Sharp County record., 1880-03-04
BRIDGET'S VALENTINE.

The postman raped sharply on Mrs.
07Don0hue's door (this door belonged
TO the back room on the third floor of
call, narrow, dingy house in along, mar
row, dark street containing 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 Il pretty blue-and-gold paper
box-a little battered, as paper boxes
are apt to be when they come by mail
tied with blue satin ribbon, and smell
ing like 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 pair of
cheap tawdry earrings in her ears, hold
ing a torn and crumpled novel in her
hand, opened the door.
efMiss Bridget O'Donohue?" asked
the postman.
"That's meSelf," answered the girl.
"Thea here's valentine for you"
he said, handing her the box; and turn
ing quickly, he was down the stairs and
out of the house in twinkling.
Mrs. O'Donohue was washing, and
the windows of the room were dim with
steam. Bridget went to one of them,
wiped 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
dy dear?" cried her mother, rushing
from the wash,tub, her arms covered
with soap-suds to the elbows.
"Kape away! Don't come near it
wild the soap-suds!" screamed her
daughter. "It's one of thin Kitty
Crowley was a,tellin' about last night
% valentine. And och! amt it lovelyP
-Nver sor the likes before.n
Mrs. O'Donohue put her arms behind
her and looked over her daughters
shoulder, "Bless us and save us !" she
exclaimed; sit makes me think of the
fairies. Sure it looks like some of their
NVOrruk it do entirely
ssNiver in all me life sor | the like
BEFORE" repeated Bridget, and don't
believe she ever did. 1t was beautiful
valentine. A sheet of creamy, satiny
paper, on which were delicately painted
Che loveliest white roses and snow drops
and blushing moss-rose buds, and in the
C3enker Of which was fastened a pretty
Esold ring, and beneath the ring this
verse was written in plain and hand
some naYld:
L offer roses pure and white
dEmblems of girlhoods happy days
and SW Get moss buds by Cupid plucked
To deck Loves ways;
And snow -drops-Hope's own dainty flow
erS--
That whisper you may yet be mine
Dear girl with sunny hair and smile
My Valentine!
These lines Miss O'Donohue spelled out
slowly, mispronouncing many of the
words, and making sad nonsense of
what was rather nonsensical already /;
but her mother listened with as much
delight as though the reading were per-
fect-as, no doubt, she it thought was
exclaiming, as her daughter finished,
az That bates Tom Moore intirely! But,
Biddy darlint, you haven't sunny hair :;
yGu hair is like the night
"They mostly put that kind of hair
IN songs" said her daughter; San
wish you wouldn't call me Biddy again.
Bridget's bad enough, so it is, an III
change me hull name whin l git mar
Eied, so | will. | wonder who in the
wide worluld refefeessiiiastteed lie wid this
beautiful valentine?"
g Bridget O'Donhue,n y said her moth
or sclemnly, at the same time looking
at her with admiring eyes, "some
young gintleman has fallen dead in love
vEfd yot,an you only three months in this
6Eissid country. An l don't be sur
prised at it, for since you put them puffs
ON the top of your skull, an l bought
YOU thin illigant earrings, you look like
q aprincess. An Sorra doubt l have but
chat he'll be wantin' to marry you in
year or SOL was married meself at ,fit-