一个男人有个小女儿，那是他唯一且深爱着的孩子。他为她而活，她是他生命的全部。于是，当她生病，而且能青岛的最好的医生对她的疾病也束手无策时，他就像个狂人一样，上天入地般地奔波，想让女儿恢复健康。
可是，他最大的努力终究是徒劳，孩子还是死了。那位父亲痛不欲生。他成了一个痛苦的遁世者，拒绝亲朋好友，拒绝参与每一项也许会让他恢复平静、重返正常自我的活动。
有天晚上，他做了一个梦。他梦见自己到了天堂，亲眼目睹了所有小天使参加的一个盛大庆典活动。他们排成浩浩荡荡的队伍，整齐经过白色大宝座。每个身穿白色长袍、天使般的小孩都拿了一支蜡烛。可是，他注意到一个小孩的蜡烛没有点着。接着，他认出手持无光蜡烛的小孩就是他的亲生女儿。庆典的队伍缓缓移动着，他朝女儿冲了过去，一把将她搂进怀里。他温柔地爱抚着女儿，问道：“为什么只有你的蜡烛没有点着呢？”“爸爸，他们经常重新点燃蜡烛，可是你的眼泪总会又把它浇灭，”她说道。
此时，梦醒了。梦的寓意再明白不过，男人幡然醒悟。从那一刻起，他不再是一个遁世者，而是自由快乐地与以前无用的泪水告别了。
A man had a little daughter, an only and much beloved child. He lived only for her, she was his life. So when she became ill and her illness resisted the efforts of the best obtainable physicians, he became like a man possessed, moving heaven and earth to bring about her restoration to health.
His best efforts proved fruitless, however, and the child died. The father was totally irreconcilable. He became a bitter recluse, shutting himself away from his many friends, refusing every activity that might restore his poise and bring him back to his normal self.
Then one night he had a dream. He was in heaven and witnessing a grand pageant of all the little child angels. They were marching in an apparently endless line past the Great White Throne. Every white-robed, angelic tot carried a candle. He noticed, however, that one child’s candle was not lit. Then he saw that the child with the dark candle was his own little girl. Rushing towards her, while the pageant faltered, heseized her in his arms, caressed her tenderly, and asked, “How is that your candle is the only one not lit?” “Father, they often relight it, but your tears always put it out again,” she said.
Just then he awoke from his dream. The lesson was crystal clear, and it’s effects were immediate. From that hour on he was no longer a recluse, but mingled freely and cheerfully with his former friends and associates. No longer would his little darling’s candle be extinguished by his useless tears.
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