In early November, I told the pupils in my class I taught in Delaware about my plan. “I'd like all of you to do extra jobs around the house to cam some money,” I said. “Then we'll buy food for a Thanksgiving dinner for someone who might not have a nice dinner otherwise.”

I wanted them to understand that religion is more than noble ideas; that people somehow have to make it come alive. I hoped they could experience a sense of their own power to make changes.

Early in Thanksgiving week, the boys and girls arrived in class holding their hard-earned money. They had set tables, washed dishes, cared for younger sisters or brothers. And now they couldn't wait to go shopping.

I supervised (监督) while they moved quickly up and down the supermarket. At last we headed toward the checkout, pushing a cart (购物车) filled with turkey and other pieces of food. Then someone spotted a “necessity” that sent them racing.

“Flowers!” Kristine cried. The group ran toward the holiday plants.

It was more meaningful to use any extra money to buy staples (主食) that could be stretched into meals. After all, I pronounced, “You can't eat flowers.”

“But Mrs. Sherlock, we want flowers." Defeated, 1 looked at the collection of purple chrysanthemums (菊花). “She’ll like this one,” the children agreed, and put the purple plant into the cart gently.

An agency had given us the name and address of a needy grandmother who had lived alone for many years.

Soon we were bouncing along a road to her house. The atmosphere in the car was definitely not spiritual. “You're squishing (压扁) me!” one voice announced. “I think I'm scared of strangers,” said another. Between giggling (咯咯地笑) and punching, and those purple flowers, I wasn't sure that any lesson about giving and receiving was getting through.

We finally pulled up in front of a small house.

After dinner, Mrs. Quimby told the family that Grandma, who lived on a farm, had sent in a lot of pumpkins for jack-o’-lanterns (空心南瓜灯) for the neighborhood children. There was one in the basement waiting to be carved, she added. Ramona sprang to her feet and dashed down to bring it up, but it was too heavy for a second-grader. Finally Mr. Quimby gave a hand.

“Let’s make it smile like last year,” exclaimed Ramona.

“Hmm. Let’s see.” Mr. Quimby studied the pumpkin, turning it to find the best side for the face. With a pencil he sketched (素描) a nose-shaped nose, not a triangle. Then the mouth turned up on both sides. “smiling!” Ramona clapped her hands.

Mr. Quimby nodded with a smile, cut a circle around the top of the pumpkin and lifted it off for a lid. Without being asked, Ramona found a big spoon for scooping out the seeds. Picky-picky, the Quimbys' shabby old cat, came into the kitchen to see if something had been put in his dish. When he found that it had not, he paused, sniffed the pumpkin smell and angrily walked out with his tail twitching.

Mr. Quimby began to whistle as he carved with skill and care, first a mouthful of teeth, each one neat and square, then eyes and eyebrows. He was working on two ears shaped like question marks when Mrs. Quimby announced it was bedtime for Ramona. Unwillingly Ramona ran, took a shower and quickly returned. Now, Mr. Quimby had just carved a few C-shaped curls (卷发) around the hole in the top of the pumpkin. He reached inside and dug a candle holder in the bottom.

“There,” he said, putting down his knife. “A work of art.” Mrs. Quimby found a candle stub (残根), inserted it in the pumpkin, lit it and set the lid in place. Ramona turned off the light. The jack-o’-lantern was smiling with a flickering flame. “Wow!” Ramona threw her arms around her father before going to bed with great satisfaction.

In the middle of the night Ramona awoke to a noise.

On the table their jack-o’-lantern no longer had a whole face.

February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.

On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolate, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.

But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a saint, as well as becoming one of the most romantic characters in history.

Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is still popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.