The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-02-08
COMICS.
a story for Valentines Day.


he opened the door to Miss Palmer's
little store.
"Any contest" he asked, just put
ting his head in the door. "I see plen-
ty of doves and roses in the window
but we want comics.''
''I don't keep them,' said the old
lady, pleasantly, "if you mean comic
valentines; for l don't approve of
them"
"You'll lose money by it, }" said John
nv, as he closed the door.
Miss Palmer called him back. 81
have some very pretty ones. Won't
you stop and look at them?"
cit WON'T cost any thing to look, -
said Ben, ana they went in.
81 suppose l shall have to buy Sis a
nice one," said Johnny, as Miss Palmer
handed down large tray of valen-
tines; "but there is time enough for
that"
"There is pretty one," said Ben,
taking up a picture OF Cupid and lit
tie girl sitting under an arbor of flow
ers.
"Too SOFT" said Johnny.
elbows this?" asked Ben, lifting up
a lace cage, and showing a chained
Cupid.
TWAS rather comical to see any thing
in a cage and chained; SO Johnny ad-
mitted that that wasn't so bad, and per-
haps he would buy it for Sis.
"But we are after comics now," he
said; $50 come along"
al would not send any comic valen-
tines, boys" said Miss Palmer. al
have known them to cause a great deal
of trouble"
She had kept this little store for
years, and had watched the boys from
babyhood.
awe must have little fun" said
Johnny. "I mean to send some nice
ones besides"
As the boys left the store, Ben said:
"Of course, Skip will have some"
"Skip," as the boys called him, was
a sharp-eyedlittle man, with one wooden
leg, who kept a variety store.
The boys were not mistaken. His
window was full of all kinds of comic
and common pictures.
"Let's see your funniest" said
Johnny.
Skip q am sorry never heard his
right nancy spread out before them a
large number of hideous caricatures.
They began to laugh.
"You can suit all your friends there"
said Skip, rubbing his bony hands.
81 should say so, said Johnny. "I'n
take this"-selecting melancholy
looking young man, in a red coat and
buff pantaloons, playing the fiute-"fOr
Tom Baker," he whispered to Ben.
"You know he works like fury on the
flute, and can't play any more shan a
monkey"
am take these" said Ben, taking
out six.
"Perhaps we will send you one,
Skip, said Johnny, taking up one call
ed "The Lame Duck"
Gan right, " said Skip. "Send me
some, young gentlemen, an I'll iron
them out an sell them again.
"There is a queer one, said Johnny
"Oh! Ben, if dared, 1 would send
that to Lottie Clifford. 1t really isn't
like her; so it would be no HARM"
1t was a caricature of a fashionable
young lady; but there was something
in the bend of the body and stoop of
the shoulders that reminded Johnny of
his unfortunate little neighbor.
"Oh! no." said Ben, quickly.
"That's too rough"
"Wen, 1 viii take it, any way" said
Johnny.
"Only two cents" said Skip.
Would you send it to Sis?" asked
Ben.
"Of course 1 would" said Johnny.
Sh3 would only laugh"
"Nothing is the matter with Sis, -
said Ben.
"I'm going to send it, said Johnny.
She will never know where it comes
from. Now come to my house, and we
win get them ready"
"Slip is good fellow said Ben,
ratronizingly, as they left the store.
"Yes," said Johnny, in the same
tone, he is pretty popular. 1 trade
there altogether now. There's Miss
Palmer, with her gumdrops and roses!
When | was a little fellow wouldn't
spend a cent out of her store.''
"IL's strange a woman never knows
how to make money!" said Ben.
This seemed to be a subject reouir-
ing thought, for they said no more un-
til they reached Johnny's house.
After much laughing and hack-hand-
ed writing, the ''comics" were directed
and taken in charge by Ben, who had
to pass the letter-box on mis- way home.
A" We viii have some fun in the morn
ing, said Johnny, as they parsed.
THAT'S So" said Ben.
That evening, as Johnny sat learning
lesson, he heard his mother say to his
sister: 81 went in to see Mrs. Clifford
to day. 1 didn't know Lot.ie hadn't
been out this winter"
"oh, no." said Sis; some, two,
three, four, five," counting the stitches
in her worsted work, "she can't 90 out
at all-six, seven, eight, nine, ten
poor little thingl"
" She has the doctor every day" said
her mother. "And she is so sweet and
patienti 1 went up to see her. She
said she had not seen you or Johnny for
long time"
Johnny bent his head over his lesson
but the letters seemed to fade before