Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-02-08


spelling and kept thinking to herself:
"Billy says my grandpa has swallowed
q key, and no matter If his pocket is
full of money nobody will send him a
waluntine even If he is siclsr'
Looking through the snow-laden
trees she could see the great house
where her grandfather lived. She
opened the valentine, smelt at one of
the painted roses, and kissed the two
! doves that looked ont at her. Simple
little Lady Ann! At the same moment
there came into her thoughts the few
words her mother had taught her to say
every night in hcrprayer for her grand
father, whose hand she had never
| touched.
"He shall have waluntinew she
said, firmly, and the stubby little boots
started mp the hill ms fast as her fat baby
legs could propel them.
"Dost thou suppose, Peeree, that
yonder horrid boy can call that musicp"
said Pcedee. as the birds flew back,
after the red pung was well out of hear
ing :.
"Billy's ears are so big," said Pee
rec, that fine, bird-like sound might
be lost in travelling through them; but
his heart moves as quickly as a birds.
There would have been no valentine for
little Lady Ann to-day if Billy had for
gotten her."
"Seel" said Peedee. "The Lady
Ann is trudging fast away, and she has
not thrown us a crumb."
And hast thou earned thy orumb,
Peedee? Come, let us fly fast before
her and tell the house-dog she is COM
ing, that he may have a care of her."
"Why need we haste, Peereep Short
legs travel but slowly through deep
snow"
AYE; but warm heart breaketh
path like the sun, Peedee."
BY the time Lady Ann reached the
great house, her breath came very fast,
and she was obliged to sit down on the
stone steps to rest. As she sat there, a
huge dog came and rubbed his cold
nose on her red cheek and wagged his
tail most politely. When she was rest
ed, she walked up and down the wide
piazza and looked in through the long
windows. There, at last, the house
keeper saw her, came out, and told her
gently to go away. care you not little
Amp she said. 1.-The Squire is in
pain to-day, and if he should see you
he would be very angry"
1.-The key hurts him very much"
thought Lady Ann, but she said: Here
is waluntine for him; will you put it
in his handP"
"I dare not, little Ann" said the
woman.
"WhyP" said Lady Ann, in wild as
tonishment. "Don't you dare give him
a waluntine, big though you are! Then
let me go in"
"Well, then, come in," said the
housekeeper, kindly, adding under her
breath, may bc, good will come of il"
With the house-dog close following at
her heels, and her waluntinen so
tightly clutched that the doves and
flowers within were sadly mixed, little
Lady Ann, for the first time, entered
her grandfather's house.
In great chair before the open fire
of hissown room sat the Squire, with his
head back and his eyes closed.
"Thisis Mary's child" said the old
dog, coming in before Lady Ann, as if
he felt called upon to introduce her.
And then he thought within himself:
This child's mother fed me when !
was a pup. Should a dog remember
better than his masterp'
II may be the Squire understood him,
for he raised his cane high in the air
and cried sternly: "Begone, sir! " But
when hc'saw the round little figure OF
Lady Ann he dropped the cane, pulled
down the gold spectacles from the top
of his head and stared at her without a
word. And as she advanced and placed
the valentine upon the old mans knee
the house-dog followed close behind her
wagging his tail slowly.
What is thisp" demanded the crusty
Squire, knitting his brows.
"a waluntine," said she, not withou
small pang, as she thought of tn,
beautiful doves and flowers, now los
to her forever.
j "What's q waluntinep" he asked
looking down at her bright little face.
IA waluntine is softener,' she sait
instantly, rather proud that she had no
: forgotten Billy's definition.
, 'A aUhat?" exclaimed the Squire
, frowning fiercely.
"a so1fener." said Lady Ann, not a
all afraid, and sure that the word mus
mean something very nice. And ther
she added, in a coaxing tone: "Reac
, it,
God seldom closes every channel t,
an old mans heart. Proud, unforoiy
ing, even cruel sometimes. the old Soi1ir,
still had rare sense of the ridiculous
and he read alond:
Al will not mart from tbee T xv,,, NOT lot tho,
free,
Till thou, dost promise me my Valentine t.
When he had read these lines onf
,oo1,ad n ~. no itLu tl to' sneIo 10 ilnIs, an.
and when he o saw III tbe - small , Tadv aS',ro Anr
sitting before the fire. % ha wondayed % 1n I
She meant 70 sit there ~ until % ba hod =
,,ro,,isad IL s t,,,,sht sn no nav
tient determination G in everw v S~% oat,ra a pa
NOT excent;nm the stnhbv rnybho, hno,
which nersisfentlv nointed at % him 'ou nu
account of its owner beino oblioed T r.