The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-03-13
Amt Mollte's Valentine,

Aunt Mollte's Valentine.
st. Valentines Day, SO eagerly antici-
pated by all the young people in the house,
had come, and Aunt Mollie sat by the /
fire in her own room, reading valentine.
The postman, q short time before, had
left a number Of valentines, among them
one for Aunt Mollie. Ithad been handed
around from one to another, speculated
upon. laughed over, and tken Mrs. Nor.
GROSS without noticing the exchange Of
chances between her mischievous daught-
er. Fan, and sam Reynolds, Fans most
devoted admirer, and also the alder and
abettor Of all her jokes) called q servant
and sent the missiye up to Aunt Mollie's
room. ssse
The Young people were all so busy
with their own valentines that Aunt Mol
lie was left to read hers in peace. She
looked long at the direction, as many Of
us do. wondering who wrote it, beIore she
broke the seal, but, as she read it, the
color came to her cheeks and the light
and sparkle to her eyes, which shone as
they had not done for many long year.
What she read was no valentine, but
letter from Col. Sargent. He wrote that
he had long loved her, but, having had
sister and niece to support, had beed un,
able to marry but now he was tree, ana
he entreated Aunt Mollie, if she had any
love for him, and was willing to marry
: him, to let him know it at the earliest OPP
sportunity.
s'7 The letter fell from Aunt Mollie's fin
gers as she gazed into the fire, while her
thoughts few back into the past.
How we'll she remembered when she
first knew Col. Sargent; he was friend
of her brother-in-law, and was at their
house almost every day; in many OF their
excursions and gayeties he had been her
escort. Handsome and agreeable. kind
and attentive, was it any wonder, she
thought, that, she, a girl OF twenty, had
5 lost her heart to him? She thought over
all their pleasant intercourse 50 many
years ago, and tried to remember some
word or act that betrayed warmer inter-
est than the brotherly affection he had al
I ways professed for all the family. Alas
q she could remember nothing but
the sharp pang Of sorrow in her own
heart when he told them all he was going
away; to India to be gone for years. He
had always been her hero, and although
she had schooled herself to indifference,
and had never betrayed her secret, and
on his return from India, few years ago
had met him with only friends vel
come, vet she knew now what had made
II I, Sv.h ar
Aunt Mollie had refused several gooo
offers, to the surprise of her friends, .anC
was now an old maid of forty, witt
nephews and nieces growing up AROUND
her, quiet, reserved and lady-like, anc
somewhat domineered over by her eldes
niece, Fanny Norcross, as wild but a
good hearted little thing as ever lived
Aunt Mollie looked into the fire, ant
became thoughtful.
''What has MADE MIN love me, wonder
and when did it begin, and why did b.
keep it to himself, and treat me so indif
ferently, startling me with an otfer?"
.e.- It was all puzzel; Aunt Mollie had t.
give it up. She read the Colonel's lette
again; there was no mistake about it; h
said plainly he loved her, and wished t
marry her, and would like an immediat
answer. -, = -. -......... 3. So
"Well," said Aunt Mollie to herself
{ "why not? Why shouldn't marry him
If he loves me as he says, why shouldn
Iaccept the happiness offered me? OF
if this had only happened years ago!' an
Mollie gave sigh as she thought of th
past lonely years; but the loneliness woul
all. be gone now; there was some one VIII
loved her. d. ''7 .=@..
So Aunt Mollie wrote her answer
Col. Sargent with bright smile an
blush that it was pity no one saw Sh
told him she would be his wife; and NJ
only that, but with candor most wome
think unnecessary, she told him no
q happy his letter had made her, and no
long she had loved him, and finally thu
J she would be at home the next evenin!
and happy to see him:
- Then ringing the bell for servant, 81
sent the letter to the postofice.
! At tea-time, when Aunt Mollie Elac
her appearance, her valentine had bee
forgotten in the more absorbing topics
the sleigh-ride for that evening, and
- tea party for the next, so she could thin
her own thoughts undisturbed.
The next evening they all went off
their tea-party, after yainly coaxing Aul
Mollie to accompany them.
.Mollie, you had better come with us
said Mrs. Norcross; "you will be
lonely D. 4s.s IA.
But Mollie, with guilty blush, d
Il clined. They left her, and she sat doV
= to wait for Col, Sargent. ~
Col. Sargent received Mollie's letter
due course of time, and was-ttundf
struck! n. IT,. f., T.
:She had received his letter, had she
Why, he had never written to her. IS
loved him, did she?" Well, Col. Sarge
rather thought not. What did he wa
with wife? b.. ......ss,...5,.
The Colonel had no words stro,
enough to express his astonishment
receiving such letter from Aunt Moll
= but when he read it again some gimme
ing of the truth dawned upon him. I