before the railroad station in Smithville.I told him that I would look for a white ribbon on one of the branches of that tree as the train passes.If there is a white ribbon on the tree,then I'll get off.If not,then I'll just keep on riding to wherever this train goes."

The two of them were now waiting for Smithville.Suddenly,the boy asked,"Will you do me a favor?Will you please look for me?I'm scared to look for that ribbon on the tree."Now involved,the man agreed and took a turn staring out the window for a ribbon on a tree.

A few moments later,the conductor came down the aisle and called out,"Next stop—Smithville."The boy could not move.The man,however,looked as hard as could.And then he saw it!He shouted so loud that all the people in the train turned around."It's there!Look!The tree is covered with white ribbons!Not just one—there's a whole bunch!"

The father had every reason not to put up a white ribbon—and yet he did.Only a father whose love is real could blanket the tree with white ribbons,each one of them proclaiming reconciliation.

父親的白絲帶

在駛往史密斯維爾的列車上，一位男士碰巧在一個不滿17歲的年輕小伙旁邊坐下來。男孩緊張不安，男士不知道是什么使他焦慮不安。無論是什么，男孩的緊張顯而易見。

男孩一直盯著窗外，對列車上其他人毫不關注。男士打開本書開始閱讀。時不時地，他會抬起頭看看男孩緊貼在窗戶上的臉。他感到男孩正在努力忍著不哭出來。他們就是這樣徹夜旅行的——男士試圖閱讀，男孩則注視著窗外。

后來，男孩問男士：“你知道幾點了嗎？你知不知道我們什么時候能到史密斯維爾呢？”

男士告訴男孩時間，繼續說道：“史密斯維爾，那是個很小的城鎮，是嗎？我不知道列車會在那兒停?！薄耙话悴煌?，”男孩說，“可是，他們說他們會為我在那兒停車，這樣我就能下去了——如果我決定的話。我過去住那里?！?

男孩轉向窗戶，男士繼續看書，過了好一會兒才又開始交談。但話題一開，男孩給男士講述了他全部的生活。“四年前，”他說，“我干了些很糟糕的事情，實在是太糟糕了，我只能逃離家鄉，無法面對父親。因此，我甚至都沒有跟他道別就離開了。從那以后，我到處干活，從來沒有在一個地方待很久。我非常孤獨，直到后來，我決定要返回父親的家。”

男士接著問道：“你父親知道你來了嗎？”男孩答道：“他知道我來了，但我不知道他會不會在那里，我托人給他捎了封信，我不知道他是否還愿意我回來，我也不確定他會不會原諒我。所以，在信里，我說我會回家，如果他想讓我回來，他可以在史密斯維爾列車站臺前一百碼外的一棵樹上做個標記。我告訴他火車經過時我會在那棵樹的枝頭尋找一條白色絲帶。如果樹上有白絲帶，我就下車。如果沒有，我就繼續乘車到這列火車駛往的任何地方?！?

他們兩個現在等待著史密斯維爾。突然，男孩問道：“您能幫我個忙嗎？您能幫我找找嗎？我不敢在樹上尋找絲帶?！币呀洜窟B進來，男士答應下來，兩人輪流盯著窗外尋找樹上的絲帶。

過了一會兒，乘務員走下過道喊道：“下一站——史密斯維爾。”男孩動彈不得。那個男士仍然盡力尋找著。接著，他看到了！他聲音那么高，列車里所有的人都轉過頭來?！霸谀抢?！瞧！那棵樹滿是白色絲帶！不僅是一條——滿枝都是！”

那位父親有足夠的理由不去掛白絲帶——但他掛了。只有胸懷真愛的父親才會用白絲帶將樹覆蓋，每條白絲帶都表達了和解之意。