When I was a senior in college, I came home for Christmas vacation and expected a fun-filled week with my two brothers. We were so excited to be together and we volunteered to watch the store so that my mother and father could take their first day off in years. The day before my parents went to Boston, my father took me quietly aside to the little den behind the store. He took out a cigar box, opened it and showed me a little pile of newspaper articles.

“What are they?” I asked.

Father replied seriously, “These are articles I’ve written and some letters to the editor that have been published.”

As I began to read, I saw at the bottom of each article the name Walter Chapman. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d done that?” I asked.

“Because I didn’t want your mother to know. She has always told me that since I didn’t have much education, I shouldn’t try to write. I wanted to run for some governmental office also, but she told me I shouldn’t try. I guess she was afraid she’d be shameful if I lost…”

He watched me as I read over a few of the articles and when I looked up, his big blue eyes were wet. “I guess I tried for something too big this time,” he added.

“Did you write something else?”

“Yes, I sent some suggestions in to our church magazine on how the national nominating committee could be more fairly(公平). It’s been three months since I sent it in. I guess I tried for something too big.”

This was such a new side to my fun-loving father that I didn’t quite know what to say, so I tried, “Maybe it’ll still come.”

The next morning our parents left on the bus to the railway station where they took a train to Boston.

Early that evening I looked out the store window and saw my mother get off the bus—alone.

“Where’s Dad?” We asked together.

“Your father’s dead.”

She told us they had been walking through the Park Street Subway Station in the crowds of people when father had fallen to the floor. A nurse bent over him, looked up at mother and said simply, “He’s dead.” Mother had stood by father, not knowing what to do as people tripped (绊倒) over him in their rush through the subway. Mother told us the shocking tale without running a tear. We didn’t cry either and we took turns waiting on the customers.

On the morning of the funeral (葬礼), I noticed the church magazine on the table. Normally I would never have opened it, but maybe that special article might be there—and it was. In the magazine I also found a two-page letter to my father from Henry Cabot Lodge, Sr., thanking him for the campaign suggestions. I took out the box and put them in it.

I didn’t tell anyone about the box.

She is a lovely, quiet girl. As a daughter, she has no secrets from her mother, who is very pleased with her. But recently she has become somewhat mysterious, and not so open as before. She has a diary that she keeps under lock and key. Her mother cannot help worrying about her: what if she falls in love, which is too early for a girl of her age. After all she is reaching the “dangerous stage”.These thoughts have caused trouble in the mother’s mind.

One weekend the girl came to tell her mother that she was going to the cinema with her schoolmate and would return late. This was the first time her mother agreed, and she couldn’t help worrying because her daughter had never been away at night before. The mother waited till nine and her uneasiness got the upper hand over her. She decided to go out to meet her daughter. Just at that moment the noise of a car pulling up drew her to the window and —there was her daughter, waving goodbye to a boy. Her heart missed a beat. When the girl came in, the mother was watching TV, pretending nothing had happened. “Mum, I’m back.” “Yeah.” “Sorry to be late. Still sitting up?” “Yes. Oh , that…Who’s that boy?” The daughter was stunned(发愣) for a moment. “Ah. It’s my monitor. He gave me a lift on his way home, Mum, I’m going to bed.” “All right . Go to sleep early.”

Next morning when the mother went to the daughter’s room to do some tidying , she found her diary left at her pillow. After a few minutes’ hesitation she eventually opened it to the entry of the night before .It reads: Mum, it’s love that made you ask, but it would show your understanding of me if you hadn’t .

One early(早的) morning, an old woman goes into her son’s bedroom(卧室) to ask her son to get up.

“Get up, Mark. It’s time to go to school!”

“But why, Mom? I don’t want to go.”

“Give me two reasons why you don’t want to go.”

“Well, for one, I don’t have any friends there, and the teachers don’t like me for two!”

“Oh, that’s no reason not to go to school. Come on now and get ready（准备好）.”

“Give me two reasons why I must go to school!”

“Well, for one, you’re 52 years old. And you’re the principal（校长）for two! You have a lot to do.”