The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-02-17

wooden treasure and stare, first at the
pretty surroundings, then at the kind face
at the tire-side. Suddenly she raised
herself on her elbows.
"Dlck said he hearn there was nangles
that lived sOmeweres an took care of
folks. Be you one? ?"
'No, 10, child" said Aunt Ruth, gently
~ am only Aunt Ruth. Go to sleep"
eyes. m. But | do wish Dick was a
valentine. It's very cold on his box"
Aunt Ruth and Dinah sat late into the
night hastily fashioning warm garments
for the little one, and considered them
selves well repaid by the delight with
which they were donned in the morning.
While happy little "Drat- you Bah" was
taking her breakfast by the side of the
kitchen stove shadow darkened the
window, and the little girl, looking up, ex-
claimed, .joyfully.
80, there's my Dick y
Dnah opened the door and bade him
''come long in,' giving him jerk to fa-
cilitate his movements. He shambled
bashtully in, and in a moment the chld's
rms were around his neck, and her face,
pretty in its unwonted cleanliness, nestled
against his black cheek, while she poured
cut torrent Of eager eXclamations Of
satisfaction at being "wallentine."
When she at last released him Dinah
took him by his shoulders and seated him
| firmly in a chair
"Now," said she, ''you's Jest goin' to
set there till you 'splain this whole range
ment to me and Missus. An you jest lay
out to tell the tTute, the whole trufe, and
not1ln but the trufe all the way through
[ lat is, itye kin. Niggas is mostly mighty
unsartin.'
When Aunt Ruth came down she found
her ''wallentine' brnger sitting by the
fire with little Bah at his side, her two
little hands tightly held in one of his own,
and supreme satisfaction at the success
Of his odd scheme shining in every feature
Of his honest face Her eyes filed as she
stood in the door moment unnoticed by
the children, but she was not given to
| demonstrations and made no comment
And then Dick rose in his place still
holding both the little hands
81 haint got much to tell, ma'am. Pm
only Dick, the bootblack, an this yer lit
tie girl found one night last week. Me
and Joe Rafferty, had been to a place
where they had some pictures an things
the man called pandorammer, an when
we come out, twas late and we was cold
an we run all the way to the box. The
box is Il big box down by IIigby's ware
house, an we sleep into it, An we found
this little Bah a curled up into it asleep.
Joe he was a goin' 10 bounce her, but
when he seen how little she was he didn't
He jest yanked his coat off an put it over
her and some old carpet, too, an we did
cover her up elegant, an she slep' till
morning. In the mOrnin she told us she
hadn't no place to stay. and we reckOned
to take care of her our own selves after
that. Joe an me got her crackers and
milk an things when we could, an we
made believe she was our hOusekeeper
Joe sWep the crossin's an one day a team
knocked him down an killed him all Of Il
sudden. This here Bah she cried 50 and
was SO lonesome after joe that allowed
it was better to try an find her u home if
| | could seen folks sendin valentines
Ter presents, an thought some one orter
like little girl better than a picter.
| seen YOU on the street. ma am, the daV
| you gave the lame man some money, an
| followed along to see where you lived
an when You went up the steps you seen
me, an YOU smiled out Of your eyes so
/ good that most knowed you'd be kind
to little girl what hadn't nobody but me-
She's real cute, ma'an. | seen YOU once
| too" added he to Dinah, who stood with
dish towel in hand, gravely weighing his
words. 81 was blackin' a feller's boots
on the market the day you boxed that
chaps ears for dragging the dog over the
stones III the gutter. Didn't he run,
though, when YOU let go?'
~ clare for't,n said Dinah: ''he's tellin'
the trute, 'Peard like felt he might be
liable the minnet | set eyes on him"
Dick made no comment on Dinah's
/ change of base, but looked earnestly into
Aunt Ruth's face. As she said nothing he
repeated timidly, with little quaver in
| his voice:
''She haint got no mother nor nobody
IN the world, only me, ma'am and she's
real cute.7
"Dick,' said Aunt Ruth, quietly, Il
should think thee would rather find a
home for thyself than to take 50 much
| trouble for a strange little girl
"Ma'am," said Dick gravely, 81 heard a
| preacherman on the street one day tellin'
about good feller that wanted the little
children took care OF, an that he said in
to some book or other Che had it an read
out ofiD, When you do it to them You do
it to me, and I'll remember and be good
to you some time for it " When we found
| Bah a-curled up in the box looking so
little an SO helpless, | thought it meant
| for us to take care of her, an poor Joe. he
reckoned 50, too'
81 think I'll keep my valentine, Dick"
Aunt Ruth said, with smile. III never
heard OF sending back a valentine be-
lieve. And | think will send one my
| self, too. Thee may carry it for me to
| Friend Bradley's office, on Harlem street,
! Dick"
The note was written in a fair, upright
hand, in a few concise words:
FRIEND BRADLEY l send you a valentine Thee
VIII lind the lines belonging to the picture in the
! twenty fifth chapter OF Matthew forteth verse
| RUTH HARMON.
1t is year since Aunt Ruth received
and sent a valentine, and the l4th of
February. 1880, when it comes, will find
no happier child than little "Drat-you-
Bab;' no prouder boy than ''Valentine
Dick" who occupies the post of errand
boy in Friend Bradley's office; no more
| peaceful heart than Aunt Ruth's; and GER
tainly he would fail to spy out, with his
strongest beams, a more dignitied, undis-
mayed, constitutional grumbler than poor
| Old Dlnah, who pets or scolds the two
vhlldren as inclination and opportunity
dictate, and who sums up the whole mat
ter in these words:
'Sometimes children is a comfort, but
mostly they is all aggravation Them
two-them two wallentines-is a-wearin
the life out Of my bones, the poor orphan
less things. But Messus Ruth is 80 s0t in
her ways that I've got to have 'em under
foot to the end of time, if the Lo'd spares
us" LUCY NJ. BLINN.
The Life of Shop Girls.
A New ork woman, Mrs. Amelia Lewis, is try
ing to persuade shop keepers that the girls in their