New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-04-30

livered, still stood mOtionless under the
gas-light awaiting further develop
ments. Dinah at last recovered speech
and action, and closed the door with
bang.
.Missus, missus! for mussy sake
look-a-here!'
AS the lady obeyed the imperative
summons and stepped into the hall,
the little bundle of tatters and rags
moved to her side and peered up into
the placid face surrounded by the prim
folds of q Quaker cap. Seeming to
recognize a friendly heart shining in
the serious eyes, she thrust into her
hand scrap of dirty, crumpled paper,
saying:
''Dick writ it!'
Aunt Ruth took the queer-looking
document and, with puzzled look at
the bearer, proceeded to decipher the
queer hieroglyphics. It had evidently
been lab0rious task for the grimy
fingers that had traced them; but at
last she picked out the message en-
bodied in letters of all sizes and shapes.
The writer had evidently made it his
sole aim to represent the facts in the
case, nobly regardless of the minor
considerations of photography and
punctuation:
This littul CURL Hain't got no folks nor no
and me and a Box with straw into it to sleap in
mites, Nv brung Hurto Bee yure valentine.
Shes hungry. DICK"
While the lady was laboring ever
the odd missive the little wait stood
looking soberly up into her face, and
when she raised her eyes, full of pity
and compassion, the child said:
i" He told me he writ into it that |
wasn't nobody's girl only his'n, and
that I'd be your valentine! don't
look like 'em, but I'll be it. I'd like
to. It's Jolly warm here, only my
feet's cold," and she looked down at
the boys boots she had on, ragged and
run over at the heel. "They's Dicks.
He made me wear 'em when criedr'
thee may take the child to the
kitchen, Dinah, and give her some
thing to eat. l will come presently,
and perhaps I can find out where she
belongs"
Dinah led her down the hall, the wet
boots shutting heavily over the carpet.
and the bright blue eyes, shining out of
the smutty face like stars from mud
hole, lifted apprehensivcly to the dark
face.
81 do declar fer it, muttered the old
woman, "white trash and black trash
is mostly alike in their no count
pranks, that s a fact! Blestif this amt
the queerest piece of business Use ever
seen at this house yit! A valentine!
Missus Ruth's ways is so Unexpected
Here, you poor, little, white beggar!!
Dinah's crusty manner softened q
little as she watched the greediness
with which the child dev0ured the big
slice of bread and butter; but she
melted outright when, as she finished
her rare feast, the little "white beggar''
slid from her chair and caught and
kissed the big black hand, saying:
II likes you cause you look like
Dick. I likes good black folks!''
When Aunt Ruth came down she
found her valentine seated in
Dinah's own rocking. CHAIR before the
fire, while Dinah herself, down on the
floor, had the almost frozen feet in her
lap, rubbing them and giving vent to
some very unorthodox expressions of
opinion as to the orderings Of Provi-
dence.
Sakes alive! don't knows it's SO,
but the Lo'd seems to pay mighty
sight of 'tention to some folks and
forgit all about the rest. Pears like
chillun ought to be looked after any
how. They amt, though, half on 'em!
Things Is queer in this world if tits the
Lo'd's world!'
sWell, child,'' said Aunt Ruth,
''now thatthee is warm and fed will thee
tell thy name and where thee belongsp''
She shook her head.
Don't belong nowheres. Father al
ways called me Drat-you- Bab!' y
Aunt Ruth sighed over this dolorous
compound cognomen. Has thee no
mother?''
Once. She called me Here. you
Bab!' Father struck her with bottle
and she'd gone dead in the morning.
And one day the perlice took father
away, and old Bet told me to go long,
too, and | went long fer as I could.
hadn't nowheres to stop, aud crawled
into Dicks box, and he put straw over
me and fixed me a jolly nice place, and
ev'ry day he took care of me- He made
me this" and here poor, little .Drat-
you Bab' stopped and drew from one
from st;ck and art;.t;c aJ' % Tn;sSed
With coal 40 ~ h.;r agd nn nn',th
She looked 81 + aim;r;n oJ a1 for o ,nn
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