The daily gazette., 1880-02-10
A,.,.t R,.th,s Valentine.

I 4
again"
"Deed, Missus, it's only another o
them mizzable boys with their valen
tines, 'spect My legs is about brok,
now, and Use got a dreadful misery II
my back a-runnin' to the door, will
nothin' tn ERE but them no count pic
ters and chalk marks on the steps p
Mutterihg thus she sailed from the
room with the air of an offended prin
cess; opened the door cautiously few
inches and peered out Into the snow
storm that was raging; but seeing nc
one, proceeded to shut it with mutter.
ed invectives against all "mizzable
white tras b." when a small boy, ten OIL
twelve years of age, black as ebony,
scantily clpthed in cotton shirt and
ragged pants world too large for him,
which were drawn nearly to his should
ers and held in place by suspenders of
twine, and turned up at the ankles,
showing pair of bare feet, rose from
a corner beside the door. Surveying
her for a moment as coolly as she sur
veyed him, he at last deliberately
stepped into. the lighted hall dragging
by the hand a shivering little girl al
most hidden in the folds of a ragged
coat, whic he dexterously jerked from
her shoulders, saying:
"Here's valentine for the lady
wot lives here p
Then tn rning, he ran rapidly down
the steps and disappeared around the
first corner in the snowy darkness,
while the bewildered Dinah stood star
ing stupidly after him.
The little smutty- faced, blue-eyed
valentines" so uncermoniously deliv-
cred, stood motionless under the gas
light awaiting further developments.
Dinah speedily recovered speech and
action and closed the door with a
bang.
"Missus, Missus for the LODI sake
look-ahere p
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 np into the
placid face surrounded by the prim
folds of d Quaker cap. Seeming to
recognize friendly heart shining in
the serious eyes, she thrust into her
hand 50 rap Of crumpled paper, say
ing:
"Dick writ it -
Aunt Ruth took the document and,
with puzzled look at the bearer, pro-
ceeded to decipher the queer hleroglyph-
IS.
1t had evidently been laborious task
for the grimy fingers that had traced
them; but she at last picked out the
message embodied in letters of all sizes
and shapes. The writer had evidently
"ade It his sole aim to give the facts in
the case, proudly regardless of the
ninor considerations of orthography
and punctuation
This Ii Eul gurl Hain't got no folks
nor no wares TO sta only a womman
that betes her orful and me and a Box
with straw into 1t to sleap In nights.
I've brung bur to bee yure wallintine.
Shee's huhgree. DICK.
While he lady was laborlng over the
odd mssiye the little waif stood looking
$ berly up into her face, and when she
ased her eyes, full of pity and COM
passion, The child said:
"He iol ID me he writ INTO It that |
wasn't no body's girl only his'n, and that
I'D be your wallentinel l don't look
ike 'em, bnt be 1t. I'd like to. It's
Jolly warm here, only my feet's cold"
aud she looked down at the heavy boots
she had IN, ragged and run over at the
heel. "T They's Dicks. He made me
wear 'em when cried"
"Thee may take the child to the
kitchen, Dinah, and give her something
10 eat. | will come presently and
perhaps ] can find out where she be-
longs"
Dinah led her down the hall, the wet
boots shutlling heavily over the carpet, /
and the bright blue eyes, shining out OF
the smutty face like stars from a mud
hole, lifted apprehensiVely to the dark
face.
II do declar fer it," muttered the old
''white trash and black trash is
mostly alike in their no count pranks,
that's a fact Blest If this Amt the
lueerest piece of business Use ever seen
At this ho use yit A valentine Mis-
aus Ruth's way is so unexpected Here,
you poor, little white beggarn
Dinah's crusJy manner softened lit |
tie as she watched the greediness with
which tho child devoured the big slice
Of bread and butter;but she melted out
right wbd IN, as she finished her feat, the
: little white beggar" slid from her chair
aud caught and kissed the big black
hand, saying:
81 likes you, cause you look like
Dick. likes good black folks T'
When Aunt Ruth came down she
found her "wallentine" seated in Di-
nah's own rocking-chair before the
fire. While Dinah herself, down on
the floor, had the almost frozen feet in
her lap, warming them, and giving
vent to some very unorthodox express
sions of opinion as to the ordering of
Providence.
"Sakes alive don't know it's SO, but
the Lo'd seems to pay a mighty sight
Of 'tentipn to some folks and fergit all
about the rest. Pears like children to
be looked after anyhow. They amt
though, half on 'em! Things is queer
in this world if tbs the Lo'd's world p
"Well, child" said Aunt Ruth,
''now that thee is warmed and fed will
5lee tell thy name and where thee be-
longs p'
She shook her head.
"Don't belong nowheres. Father
always called me Drat-you-Babp p
Aunt Ruth sighed over this dolorous
cognomen.
HAS thee no mother ?"
"Once. She called me 'Here-you-
Bah ? Father struck her once with
LattIa and in tho morniuU sha want