Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-03-16
VI isc ceIIany .
THE TWO VALENTINES.

My sister and have known poverty NJ
born, nor bred to it, We were vet scarce
women grown, when We found oursely,
alone in the world with poverty for our il
heritance, and |, indeed, with nothing b
tween me and starvation save Ellinor's cou,
age, energy, and patience
We had tried many methods by which
earn daily bread, and clothes to cover a
The work began in hope to end IN disar
polntment, the supply ever exceeding th
demand, and dark and bitter February foun
US endeavoring to keep the wolf from th
door by the manufacture Of the pretty, ,fancl
tul, foolish trihcs which it is the fashion o
the rich and happy to dispense on the day
of St. Valentine,
EllinOr had fine taste and drew very
prettily, and between US We had managed to
please highly the kindbearted shopkeeper
who first offered to employ us in making
valentines; but, alas the demand was ex-
hausted sooner than our taste and invention
and when our last order was executed We
had so much material remaining that we
resolved TO exercise our taste and skill to the
utterm0st IN the manufacture of some real
chgsd' 'Gurre, sight Of which should gain
us orders elsewhere or at least command a
sale for themselves
There - said |, having put the finishing
touch to one of our best efforts, and laying
il down before there, Nell would
you not like some one to send you Just such
valentine as that, my dear ? For my part,
think should consider the sender irresis-
tible"
Ellinor looked. admired, and laid it care
fully away beside the other completed ones,
valentines are not for US.
1t was bitterly cold morning, with fire.
quent showers Of sleety rain, when we both
set forth, our valentines carefully packed in
a box, to try and dispose of the delicate
wares in such shops as seemed to us likely to
invest in them. We were hopeful as we
entered the first, not utterly damped as we
departed unsuccessful, and by the time We
entered, think, the sixth, despairing, but
resolved not to give in while chance re-
manned.
1t was fashionable West end shop, as |
remember, and the warm mellow atmosphere
as We entered, penetrated our damp garments
with grateful sense of comfort. Two gen
tlemen stood at the handsome counter, in
specJing the valentines that the smartly
dressed, smiling young lady behind 1t was
exhibiting to them, the younger Of the two |
with a curious kind OF dissati fed eagerness |
in his bOyish face, the other with good |
natured assumption of interest in what his |
friend evidently had at heart.
noticed all this while Ellinor was dis |
playing our poor little wares to the other
young lady, equally well dressed, but not
quite so smiling, who came forward to us
as we entered and | was still looking and
our valentines still strewed the counter.
while the young lady had departed to ask
instructions as to buying from the master of
the shop, when the elder Of the two gentle
men turned suddenly round and saw the con.
tents Of our box, spread out.
Halo ~ said be, "why here are a lot
more. Tom, come, think you will be hard
TO please, il some of these are not UP to the
mark, and he pulled them all towards
hin, -efore EllinOr or the young lady behind
the counter could intrefeer if they wished.
why these forget me-nots' and silver
Cupids are the most killing things we have
seen yet perfectly irresistible, by Jove -
And this pretty wreath of holly berries that
lifts up, and shows tiny looking glass un-
derneath-there's a neat compliment for youi
perfeetions Of every kind set forth in the
verses you know. Look in the glass and
you behold EN- all Why. Tom, you could
not hope to beat that
He ended with laugh that matched his
kind frank face, and which like that, seemed
to draw one towards him as it were, and
then glanced at Elinor, who was coloring
little.
"Dld you make these pretty things ?'' he
aid, speaking very gently. what taste
you must have; you must let me have this
one of the holly berries. | have never seen
anything so pretty"
lie dropped his voice and looked again at
Ellnor. | was the youngest, yet saw the
compliment, which she never dreamed of
sppropriating
The thing is for sale. sir" she said sim
ply, and putting it into its cover laid 1t on the
counter before him. With some swkard-
ness, and rising color In his own face now.
ne took out sovereign and handed it to her.
we wanted money, yes, ,sorely Heaven knows
ana yet sudden impulse which l could
scarcely resist, made me almost dash forward
ana snatch the money from her hand. Not
noticing that, or my face, into which a
burning color had flown, Ellinor turned to-
wards the young lady, and asked her to OBJ
Age her with change in silver.
"No, indeed" the gentleman called out
hastily, "there is no need OF change. The
valentine is worth more than that trihe-yes
indeed, insist and he would not hear
anything to the contrary, though EllInor
looked distressed and even naughty. He
took up the other valentines, praised and
admired them, and there was something so
winning in his face and manner, that Eli
nor. though always somewhat shy and re-
served. talked and even smiled IN answer to |
him. Meanwhile the well dressed young
lady behind the counter looked on with much |
lo.tincss, not to say disdnin, which was not
abated when the other young gentleman e.
nally fixed upon the forget-me-nots and Gu
pids, which his friends had pronounced 30
killing, and the price of which Ellinor said
was five shillings. / don't know whether
the elder one by this time had become aware
Of the irregular nature OF the proceedings,
or whether he was enlightened as 70 the
same By the aspect Of the young lady. but |
certainly, with smile and bow toward e. |
linor, he turned away and, after purchasing
some trihe or other he and his friend left the |
shop.
Very short indeed was the young lady's |
tone, when she said. "that they had no in |
'ension at present Of increasing their stock !