Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-02-26
Misrenauy,
AUNT RUTH'S VALENTINE.

"Dinah," said Aunt Ruth, thee may
light the gas in the hall and see who is
at the door; hear the bell again."
"Deed, Misssus, it's only another OF
them mizzablc boys with their valentines,
| 'speCt My legs is about broke now,
and Use got a dreadful misery in my
back a-runnin' to the door, with nothin
there but them no count picters and
chalk marks on the steps,"
Muttering thus she sailed from the room
with the air Of an offended princess;
opened the door cautiously few inches
and peered out into the snow storm that
was raging; but seeing no one proceeded
to shut the door against all ''mizzable
white trash, when small boy ten or
twelve years Of age, black as ebony, scant-
lily clothed in a cotton shirt and ragged
pants, world too large for him, which
were drawn nearly to his shoulder and
held IN place by suspenders of twne, and
turned up at the ankles, showing pair OF
bare feet, rose up from corner beside the
door. Surveying her for moment quite
as coolly as she surveyed him, he at last
deliberately stepped into the lighted hall
dragging by the hand a shivering little
girl almost hidden in the folds of a ragged
coat, which he dexteriously jerked from
her shoulders, saying:
Here's a valentine for the lady wot
lives here!"
Then turning he ran rapidly down the
steps and disappeared around the first
corner in the snowy darkness, while the
bewildered Dinah stood staring stupidity
after him.
The little smutty-iaced, blue eyed "val.
entine," so unceremoniously delivered,
stood under the gas-light awaiting further
developments. Dinah speedily recovered
speech and action and closed the door with
bang.
"Missus, Missus! for the Lo'd's sake
look.a-here!"
As the lady obeyed the imperative sum-
mons and stepped into the hall the bum
die OF tatterS and rags moved to her side
and peered up into the placid face sur
rounded by the prim folds of Quaker
cap. Seeming to recognize q friendly
heart shining IN the serious eyes, she
thrust into her hand scrap of crumpled
paper, saying:
"Dck writ it!
Aunt Ruth took the document and, with
puzzled look at the bearer, proceeded to
decipher the queer hieroglyphics.
1t had evidently been laborious task
for the grimy fingers that had traced
them; but she at last picked out the mes
sage embodied in letters Of all sizes and
| shapes. The writer had evidently made
it his sole aim to give the facts in the
case, proudly regardless OF the minor con-
siderations Of photography and punctua-
tion:
"This littul gurl Hain't got no folks
nor no wares to sta only womman that
hetes her orful and me and Box with
straw into it to sleap in nights. I've
brung her to bee yure wallintine. Shee's
hnngree. DICK"
While the lady was laboring over the
odd missiye the little wait stood looking
soberly up into her face, and when she
raised her eyes, full Of pity and compass
sion the child said:
"He told me he writ into il that
wasn't nobody's girl only his'n, and that
| I'd be your wallentine 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 heavy boots she had
on, ragged and run down at the heel.
"yhey's Dicks. He made me wear 'em
when ] cried"
"Thee may take the child 10 the kitch
en-, Dinah, and give her something 10 cat
will come presently and perhaps car
find out where she belongs"
| Dinah led her down the hall, the wei