Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1875-06-03
DIR. JACKS VALENTINE.

There were half dozen of the
girls together-pretty. creatures in
the very first season of their long
dresses-the eldest not quite sixteen.
They were all braids AMI puffy curls
all loops and ribbons-all smiles
and dimples. 1t was Saturday before
Valentines dav, in a certain year of
grace. of which l 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 answer
ed slowly.
"Well, surely they need not make
you sober-they are absurd enough" !"
eyes, and its because they are so
absurd that they make me sober. /
was just wondering why We couldn't
lust as well have done something to
help somebody think-to do some
good
"Nelly's heroic !" cried Kate
Greene, dippantly; "Miss Hunt is a
moral reformer!"
Nelly 5lushed from her pretty ears
to the roots of her sunny hair, but
her ewes shone clear, and there was a
ring of earnestness in her voice as
she anwered:
"You can laugh if you will, but /
mean what say, and I'm going to
try an experiment. I'll write one
boy valentine, such as [ think a
girl ought to write, and I'll send it. !"
Her task was harder than she had
imagined. 1t is only the old, per
haps, who are sage in counsel by ma
ture At any rate, to give good ad-
vice 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 re-
written it, and finally concluded that
she could do no better, and then
copied it out into her neatest hand
writing before she called the others.
1t was a little stiI, to be sure, and
prcachy and high flown, but it sound
ed like Il loftlly effort and complete
success TO the listening girls. This is
what 1t said:
My VAIENrrNE: You will have
plenty of fine speeches and praises
and perhaps of fun and fancy from
Others SO shall not give you those
l would have but one interest in you,
namely: that you be the best boy and
the best man which it is possible for
ysu to become you are selfish, if
YOU are indolent, 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 il
you set out to be gentleman and a
man of honor and faithful worker,
YOU will do good deeds and live q
happy life and lie worthy the ever
lasting esteem Of
Your VALENTINE.
Nellie read it with rising color
and little quiver about her mouth
which Bertha understood; but she
read it with firm voice and careful,
deliberate accent.
Then she said when she had finish
ed. Il shall burn up all the rest o.
nv valentines and send only thj:
one; for it is what mean in earn
est, and, as old Aunty Smoke says
"If it don't do no good, it can't do DC
HARM
"To whom shall you send it, dear?'
Bertha asked gently, little subdued
by Nelly's epistolary success.
II hadn't made up my mind.
Nelly answered thoughtfully; "they
all need it
"Oh. send it to Jack" cried Kit
ty Greene "He boards with US,
and he needs it-bad enough. II
ever a boy was full of his pranks
Jack is, and if ever a boy tormente'
girls lite out Jack does mine
A color clear and bright as fame
glowed on Nelly Hunts cheek. Had
she had dark eyed Jack in her mind
all the while! She only answered
very quietly;
Il don't mind. had just as lie
send it to Jack"
On the 18th the girls were alto
gether at school comparing notes and
exchanging condolences. But Kitty
Greene drew Nelly aside, while they
walked up and down the hall toge.h
er, their aims around each other,
as girls will:
/ "a saw Jack get it Nelly"
Nelly's pretty cheeks glowed and
her eyes shone like stars, but she
asked no questions. Indeed they
were scarcely necessary, tor Kitty
was eager enough to tell her story
"He got it, don't you think, along
with half dozen others, and he reat
them all before he came to the one.
knew this, you know, by the shape
of the envelope. When he came tc
it | saw him read it all through, anG
then saw him go back and read il
'again ! heard him gay to himself