Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-24
VALENTINES TO ORDER.
By ANNIE ROBERTSON MAcFARLASx.

The rivalry of Professor Weaver and Mr..
Frank King for the favor of Miss Violet Hazen
began at Sunday school picnic.
Violet had lust come home from Europe,
where, broadly speaking, she had been receiving
a liberal education for FIVE years past.
Mrs. Hazen has chosen to Introduce her
daughter to the village at this semi-mundane
festival. partly to start her with the prestige OF
a serious supporter of Presbyterian institutions.
and partly to remove q prejudice cherished
against herself for having educated Violet In
foreign capitals. In making the experiment she
had not been without some nervous doubt OF
the result, but Violet had been tactfnl, had
made conquest of the first deacon and his
wife, and. through them, of the whole village
Late In the afternoon, when the mother and
daughter had managed to slip away from the
attentions of exacting admirers, Mrs. Hazen
asked. How do you like it. Vioiet?"
Violet was curIed up on a rock in the middle
OF shallow stream and shaking her wet hands
In the air. A CLEAN of mischevous intelligence
shot from her blue eyes. II dons know, maui
ma Is it not little dull?'
Mrs. Hazen looked equally intelligent "No.
Ii there is anything Sunday shoot picnic is not,
it is not dull"
AS she spoke the alder bushes behind them
parted. and Mr. Hazen--President Hazen he was
always called-stepped out. followed by Profess
s0r weaver and Mr.. Frank King.
from that moment dated struggle for more
than the privilege Of carrying Violet's parasol,
more even than that of pouring into q pretty
and sympathetic ear personal lows sorrows and
opinions 1t was modern contest routyance
for the prize of fair woman For six months
the village followed tile affair with unfagyine
interest. People said, and not without reason,
that both President and Mrs. Hazen favored
Professor Weaver, and what scanty approval a
New England village permits Itself to give to
any individual was given to him. He might be
little old for Violet and perhaps his clothes
We're not so stylish as girl who had lived
abroad" would wish her husband to wear: but
then his learning was profound his private in
come handsome. and his principles in Them
selves were solid personal property.
AS for Frank King-well there was nothing
against Frank King except that he was young
and suspected OF being 'set up" perhaps about
his good looks. perhaps about his extensively
pleasant manners, perhaps about his second
cousin having been Governor of the State
But If youth and manly beauty and winning
ways handicapped man in a village given over
to the niceties of criticism. they seemed to Pro-
lessor Weaver to give that man an adventurous
start In any race, particularly the race for Vio-
let. in the face OF which his best running was
ludcrous
Fits of self-disparagement and hopelessness
often came over the Professor, most frequently
when. by the light of the midnight Oil. he was
demonstrating on paper, let us say. the life that
existed several millions Of ages before prOtO-
plasm. They came with a swift rush of blood
to the tlnger-tps. with resistless force which
drove him out into the wide deserted streets,
his mind chaos In which whrled women's
faces. all beautiful. ana all alike
To King the power OF love brought no storms
OF doubt, no unpleasant reimbursement. The
effect of the passion was Christening. and with
out deliberate plan he found himself living
life above reproach steadily, spontaneously
grayiatjng toward Violet
Asfor Violet, her sentiments and Inclinations
piqued curiosity and defied speculation. 1t is
possible that she had not taken herself into her
own confidence until the day came whenShe had
to answer two letters. received at the same
time, and imperatively calling for notice.
Only the concluding sentences of the letters
which she that February morning dispatched to
Professor Weaver and Mr.. King need be tran
scrbed:
81 must ask one week for reflection. that is.
until next Monday, ST Valentines day. And
now l am going to make request which will
seem TO you both childish and absurd: but am
childish and am absurd. and it Is best that YOU
should see me as am. And believe that if by
next Monday should still hesitate, valentine
IN original verse. peuned under the inspiration
of the occasion and the protection of the Saint.
would lead Inc to a decision which would be for
your happiness and my own"
Excepting the hour on Monday, the 18th, ap-
pointed for the interview, one letter was q copv
OF the other. The comments Of the two men on
these remarkable sentences were characteristic
Professor Weaver saw in them the candor and
truth which made Violet so dear to him: King
detected the spice of audacious mischief which
was not the least OF ViOiet's charms for him.
But to neither did an argument on the demand
suggest itself
Violet must have an irresistible valentine.
Never did wider gulf yawn between require
ment and possible achievement. Neither of the
men had ever written q couplet In the treat
ment OF the case each man was again true to
his Individuality Accepting the spirit of the
request. Weaver deuuded the college library of
all the poets, from Horace down to Swinburne
Every moment that he could snatch from his
necessary work was given to the study of true
poetry IN its Idea and its form. On the third
night, after struggles compared to which Wei
lers. of worldwide notoriety were feeble
trldlng he perpetrated the following:
% peerless. ritilesss Peril
O Gree. crue and eoyl
happy. hearth Unit n1 Hourii
o jocund, jinglng joy!"
This was the best he could do, and when the
dawn crept in through his lattice he knew it
would not do at all What to him was the fame
OF his treatise on Fossil Fish, when he could
not write simple rhyming valentine for
Violetf
King at once faced his inability to write
verses under any Inspiration or sanity protec-
ton. and therefore he must cOnstrue original
as Originated by any one. if only specially orr
ginated for Violet"
Clearly, he need only trouble himself to find
the man or woman who possessed facile trick
OF rhyme. AS his acquaintance numbered
dozen or more literary fellows" it seemed to
him that the quest would be neither long nor
fatiguing. An hour after receiving ViOlet's let
ter he was on his way to Boston, intending to
do two or three hours work in his Office then
look up poet, dine him, and negotiate the val
entine on any terms.
But he went home that night without having
happened on that particularly desirable fellow
The second night aud the third found his literary
need still unprOvided. He had, by that time,
found and dined Smith, the very man for his d.
lemma. but he had not been able to explain his
position. 1t was quite simple to imagine him.
self saying. carelessly, over bottle Of Bur-
gundy:
Look here. Smith, reel me OF two or three
verses-sOmethIng sweet and fetching-your
very best-a valentine for girl know"
Who can describe the complex feeling that
tied his tongue In the face of "that sarcastic
brute, Smith" smiling 80 genially across the