Stevens County tribune., 1880-02-19
MY VALENTINE.


Valentines day, and l am sitting in
the bow window of my front room in the
little semi-detached house which is now
my home. The little maid has laid the
breakfast things, but it is early, and I
sit on the horse-hair sofa in the window,
looking out for the pOstman.
Not that his coming this merning has
any romantic interest for me. Those
days OF romance are past ana gone.
am now arrived at the sober age OF
thlrty-fve, and it is time to have done
with such folly. And yet as sit here,
and the postman delays his coming, my
mind wauders back to other Valentine S
days long ago, when it was matter OF
such deep interest to me.
One fourteenth of February in partlcu-
lar, remember, ten-let me see, sixteen
years ago it was. How the years lily
and how short time it seems! Those
few bright years of woman's life seem
to go by magic, and when they are gone
what remains2 Always at one time or
other an aching sense that they are gone,
and sometimes alas the knowledge that
she is doomed to loneliness for the years
to come. felt that at one time myself.
but am used to it now.
At thlrty-tiyc these romantic regrets
should be done with. And especially
when one lives the life of daily govern
ess Gas l have done for some years past
the realities Of life press too constantly
and too uupleasantly to ones mind tC
leave room for day-dreams.
But on the fourteenth OF February
just referred to my governess life had moi
yet begun. I had then as fair a future
before me as most young girls of my ac
quaintance, with equal chances Of ar
advantageous and happy marriage, anc
lite of independence. At that time
was on a visit to some friends, the Gov
entry's.
The family consisted of father, mother
and two daughters-fne, hearty, good
looking girls, tall, strong, and high-spirit
ed. II that respect rather contrast tt
myself, for I was small, quiet et-mannereC
and (as was myself painfully conscious
ra,her plain in appearance. They saw
plenty Of company, for their father
Squire Coventry as he was called, kept 6
most hospitable house; and especial,
during the winter the house was continu
ally filed with youngipeople, land amuse
ment of all kind was the order of th
day.
In most of these amusements I took
part; and though I had neither healtl
nor animal spirits equal to my young fe
male friends, their kindness and hearti
ness male everything plrasant. The
had most especial fondness for practi
cal joking q mean of the harmless kind,
particularly the younger one, Kate, VIII
was ably assisted in this line by he
cousin, Charles Bralntree, who CONSTANT
formed one of the party.
Kate and Charley were in every kin
of scapade-cOmpanions In mirth, an
frequently in misfortune, when the evi
effects of their joking came home to thei
own door.
While l was at the CoVentry's we a
tended a little village church close BY
where, the rector being absent, there o
ticiated at the time a curate who ha
lately come to the place. He was tai
slight nam, rather good looking; but
lad a painfully stilted, self-conscio,
manner, which quite did away with IL
prepossessing effect of his appearance.
at first attributed it to conceit, afterwart
when l knew him better, to shyness. E
seldom came to the house, although Il
Coventrys quickly made his acquaintan'
and pressed him to do so, but invitation
OF all kinds he refused.
During my stay, however, he gradua
ly acquired the habit of walking hon
with US from church, our road lying par
Iy in the same direction he would pa
with US at the park-gates with the stitfe
of bows, refusing all entreaties to ente
and proceed to his lodgings in the Vi
lage.
By degrees his visits to the house b
came more frequent and Of course Il
change was attributed to me. could n
help becoming conscious that duriI
these Sunday walks his place was gene
ally at my side; and l suffered from Il
sly looks and muttered remarks of whic
I was subject. Our conversations on the
occasions was of the primmest and me
demure. Sometimes, after silen! wa
of two or three minutes, feeble request
carry my Prayer-boOk, and that yield
to few remarks on the weather and
on, and we were already at our journe,
end; nevertheless this was sufficient fo
lU1 III w 1OuuS
joke upon. AS to Mr.. B. himself, he W
flair game" HIS conscious, conceitt
and yet awkward and bashful mann
made him I must confess most tenn
ing subject; and while he had quickn,
enough to see that in some way or otl
he was being ridiculed,' his senses
humor were SO dull that he could ne
comprehend the joke. All this co
blned to make him undergo torture VIII
in my friends society, and l verify
lieve he fled to me (quiet, sedate a
harmless as / was) as refuge from tn
sallies. Whether that were so or nc
know not, but by degrees I became gu
used to his society, and from tolerating
got to like it, and to miss him when
did not come; and when the joke rag
I invariably took his part.
Valentines day drew near, and
course Kate Coventry was full of busint
There were valentines of all kinds to
dispatched and expected in return.
merous "hoaxes" designed for particu
friends, and the plots and schemes as