Last summer, my college’s charity started a campaign “Big Brothers Big Sisters”. It called on college students to care for local extremely poor kids by leading them to our cafeteria and helping them enjoy a good lunch every Sunday for four months. The charity would pay for the kids’ meals.

My schoolmate Molly and I signed up as volunteers. Then, the charity helped us contact a local poor family. The family had a kindergarten girl Melissa. That Sunday morning, Molly and I took the school bus and reached the family. When seeing a shabby house, we were touched. We nervously knocked on the door. Melissa opened it and looked up at us, seemingly wondering, “Could these girls be trusted?” Still, she welcomed us in.

After communicating with her parents for a while, Melissa gave us a tour of their home. “Here is the TV. Here is the picture I drew,” she said. Her parents, quiet in chairs, watched her and smiled. “Here is my brother, who died,” Melissa added. Molly and I just broke inside. Just then, Melissa’s mother called her. Melissa walked over to her, who secretly told her something. Then Melissa came to us, smiling, “Mama said my brother lived inside our heart forever.”

After a short silence, Molly and I chatted a lot with Melissa’s parents. Then, waving goodbye to her parents, Melissa held my hand and Molly’s and happily got on our bus. All the way, Melissa appeared excited.

Finally, we reached the cafeteria.

Melissa stood up, saying, “Can I bring some grapes home for my family?”

The winter of 1820 was a cold one for the Lincolns. It snowed nearly every day and the snow was high around their little farm house.

Abe was just a boy, but he had to help his father Tom around the farm. He looked after the house, milked the cow and prepared the dinner. It was hard work, and there wasn’t much fun for him and his brothers and sisters. Abe liked reading, but there was no book there. Abe was not happy. He was sad most of the time and seldom talked or smiled.

Mrs. Lincoln, Abe’s stepmother, really loved the boy. She noticed the boy’s silence and was concerned about him. She tried to think of ways to make Abe happy.

One day Mrs. Lincoln got up early in the morning. She took all the pennies from a small box. “I’m going to town tomorrow,” she said.

“You are going to town?” Tom asked. He was surprised. “That’s a long way. You see, the snow is thick. What are you going to do in town? Can’t you make it another day when the snow stops?”

“It’s a surprise. And I must go there tomorrow!” she said with a determined voice.

“Do you want Abe or me to go with you?” Tom asked his wife the next day.

“No, don’t worry, honey! I’ll be all right,” she said and went out of the house.

Walking in the snow was difficult. It took Mrs. Lincoln a long time to get to town. She bought something in town and wrapped it carefully. Then she started back.

It was late in the evening when she got home.

Abe’s eyes became very wide.

On the first day of school, Sally’s father promised that he would pick her up after school.