The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-05-07

you know, by the shape OF the envelope.
When he came TO it l saw him read 1t all
through, and then saw him go back and
read il again. heard him say to him
self, That's an honest letter from some
little saint
"Then he came up to me and held 1T
toward me, while pretended to be very
busy with my valentines. Then he
spoke:
"'Do you know that hand writing
Kit
81 felt like an awful little liar, but /
had promised you. / stretched out my
hand for it and said carelessly.
"Why, amt it Sue's9'
"Sue is his sitter, you know. So he
thought L did not know who it came
from and he changed his mind and put
it in his pocket and went off. When L
leased him afterward to let me see 1t, he
said
/" No; there are some things a fellow
would be cad to show.
$50 l saw it hit home, and well it
might. 1t was a tremendous letter,
Nelly"
And Kitty ended with hug and kiss,
and a look of that royal admiration
which girl can give another girl now
and then.
When the spring came, Jack Greene
went away from Chester, and did not
come back there any more. No doubt
Nelly Hunt would have forgotten
his very existence but for that valentine
which she could not forget. She used to
blush as she grew older to think how
"bumptious it was, as she used to call
it to herself.
Nelly was twenty when Jack Greene
came back to Chester again. And now
he came physician, just through his
studies and anxious to build up prac-
tice. Soon his fame grew His patients
were among the poor at first, and he
cured them. And then richer people
heard of it and ssnt for him. But, while
he took all the patients that came to him,
he never gave up the practice among
those who most needed him. His
praise was in all their mouths. There
had never been any doctor like this
one.
Nelly was Miss Hunt now-for Bertha
had gone away from her into the next
country-and Nelly's grief had made her
gentle heart yet more gentle and her
|
Toward night, one summer day, she
had gone to see an old woman who had
been her nurse once, and had found her
; very ill-quite too i'll to be left alone and
| certainly in need of a physician. SO
Nelly tore leaf from her memorandum
book and wrote on it few lines, begging
! DIR. Greene to come at once, and then
called to the first passer-by, and entreat-
ed him to take it to the doctor.
1t was scarcely half an hour before DR..
Greene came in quietly and gravely. He
attended to his patient with that careful
consideration which made ali those poor
souls whom he visited adore him. Then
he turned to Nelly.
"Who will stay with her tonight 2"
he asked; "for indeed she hardly ought
: to be left alone"
81 shall stay" was the quiet answer.
"Then come to the door with me,
please, and let me give you your direc-
TONS"
Nellie followed and stood there in the
soft summer dusk-a pretty creature
with the wild rose flush dawning in her
cheeks and new light kindling in her
blue eyes. She listened carefully to all
his injunctions, and then turned as if to
go. But he put out hand to detain
her.
''How very much owe to you," he
said.
''You, how" and deep, deep Grim
son dyed Nellie's face and throat. In
that moment she thought of her ''bump-
tious" valentine, which had not crossed
her mind before for long time.
He looked at her with smile in his
eyes, but with face that preserved all
its respectful gravity. He took his red
leather case out of his pocket, and from
the case he took the very old valentine
which Nellie remembered so well. Then
he produced the brief notes she had
written that afternoon, and still there
was light enough left i'll the day to see
them by as she held them side by side.
"Your hand has matured somewhat
since this valentine was written" he re-
marked, quietly; "but some of these let
tiers | should know anywhere. No one
could deceive me-"
81 did not suppose you had kept that
) foolish thing" Nellie said, with pitt
J full little culver in her voice, as if she
was just on the point of bursting into
tears. 81 am SO ashamed" AZ
DIR. Jack looked at her moment. as
she stood there in the waning light, a
lovely, graceful girl, from whom any
man might be proud to win even a pass
ing interest. So this was the woman
the thought of whom he had carried in
his heart for years. If he had ever done
any good thing, he was paid for it in
the satisfaction of that hour.
/ care you sorry" he asked slowly,
that you have helped one man to be his
/ best self? Those words of yours were
to me like the voice of my inmost soul
Since then this paper has never left me,
nor have / ever ceased to strive to be
worthy of the esteem of my unknown
: valentine. If ever have been gen.
erous instead of selfish, brave instead of
cowardly, strong instead of weak, it has
been because / have remembered the
words written here, and meant to live in
Their spirit. Are you sorry for that
Or do you grudge me the pleasure of
thanking your
''No, I'm not sorry, nor do 1 grudge
you anything; but it was girls freak
and am not worthy of SO much praise
and honor.
Il sIt xvaa a o,ood oirl,a oood ;ptan+;o,, ~