学文网I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy， delicate of bone and feature， ragged but clean， hungrily appreciating a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. Pondering the peas， I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller （the store owner） and the ragged boy next to me.
“Hello， Barry， how are you today？”
“Hello， Mr. Miller. Fine， thank you. I am just admiring the peas. They sure look good.”
“They are good， Barry. How’s your mom？”
“Fine. Getting stronger all the time.”
“Good. Anything I can help you with？”
“No， Sir. I am just admiring the peas.”
“Would you like to take some home？” asked Mr. Miller.
“No， Sir. I have got nothing to pay for them with.”
“Well， what have you to trade me for some of those peas？”
“All I have got is my prize marble here.”
“Is that right？ Let me see it.”
“Here it is. She’s a dandy.”
“I can see that. Hm， only thing is this one is blue and I sort of a red one. Do you have a red one like this at home？” the store owner asked.
“Not exactly， but almost.”
“Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble.” Mr. Miller told the boy.
“Sure will. Thanks， Mr. Miller.”
Mrs. Miller， who had been standing nearby， came over to help me. With a smile she said， “There are two other boys like him in our community， all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas， apples， tomatoes， or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles， and they always do， he decides he doesn’t like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one， when they come on their next trip to the store.”
I left the store smiling to myself， impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado， but I never forgot the story of this man， the boys， and their bartering for marbles.
Several years went by， each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and I agreed to accompany them.
Upon arrival at the mortuary， we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts， dark suits and white shirts， all professional looks. They approached Mrs. Miller， standing composed and smiling. Each of the young men hugged her， kissed her on the cheek， spoke briefly with her.
Her misty light blue eyes watched them as， one by one， each placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand of Mr. Miller. Each left the mortuary awkwardly， wiping his eyes.
Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband’s bartering for marbles.
With her eyes glistening， she said， “Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim ‘traded’ them. Now， at last， when Jim could not change his mind about color or size， they came to pay their debt.”
“We’ve never had a great deal of the wealth of this world，” she confided， “but right now， Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho.”
With loving gentleness， she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.
在街角的杂货店买早熟土豆时，我注意到一个小男孩，身材和相貌都挺标致，衣服破旧，但还算干净。他正面带饥色地盯着一篮新摘的绿豌豆。我付了土豆的钱，同时也被陈列着的新鲜豌豆所吸引。考虑要不要买一点的时候，我无意听到了站在我身边的这个男孩和米勒先生（杂货店店主）的对话。
“你好，巴里，今天怎么样？”
“嗨，米勒先生，还好，谢谢你的问候。我正在欣赏这些豌豆。它们看起来好极了。”
“它们的确不错，巴里。你妈妈怎么样了？”
“还好，一天天地在好转。”
“那就好。有什么要我帮忙吗？”
“没什么事，先生。我只想欣赏下这些豌豆。”
米勒先生问：“你想带一些回家吗？”
“不了，先生。我没钱，买不起。”
“呃，那你有什么东西可以拿来跟我交换一些豌豆吗？”
“我只有一块我珍视的大理石。”
“是吗？拿来我瞧瞧。”
“给你，这是一块上等石头。”
“看得出来。嗯，只是有一个问题，这块石头是蓝色的，而我想要一块红色的。你家有跟这块大小差不多的红色的吗？”店主问道。
“不是一模一样的，但是差不多。”
“这样吧，你把这袋豌豆拿回家，下次路过这里时，把那块红色大理石拿来给我看看。”米勒先生对那个男孩说。
“我一定会的。谢谢你，米勒先生。”
站在一旁的米勒夫人走过来帮我选菜。她笑眯眯地说：“我们这个社区还有两个像他这样的男孩子，三个孩子的家里都很穷。我先生吉姆总喜欢用豌豆、苹果、番茄或随便什么商品跟他们做交易。要他们下次带着红色大理石来店里，他们总是很守信。等他们拿过来时，我先生又会变卦说他根本不喜欢红色的，让他们先带一袋子农产品回家，下次再换一块绿色的大理石顺道带到店里来。到那个时候，他又会说要橙色的。”
我离开杂货店时，脸上带着微笑，为米勒先生的行为所感动。之后不久，我搬到了科罗拉多州，但从未忘记米勒先生和男孩们以及他们以物换石头的故事。
转眼几年就过去了，一年快过一年。就在最近，我有机会拜访了爱达荷社区的一些老朋友。到那儿才知道，米勒先生去世了。今晚他们要去参加他的追悼会，我决定和他们一起去。
一到殡仪馆，我们便排队去探望逝者的家属，致以我们力所能及的安慰。我们一队人的前面是三个年轻人。其中一名穿着***装，另外两个头发打理得挺讲究，穿着黑西装和白衬衣，一个个都很职业人士的模样。他们走近米勒夫人，面带微笑的她正镇定地站在那里。每个年轻人都给她一个拥抱，在她面颊上亲吻一下，并与她简短地交谈了几句。
她溢满泪水的蓝色眼睛注视着这三个年轻人，他们一个接一个地把他们温暖的手放在米勒先生苍白冰冷的手之上。三人都失魂落魄地离开了殡仪馆，一边走，一边拭泪。
轮到我们与米勒夫人会面了。我问她还记不记得我，并跟她说起多年前她告诉过我她丈夫用商品交换大理石的故事。
她眼中闪耀着光芒，对我说：“刚才离开的那三个年轻人就是我跟你说过的那三个男孩。他们刚刚说，他们非常感激我先生拿商品来交换他们的石头。现在，当我先生对于石头的颜色或尺寸再也无法改变想法的时候，他们最终来还他们的债了。”
她继续说：“在这人世间，我们从未拥有过很多的财富，但是现在，如果泉下有知，我先生会觉得他是爱达荷最富有的人。”
带着浓浓爱意，她抬起已故丈夫了无生气的手，手下面放着的是三块精致光滑的红色大理石。