Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-02-21
Papa's Valentine.


al should think so," replied Gertrudes
papa, running his eyes down the market re-
port of his newspaper. " don't know them
very well, /" he confessed, suppressing smile.
"No person who is uu kind to children could
be much of saint, imagine"
Touched by her question and his own an
swer, Mr.. Burton glanced down at the visit
full figure that had crept under the shield of
his daily, then drew his motherless little one
upon his knee; from which happy position
Gertrude looked the paper over with more
interest than her papa,-as eagerly as any
stockbroker grasping after the rise and fall
on Change.
ais that the dagtype of st. Valentine ?"
"No, my dear, it is the picture Of old DR..
Bitters, who advertises his medicine"
Gertrude, though seeming disappointed,
raised herself for another look at the wood
cut
"No," was the resigned conclusion of the
small critic, "that wouldn't be st. Valen-
tine. But isn't he here, papa 2 1t is st.
Valentines day next Wednesday, don't you
know2 l remember how Santa Claus
looks; I've got his picture. Santa means
saint did you know that, papa ? learned
it on Christmas day. Didn't have lots of
pre.ents st. Valentine brings pictures,
Charley Watts says. Charley asked me to
be his Valentine, but told him no, would
rather be my papa's. Then he went off
laughing, Just the way | don't like boy to
laugh at me. | wish knew as much about
st. Valentine as do about Santa Claus"
"Possibly you will dream it out, daugh-
ter" observed her father. She understood
this as hint that she had better 60 to bed.
"lt's only eight" stated Gertrude, on the
sure word of the tiny clock on the mantel.
But Belinda coming in shortly after, with
fresh white nightgown hung across her
arm, the owner of the garment kissed the
preoccupied reader goodnight and slipped
from her beloved perch on his kneee,-sub-
mitting thus sweetly to that cruel hardship
of child-life, more inevitable than the meas
les-beiDg put early to bed.
"Tm afraid papa will forget" thought
Gertrude, with her curly head on the pillow
aud her brown eyes instantly sliding under
their lids 81 must be sure to tell him over
again in the morning that | am his valen.
tine" What this meant she would have
have liked to know as she had wished to
know the history of the saint in whose
honor the day is named. But in truth It
is rather mixed and uncertain affair to
older people. Dreamily Gertrude hoped
she should, indeed, solve something of the
mystery in that nights sleep. Doubtless
the soundness of her slumbers blotted out
the visions she would have welcomed.
at is exactly the same time that went
up stairs to bed" said Gertrude, appearing
| in the breakfast room as the clock struck
eight. Her smile seemed to drop right of
her mouth into her fathers coffee cup, over
the rim of which she peeped, making sor-
rowfully certain that he had already break
tasted. Belinda, where's papa :"
Started for Trenton on the train that
passed here twenty minutes ago, not to be
back for three days." was the explicit
answer, but Belinda might have bestowed a
little sympathy in her tones. "He said for
me to tell you" she went on, unheeding the
look of dismay from Gertrude, ito be a
good girl, and he would bring you some
thing you used to have, that you loved best
and lost"
"That was my silver ring" contemptu-
ously returned the child, her bosom heav.
ing. al was most baby, then. don't
care for it, though l did. Three days u
here she burst into sobs-" and tomorrow
is st. Valentines. At least" she added,
emphasizing it by pushing away the offered
toast, "at least you might have walked me
in time to bid papa goodby."
Looking hard at Belinda with moist eyes,
TO witness the effect of her reproach, Ger
trude met strangely pleased, triumphant
kind of expression about the girls gray
eyes aud wide mouth. Believing it to be in
mockery of her grief, she broke out with.
You'll never be a saint-no, never My
papa says nobody that is naughty to children
ever can be a saint, like st. Claus aud Santa
Valentine -
"Have you got everything you want p
interrupted the heartless Belinda. am
excuse myself, for I'm in an awful hurry
chopin meat for pies" She went toward
the Kitchen but found time to put her head
back through the door aud utter, in the same
jolly, provoking way" st. Belindy"
Gertrude literally mingled tears with her
food, and afterward would have felt dis
posed to complain of headache and stay at
home from school, but for longing to get
away from Belinda. She prepared herself,
asking no favors, and went out, shutting the
door hard, in token that she had gone. The
customary call from the Threshold" I'm
going-good morning." was omitted.
Her teacher found the child bright
enough, and her mates found her merry
enough, although to both she felt obliged tC
relate the sad circumstance of her fathers
sudden departure Her grievance about
Belinda was still cherished at re-enterine
home, where smell of rich cooking thai
fairly met the child out of doors made hel
wonder whether the cook was not trying
through that medium to redeem her bao
behavior of the morning toward her. She
had determined to keep aloof all the while
and on her papa's return TO tell him the
whole story; but between the repelline
lonesomeness of the sitting,room and the in
viting fragrance from the kitchen, her heart
softened, and she presently crept into BE
liudas presence.
What beautiful sight Was Thanks
giving coming again 80 soon On the great