Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-02-23

playing SNOWFALL" and you know that Of
ten a little mud gets mixed up with the
snow, and fellow snow-balling isn't apt to
stop to pick and choose. The mite of
woman-she wasn't bit taller than Tom
and he was only eleven years old-took out
the valentine. 1t had wide lace border,
and around some verses, which were written
in "a girls hand in the center of the page, ran
a wreath of roses and forget-me-nots, with
cunning wee birds peeping from behind the
leaves, and dear little cupid sitting OH the
largest rose.
Phew !" said Tom, isn't that mag ?"
he meant magnificent -" read it, little
mother"
Little mother began
TO Tom Hail." that's me, sure
enough said Tom, ." 60 on, dear
T, Tom Han /; le.i the dearest boy
Ills hair is golden. like the sun -
Thdtain't me, though" interrupted Tom;
my top-knot's black"
And then he always Is e kind
That's YOU" the reader stopped to say,
looking fondly at her boy.
"And speaks SO sweet - love him we'll
And love him all the while"
"There must be some mistake here, Tom"
said she, when she had finished.
"Why, mother 2" asked sister Debby, who
had come out of the small room back of the
store as her mother commenced to read the
valentine.
"Well, in the first place said Tom max
ing a comical face my hair amt golden"
"Oh that was put in because it sounded
pretty" said Deb. "They most always have
golden hair in poetry and pictures. And
how can there be any mistake when there's
your name on the cover of the box, as plain
as the nose on your face---T-o-m Hall 2"
THAT'S so,' said Tom, running his fingers
through his curley hair, and making it stand
up all around his head in the funniest
manner.
&C. can't make it out, persisted the little
mother, " but there's u mistake somewhere.
Not that Tom don't deserve such a valen-
tine, for he does" she continued, with a
flush of pride, but we don't know ANYBODY
who could afford" " The potatoes the
potatoes I" cried Deb " | smell 'em scorch-
ing" and away she flew to save the dinner
and that ended the conversation for awhile
at least.
The next day, Just about dinner-time
again, well-dressed, handsome boy, with
golden hair and soft, brown eyes, rushed
into the mite Of a store.
aid valentine come here yesterday, di-
rected TO Tom Hall % asked he, in pleas
ant voice.
Yes" answered the little widow.
"Wcll, I'm afraid I'll have to claim it,
though do see the same name, with the ad-
dition of an L. over your shop door. 1t
was sent to me by my cousin Fannie. and
the dear little girl forgot to put the whole
direction on it-only wrote the name. You
see, she never sent valentine before, and so
they looked in the directory and my fathers
name being Reginald, the postman brought
it here"
As the new Tom Hall had finished his
somewhat confused, but very boyish expla-
nation, the old Tom came whistiing in, and
Deb brought out the valentine, her lips quiv-
ering as she said "And so it isn't our
Toms after all, and he's so kind and good
just what the poetry says, if he hasn't got
golden hair"
Tom blushed at his sisters praise, and the
other Tom looked at him keenly
" / knew there must be some mistake"
said the gentle little mother " Not that my
Tom does not deserve it, but we know no one
who could buy such beautiful valentine"
Z" say" said golden-haired Tom, looking
at them ouriously Isn't it Jolly fun there
being two Tom Halls. Perhaps we're some
relation"
"Oh no indeed, said Mrs. Hall eve
have no relations in this country"
Are you quite sure of it ?" the boy rat
tied on. &" | should like to see Toms father
and ask him myself"
" He died last summer" said curly.headed
Tom, speaking for the first time, while tears
sprang TO his mothers eyes,
Brown-eyed Tom grew serious. "pm aw-
full sorry" he said, "and wouldn't take the
valentine, only Fan would be almost broken
hearted if she thought didn't get it-she
made the verses out of her own head She's
a very smart little girl and, and we're fond
Of each other"
"Oh !" said the other Tom, "you're wei.
come 10 it. What would fellow want with
another fellows valentine ?"
The new Tom laughed, and then asked,
What's the price of that ball in the win
dow ?"
Now that ball had been in the window
for several months, during which time many
children had asked the price, and looked
dsmayed when they heard it, for the mite
of shop was in very poor neighborhood.
Fifty cents, said the widow. 1T seems
great deal, but make very little on it,"
It's cheap" said the boy, every cheap,
aud Just the thing | want for my baby
brother" and to her great joy he bought it.
q" And now, Tom Hail." said he--"how
queer it does sound TO be calling another fell
low 10y my name-I'm coming TO see Won
again, and I'll bring Fannie to see your
sister We must be relations after ali, for
don't you see, at FIRST, there could have been
only one family Of Halls 2" And away he
went with the valentine.
II knew 1t was a mistake" said the little
woman, but I'm glad sold that BALI"
There was no mistake next morning, how.
ever when the postman came in again, shak-
ing the snow from his shaggy overcoat. and
called out Fan right this time--three val.
entines-Alrs. Hall, Tom Hall, Debby Hall"
And in Toms valentine was pretty verse
about a good son aud brother, and in bebby's
about a good daughter and sister, and in
the widows one about dear little mother.
And more than that, each valentine
contained a crisp, new five-dollar bill and
that wasn't the end Of il either, for the new
Tom didn't forget his promise, but came
back in a few days, with Cousin Fan, and
the children became great friends, and
through them the mothers became great
friends, aud soon the mite of q shop was 10
let aud Tom Halls name was over the door
of a new store, which looked like the old
one multiplied by two, in pleasant, busy
street,
And all through the postman leaving
valentine with the wrong boy, -Baldpia's
Monthly,
Be content with what you have" as the
r,A 81 Il. -. II. l.. ri. a