The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-01-27
MY VALENTINE.

Valentines day, and am sitting in the
bay 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 !
sit on The borsebair sofa in the window,
looking out for the postman.
Mt that his coming this morning has
any romantic interest for me. Those
days OF romance are past and gone.
! am now arrived at the sober age Of
thitS five, ard ii is time to have done
with such folly. And yet. as sit here,
and the postman delays his coming. my
mind wanders back 10 other Valentines
DAYS ong ago. " hen it W Is Il matter OF
such ceep interest io me.
One tour'e eenth OF February in pqrticrl-
lar rene I'm htr ten-let me see, sixteen
Spar3 ago it was How tue yerls tiy
and how sholt time it SENS! Thcse
lew brigh, yeals oi a womans lie seem
to 90 ny magic. and when they are gone
what ren. sirsp Always ut one time OF
other an schirg sense that they NJ,
g ne. and SOM tim s. alas! the knowl
edge that she is doomed to Loneliness
for the years to come | felt that at
on time myself, but / am used to il
now.
At tEirty-fve these romantic regrets
should be cone with. And especially
when one lives the life of daily Cover.
ness (as ! have dom for some years
pasI) the realities of life press too con-
s'arIly ard too unpl ssnty on ones
mind &c leave room tor day dreams.
But on The fourteenth OF february
just referred to my govcrness life hao
not yet tegun. ! had then as tair
future before me rs most Young girls OF
ny acquaintance, with equal chances Of
sE advantageous ard happy marriage.
and n life of independence. At that
time | was on visit to some old
friends, the Coven,rys.
The family consisted of father, moth
er ard two dauehters-fire, hearty,
gOod-looking girls, tall, strong and high
spirited. In that respect tier a con
trast to myself. for was small q liet
hammered, and (ls was painfully con
scious) rather plain in appearance. They
saw plenty of company, for their father.
Squire Coventry Us he was called. kept
most hospitabe house and, especially
during the winter, the iouse was cen
tinVaIly fl led with young people and
amusemt mt oi all kinds was the order of
the day.
In most OF these smusena ents j took O
part, and though ! had neither health
nor animal spirits equal to my young
friends, their kindness and hGartiness
made everything pleasant. They had
most especial fondness fer practical
joking ( mean a harmless kind), par
ticularly the younger ont, Kate, who
was ably assisted in this line by her
cousin, Charles Braintree, who con-
stantly formed one OF the party.
Kate and Charley were in every kind
OF tescapade-companions in mirth, and
frequently companions in misfortune,
when the evil effects Of their joking
came home TO their own door.
While | was at the Coventrys we at
tended village church close by, where,
the rector being absent, there ofliciated
at the time curate who had lately
come to the place. lie wasa tall, slight
mar, rather good looking; but he had a
ainiully-stiited, selt-con nscious manner,
which quite did away with the prepos-
sessing effect OF his appearance. / at
first attributed it 10 conceit, afterWard,
when | knew him better, to shyness.
He seldom came to the house, although
the Coventrys quickly made his ac-
quaintance, and pressed him to do so,
but invitations OF all kinds he refused.
During my stay, however, he gradual
ly acquired the habit OF walking home
with us from church, our road lying
partly IN the same ulrecJlOni nc would
part with us at the park-gates, with the
stitfest of bows, refusing all entreaties
to enter. and proceed to his lodgings
in The village.
By degrees his visits TO the house be-
came more frequent, and OF course the
change was attributed to me. l could
not help becoming conscious hat during
these Sunday walks his place was gem
orally at my 81 e; and suffered much
from the sly looks and mu tered remarks
OF which l was the subject. Our con-
versation on these occasions was of the
pIimmest and most demure. Sometimes,
alter silent walk OF two or three min
utes, feeble request to carr y my prayer
book, and that yielded to, a ie remarks
on the weather, and so on, and we were
already at our journeys end; neverthe-
less this was sufficient food for mischief.
loving friends to found joke upon.
As to Mr.. Bargil himself, ne was
"fair game" His conscious, oonceited,
and yet awkward and bashiul manner,
made him, must confess, nj most tenn pt-
log subject; and while he had quickness
enough to see that in some. way or