The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-05-13
DR.. 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 we're all
braids and puffy curls-all loops and
ribbons-all smiles and dimples. 1t was
Saturday before Valentines day, in a
certain year of grace, of which 1 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.
"These Valentines" Nelly answered
slowly.
"Well, surely they need not make you
sober-they are absurd enough"
eyes, and it's because they are SO alb
surd hat they make me sober. 1 was
Just wondering why we couldn't just US
well have done something to help some
body think-to do some good"
"Nelly's heroic !" cried Kate Greene,
f~ippantly ; "Miss Hunt is a moral re-
former I"
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 I say, and I'm going to try an
experiment. I'll write one boy a valen-
tine, such as I think a girl ought to write,
and I'll send it."
Her task was harder than she had i'm
agined. It 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. 1t was
a little stiff, to be sure, and preachy and
high flown, but it sounded like a lofty
effort andacomplete success to the listen
ing girls. This is what it said:
MYVAIENTNE You will have plenty of
fine speeches and praises and perhaps of
fun and fancy from others ; SO 1 shall not
give you thoseNI 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 indolent, if you are
mean, you Will never be happy in you1
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 a man of
honor and faithful worker, you will dc
good deeds and live a happy life and be
worthy the everlasting esteem of
Your VALENTINE.
Nellie read it with rising color and
little culver about her mouth which Der
tina understood but she read it will
firm voice and careful, deliberate accent.
Then she said when she had finished,
al shall burn up all the rest of my val
entines and send only this one for it is
what I mean In earnest, and, as old AuntJ
Smoke y elf it don't do no good, i
can't do no harm"
"To whom shall you send it. dear2'
Bertha asked gently, a little subdued by
Nelly's epistolary success.
II hadn't made up my mind" Nell
answered thoughtfully "they all neet
it."
sob, send it to jack" cried Kitty
Greene, "He boards with us, and b.
needs it-bad enough. If ever a boz
was full of his pranks Jack is, and if eve
a boy tormented a girls life out Jacl
does mine"
A color clear and brighta as flame glowet
on Nelly Hunts cheeks. Had she hac
dark-eyed Jack in her mind all the while
She only answered very quietly:
81 don't uind. 1 had Just as lief sent
it to Jack"
On the 18th the girls were altogethe.
at school comparing notes and exchang
ing condolences. But Kitty Greene drew
Nelly aside, while they walked up anC
down. the hall together, their arms arount
each other, as girls viii
ri saw Jack get it, Nelly"
Nelly's pretty cheeks glowed and he
eyes shown like stars, but she asked n,
questions. Indeed they were s~carcel,
necessary, for Kitty was eager enough +
tell her story.
"He got it, don't you think, along wit
halfa dozen others, and he read them a
before he came to the one. l knew this
you know, by the shape of the envelope
When he came to it 1 saw him read it a
through, and then I saw him go back an
read it again. 1 heard him say to hin
self, THAT'S al honest letter from som
little saint
"Then he came up to me and held
toward me, while L pretended to be yer
busy with my valentines. Then b
spoke
"'Do you know that hand writin
Kitq'
81 felt like an awful little liar, but
had promised you. I stretched out m
hand for it and said carelessly.
Why, amt it Sue'sl'
"Sue is his sitter, you know. So h
thought I did not know who it cam
from and he changed his mind and pu
it in his pocket and went off. When
leased him afterward to let me see it, b
said
No; there are some things a fello,
would be a cad to show
$50 1 saw it hit home, and well
might. It was a tremendous lettel
Nelly"
And Kitty ended with a hug and kis,
and a look of that royal admiratio
which a girl can give another girl no
and then.
When the spring came, Jack Greer
went away from Chester and did NJ