The Red Cloud chief., 1880-04-01
BRIDGET'S VALENTINE.


BRIDGET'S VALENTINE.
The postman raped sharply on Mrs.
O'Donohue's door (this door belonged
to the back room on the third floor Of a
tall, narrow, dingy house in a long, mar
row, dark street continuing many other
tall, narrow, dingy houses) on ST. VAL
entine's morning. His sachel and his
left hand were filled with letters and
valentines, and in his right hand he
carried a pretty blue-and-go paper
box-a little battered, as paper boxes
are apt To be when they come by mail
tied with a blue satin ribbon, and smell
ing Ike roses.
A young girl wearing a soiled calico
dress and shoes down at heel, but with
her rough curly hair piled in huge puffs
on the top of her head, and a pair Of
cheap tawdry ear-ringsi in her ears, hold
ing a torn and crumpled novel in her
hand, opened the door.
miss Bridget O'Donohue?" asked
the postman.
s.That's meself," answered the girl.
"Then here's a valentine for you,"
he said, handing her the box and turn
ing quickly, he wa down the stairs and
out of the house in a t~winkling.
Mrs. O'Donohue was washing, and
the windows of the room were dim with
steam. Bridget went TO one of them,
wiped a couple of panes dry with the
skirt of her dress, and opened the box.
A howl of delight burst from her lips.
AN what in the worruld is it, Bid
DIV dear?n cried her mother, rushing
from the wash-tub, her arms covered
with soap-suds to the elbows.
ssKape away, Don't come near it
wild the soap-suds!" screamed her
daughter. ats one of thin Kitty
Crowley was a~-tellin' about last night
avalentine. And ochi amt it lovely!
Niver sor | the likes before"
Mrs. O'Donohue put her arms behind
her and looked ove her daughter
shoulder. BLESS Us and save us.n she
exclaimed; sit makes me think of the
fairies. Sure il looks like some of their
worruk; it do entirely
"Niver in all me life sor | the like
before" repeated Bridget, and i don't
believe she ever did. 1t was a beautiful
valentine. A sheet of creamy, satlny
paper, on which were delicately painted
the loveliest white roses and snow-drops
and blushing moss-rose buds, and in the
center of which was fastened a pretty
gold ring, and beneath the ring thi,
verse was written in q plain and hand
some hand:
i offer roses pure and white
Emblems of girlhood's happy days
And sw sct moss-buds by Cupid plucked
To deck Loves ways.
And snow drops-Hope's own dainty flow
That whisper You may Yet be mine,
Dear girl with sunny hair and smile
My Valentine!
These lines Miss O'Denohue spelled on
slowly, mispronouncing many of TIT
words, and making sad nonsense o
what was rather nonsenSical already
but her mother listened with as mucl
delight as though the reading were per
fect-as, no doubt, she it thought was
exciaiming, as her daughter finished
..That bates Tom Moore intirely! But
Biddy darlint, you haven't sunny hair
YOU hair is like the night"
They mostly put that kind of hail
in songs" said her daughter; San
wish YOU wouldn't call me Biddy again
Bridget's bad enough, so it is, an II
change me hull name whin l GIT mar
ried, so l will. L wonder who in tn
wide worruld represented me wild thi
beautiful valentine?"
Bridget O'Donhue," said her moth
er solemnly, at the same time looking
at her with admiring eyes, "som
young gintleman has fallen dead in Low
widyou,an' you only three monthsi in thi
blissid country. An | don't be SUI
prised at it, for since you put them puff
on the top of Your skull, an L bough
YOU thin illigant earrings, you look Ek
aprincess. An sorra a doubt / have bu
that he'll be wantin' to marry you In
year or SOL was married meself at fl
teen-an' hope you'll not be desartir
your old mother whin you're a toin'
lady"
81 wouldn't so demane meself," r,
piled Miss Bridget, with a toss of he
head, eff you bees only a washer-won
an. III buy you q silk dress an a hs
wild an oarstrich feather, an a cool
watch TO wear whin you ONE to Sc
me But you mustn't be comm to
often. He mightn't like it."
sShure I'll niver interfare betwee
YOU N him, me brave gurril," said h,
mother. "Mothers-in-law do be dol
LDat 700 uluCu, llicN w, put Ii hok
me place, niver fare. An now, Biddy-
l name Bridget-darlint, your frins
must see this valentine, goold ring a
all, an larn the prospects that has aro
before YOU. But it won't do for you
be runnin' about from house till hou.
wild it as though you'd niver had Il
like before at all at ALL"
"Shure / niver had" said Bridget.
"Whisti no made tellin' the same,
said her mother. "For all they kno,
you had hundreds in the old countr
Put on your Ulster n your new he
an 60 An ak your frinds here to a t,
party. For a tay party Intend TO ha'
at four o'clock this very afternoon, a
while you're away. IN put aside Il
washin' an red up the place. An you
have to 60 widout the lace ~hankerchy
promised you till next month, for 4
money I've saved must go for the att
an drinkin'.n
So in q short time Miss OfDonohu
in Pinafore hat sat jauntily on t
back of her head, and a gray Ulst
coming down to her feet (thereby CO
cealing the very much soiled cali
\ dress) was knocking at various doors
the house in which she lived, the hou