The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-03-22
A LITTLE GIRLS STORY OF A
VALENTINE. 81


VALENTINE. a
My mamma went to live with Jesus
ever so long ago, and Pve been Auntie
Mays little girl ever since. Auntie is
just as lovely as ever she can be, with
big blue eyes, that look so sorry some.
times, as if she wanted to cry and the
tears wouldn't come. think it's dread
full to have an ache in your heart and a
lump in your throat, when you can cry
and let the bad out. Auntie let's me- cry
when want to, and sometimes | scream
like everything, then | feel so much
better afterwards. My papa's gone to
Heaven, and my mamma, and every
body | ever loved-yery much-b it
just my Auntie May. and know such
q pretty story about her. and she SAYS
helped to make it so beaufi-
fully, that I'm just going to think it all
over again, here by myself, in my pref
ty white bed. with the gas making such
atiny lightsin the room. aqs4
This is Mr.. Archer's house, and its a
great big house, and we don't have to
'conomi1e one bit any more, and auntie
wears silk dresses every day, and her
eyes have lost the sorry look they used
to have, and my valentine did ii. all. "a
We used to be so poor, auntie and /,
we lived up ever so manF stories, in a
Little room at the very top, and when /
used to cry because the stairs were 81
long and dark, auntie would tell me
that we were away up above all The
noise and dirt of the street, and it was
worth the trouble to get even very lit
lie nearer to. God. ! guess she sad it
TO make me feel better, but then she al
ways found the bright side of every
thing,
Well, Valentines Day came at last,
and hadn, t a cent-not a ngle cent
and the windows were so beauti nj at
the shops. with cupids and angels and
birds and everything lovely, and | did
want to get one for my auntie; but the
pretty ones were five cents. and the biz
ones were ever so much more.
1t was a nice, warm day, and L d been
out looking at the windows, cause
auntie said that fresh air would do me
good. There was little hole in the
window that | guess the shopman didn'
know about, just big enough for my
hand TO slip through, and / do really
believe I'd have got the valentine that
lay just inside if somebody hadn't been
watching. 1t was all blue and gold.
with two hands and two hearts, and
ever SO many little taby angels, and l
wanted 1t so much for auntie, but some
one was watching, you know 1t wasn't
the shopman, he was awfully busy, fiv-
ing back and forth inside, doing up tie
loyeliest valentines, for people with lots
of money. 1t wasn't the p'liceman,
cause he was tending to drunkard
man down the street. 1t wasn't the
folks who were 60 ng past, cause they
We're all peazing at their own
valentines, and didn't care one cent
what a poor little girl like me was
doing; but it was God, and auntie tod
me all about him, and was,afraid that
He'd punish me dreadfully, and SO 1
didn't dare.
When | went home thought I ask
auntie for few pennies & ometi r. es.
when we've done lots of sewing and
feel real rich, she gives me some I
put my arms around her neck and kissed
her first; that's the way | do when
want something real bad.
What is it, dear?'' she asked, lean
ing over her work little more SO that
| couldn't see her face, and / thought
her voice sounded as if she had cold
II II want penny, auntie, so bad, oh!
SO very had" | said, giving her
squeeze with my two arms s'Fhe val
entines are beautifuler than ANYTHING.
only the beautifulest are as much as five
cents" 80 sflle.
'.You want valentine y said auntie,
catching her breath quick, like do when
the cry is in my throat and ] can keep
it back another minute. ''My poor lit
tie girl, there isn't penny left, and
| m afraid that, for the first time, you'll
have to 60 to bed hungry tonight"
She took me up in her arms, and her
tears kept dropping and dropping on
my hair and on my face. After awhile |
she put me down
81 haven't a moment even for tears. ),
she said, as she wiped them away. s.Ttt
will be impossible for me to finish this |
shirt tonight, and must try. to ret
it done before the poor child wakes
up in the morning T" & nfie
1t.was lonesome in the room after
that, with auntie looking so sad over bv,I
the window. Besides I was getting
awfully hungry. and there wasn't to be
any supper, SO | thought L drum out and
look at the valentines once more. and
may be could get smellof the bakery
when the door opened. \
was standing half way between the
W ndow and the bakery door. They were
such teentY way apart that whenever
opened the door j could run
up close enough to get a good smell, |
and, oh my! wasn't it splendid. Folks !
were eating in the back part of the1
room, and there was baked turkey aud
oyster soup, and | got the biggest kind !
of smells, too. Between times Watched |
the valentines.
While was standing there a man |
went past, a big, handsome man, with
lack whiskers and brown eyes. I'M /
.tDon wish | had it" said /, and I
! didn't know that | was talking out I
loud, until he came up to me and asked
What is it YOU want SO very much, T
my little grip
That prettiest valentine, with the
two hands and the two hearts and the
lots of little angels. !" =
:" All, see,'" said he, smi ing. 4you
want If for cODna Ettlo bDrr fr.a11 -