Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-06-06
CHlLDREN'S CORNER.

CHlLDREN'S CORNER.
Little Nohody.-A Valentine Story.
by FRANK Il. STOCKTON,
There was little girl once, Il young
thing, ten or eleven, or more or less,
and she lived in Il house which was not
Il palace. But It hatla garden in front
of it and trees about il, and she might
have been happy if it had not been for
the holidays coming round so often in
the year. People we're generally very
happy in those days when the holidays
came around, but it was different with
her. She worked and sewel through
all common weekdays, but it seemed
wrong to work and sow ON holidays.
And vet that was all she had to do.
And it so happened that Valentines
Day was com ing around, and it made
her sad to til ink of it. And SO she sat
by the window and looked out over the
bare garden, and sang, and sang the
same little song. And the song was
nothing but this.
n" valentine ever will come to me,
Iii. no! Iii, no! Hi-did-dle-ty! Hol
For am poor little nobod-ec,
Hi, no! Iii, no! Hi-did-de-ty! HOV
I. was a very mild and beautiful
February, and the airSwas SO soft and
pleasant Just about Valentines Day,
that abe would leave the front-door
open little, and so her song d1d not
stay altogether in the house. To be
sure her voice was not very loud, and
the words of her song scarcely ever
went further than the garden, but the
HI, no! Hi, no, Hi.did dle.te, Ho!
used to go way off among the trees, and
sometimes over the fence into the paat-
ure where the sheep, came in summer
time. In the garden close to the path
which led to the front.door, there was q
little crocus, and it was all covered up
in the ground, but it wasn't very deep
down. There was just . thin sod over
it. And every day it nsed to hear the
girl sing the same song over and over
and over again. So, after q while it
began to get tired oft. Even a crocus
will get tired of the one thing over and
over again., no matter how nice it is.
And this song wasn't so very nice in
itself. It might have been improved if
the girl had had better tune to it, and
sung it better, but she did not know
much about music. So it was no won
der the crocus became little restless
on account of the monotony of the
thing, and it said to itself. 81 wish
that girl knew some other song. For
few days I might stand the one she
does know, but no one can tell how
long it may last. And yet I pity her,
too. 1 have no doubt it is all true.
Where is size to get Valentine9 Sup
pose, now, that were to come up and
blossom and be her Valentine! But 1t
is almost to early for that. And yet it
must be quite warm and pleasant above
there. I can feel the warm air coming
down among the roots ofthe- grass. I
have a great mind to do it, I shall make
the girl happy, and if it does get cold
after IL few days and freeze me to death,
there will be an end to that doleful
song at any rate"
So the Crocus, he came up on Valen-
tines eve, and he blossomed ont bright
and yellow and beautiful, right by the
side OF the path that led to the front.
door. And when the girl sat down to
her sewing on Valentines Day, and
commenced to sing her song, which she
sang more dolefully than ever, now that
the holiday had really come, she looked
out of the window, and there was the
loveliest crocus in all the world, shin
ing yellow and beautiful out there in
the sun. She dropped her sewing down
On the floor and rushed out, and fell
down upon her knees, close by the
flower. She knew justlwhat it was. She
4 k<1
thing. The crocus knew she should
have it And she said, 60 you lovely
Valentine There never was such a
beautiful Valentine, and you're mine,
know! all -mine!' And she bowed
down her head, and she touched the
crocus with~her lips, and clasped her
hands, and~her eyes glistened more
brightly than the violets that were 60
ing to come up, after while.
The Crocus was very happy, but he
trembled little, and he SAID to him
self, cts all charming indeed, but
hope she won't pick me. If there is
anything in this world that I should
dislike just how, it would be to be
picked" -,
But the girl never dreamed of picking
him. She knew it was too early for
crocuses, aud so she went and got q pot
and she took him up carefully, round
root and all, with ever SO much earth,
and she planted him in the pot and
never was such happy girl! or SO
beautiful Valentine! What were cut
paper, and silk and satin, and wonder.
fully-painted Cupids and roses, to he1
yellow crocus2 She put him in the
window, where the warm sun shone on
him, and she sang to him, over and
over again:
"The best Of all Valentines came 70 me,
Hi, no! Hi, no! Hi-did- dle-ty! Ho!
And now I am sure am somebod.ee,
Hi, no; Hi, no! Hi-did-dle-ty! Ho!"
And the Crocus, he stood there in
the sun and enjoyed it very much. And
yet it was pretty much the same old
song, and exactly the same old tune,
Bat now it seemed very different to
him, someway or other.