The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-05-06
Oh. JACKS VALENTINE.

There were half a dozen of the girls
together pretty creatures in the very
FIRST season of their long dresses-the
eldest not quite sixteen. They were all
brafds and puffy curls-al loops and
Eibbons-all smiles and dimples. It was
Saturday before Valentines day, in a
certain year Of grace, of which I will not
give you'the precise date, but less than
ten years ago and more than five.
What are you thinking about, Nell ?"
Bertha asked, sitting on the arm Of
Nelly's chair.
"Ehese Valentines" Nelly answered
slowly.
"Well, surely they need not make you
sober-they are absurd enough"
Yes, and it's because they are so alb
surd that they make me sober. I was
Just wondering why we couldn't just as
well have done something to help some
body think-to do some good"
FNelly's heroic!" cried Kate Greene,
dippantly 'sMiss Hunt is a moral re-
former !"
Nelly blushed from her pretty ears to
the roots of her sunny hair, buther eyes
shone clear, and there was a ring of ear
nestness in her voice as she answered:
"You can laugh if you will, but I
mean what say, and I'm going to try an
experiment. I'll write one boy a valen-
line, such as think girl ought to write,
and I'll send it. :"
Her task was harder than she had i'm
agined. 1t is only the old, perhaps. who
are sage in counsel by nature. At any
rate, to give good advice did not come
naturally to pretty Nelly. But she had
an idea Of what she wanted to say, and
at last she got it said. She had written
and rewritten it, and finally concluded
that she could do no better, and then
copied it out into her neatest handwrit-
ing before she called the others. It was
a little stiff, to be sure, and preachy and
high flown, but it sounded like lofty
effort and a complete success to the listen
ing girls. This is what it said:
My VALENTINE /: You will have plenty of
line speeches and praises and perhaps of
fun and fancy from others so shall not
give you those-I would have but one
interest in you, namely that you be the
best boy and the best man which it is
possible for you become. If you are
selfish, if you are INDECENT, if you are
mean, you will never be happy in your
own society until you have sunk so low
that you don't know the difference be-
tween goodness and badness. But if you
set out to be a gentleman and man of
honor and faithful worker, you will do
good deeds and live happy life and be
worthy the everlasting esteem of
Your VALENTINE.
Nellie read it with rising color and q
little culver about her mouth which Ber-
tina understood but she read it with
firm voice and careful, deliberate accent.
Then she said when she, had finished,
&c shall burn up all the rest Of my val
entines and send only this one for it is
what / meanin earnest, and, as old Aunty
Smoke says, 8 Ii it, don't do no good, it
cant do no harm.
''To whom shall you send it, dear?"
Bertha asked gently, a little subdued by
Nelly's epistolary success.
g L hadn't made up my mind" Nelly
answered thoughtfully they all need
IT," a9Iafsa4i ,a'4o9s' ylf
s'Oh, send it to Jack" cried Kitty
oIGG14Cs sf LIZ .OOClIlo WILL CAo, 11lIt llC
needs it-bad enough. If ever a boy
was full of his pranks Jack is, and if ever
boy tor1nented girls life out Jack
does mine. :" ..ea.. ..a
A color clear and bright as fame glowed
on Nelly Hunts cheeks. Had she had
dark-eyed Jack in her mind all the while ?
She only answered very quietly -:
ct don't mind. I had just as lief send
ii to Jack. !"
On The 18th the girls were altogether
at school comparing notes and exchang-
ing condolences. But Kitty Greene drew
Nelly aside, while they walked up and
down the hall together, their arms around
each other, as girls will
81 saw Jack get it, Nelly"
Nelly's pretty cheeks glowed end her
eyes shown like stars, but she asked nc
questions Indeed they were scarcely
L.. 100 nnosAr anan0h *