The Arizona sentinel., 1888-02-25
GENERAL GEORGE.
The Valentine He Did Not, and the One He
 Did, Receive.

l Did, Receive.
 We fellows always called him Gen.
 eral George, and so did the girls. His
 name was George Washington. There was Smith tackled on to it, but that
 was so short and so at the end, like a
 bob on a kite, that folks most always
 forgot it.
 He belonged to Miss Melissa Melon. She got him out of the county house, and he did chores for her and was com
 pany, seeing she lived alone two miles down the road from the Corners. It was pretty good walk on a cold win ter morning, for the roads were gen. erally driftcd down that way, but 1 tell you that made no difference to Gen eral George. Rain or shine, he was al- ways the first at the school-house. He swept out, you know, and made the fire, and so on, and he was always at his post.
 Jane Graham, one of the girls that has travelled around considerable, and seen big statue of the first George Washington, says that there was a few lines on the bottom of the marble, and they said: First in peace, first in war, and first in the hearts of his country men," 'Our General" she said, twas first in piece (his clothes were awfully patched, you see), first in war Che could fight like blazes when he was a mind to), and first in the school-house in the morningr'
 We'll, he was the funniest-looking creature you ever saw! My, how we did laugh the first day he came! Tall, awful tall, and as thin as a rail, with big head and shock of black hair. Celesty Moore said he looked for all the world like her big shawl-pin! And when Miss Root asked his name, he drew himself up on his long legs and stood up straight and stiff as a poker, and says in loud voice, like as he was going to speak piece, George Wash ington-" here Bill Greene, who sat behind, pinched him, and he jumped and turned red, and never said the Smith at all, and there's no knowing whether Miss Root ever put it down."
 Well. the General want much in his studies when he first came Teacher put him in the First Reader" with Billy Dwight and Jerry Gray and all those shavers. But my stars! It wa'n't two terms before that 'ere chap had skipped up into the highest classes. and was figuring out Partial Pay ments'' and parsing Paradise Lost" with the biggest scholars! He was at it all the while, too. Dig! dig! dig! Didn't care a copper for recess. P'raps, though, he didn't have much fun out on the play-ground-we fellows run him so much, and the girls were always poking fun, too.
 But les see; started out to tell you about his valentine, didn't I? It hap pened the morning of February four teenth. School hadn't begun yet Rob l Halliday, Charlie Forbes, and one or two otherfellows, were over by the girls seats. Myrtle Talbot had a lot of val entines on her desk. Some had been
  send to folks.
 Most of them were real pretty-all pink roses, hearts and darts, and little angels playing with bows and arrows-but there were few funny ones. There was one gamey old chap, with cooked hat, long-tailed coat, and pair of top-boots. He looked as though he'd just got up to make a speech.
 "Oh, my eye" says Rob, "that's General George, sure enoughr'
 You ought to send it to him, says Clara Gordon.
 ''Dor' we all joined in. "It would be a splendid joker'
 How can I send it to him so he'll get it to-day?" says Myrtle.
 ''Put it in his dinner basket" said Clara.
 ''Yes, and now's your time to do it." says Roh, ''for he's gone down to the pump"
 We all rushed pell-mell across the room to General Georges seat Rob grabbed up the basket. It was rag yed old one, the cover tied on by a string.
 '.Now, we'll see what the Generals got to eat!'' says Rob. Hes aselfish pig, any way! Now. you know, when. my of us boys bring something nice We share it. We just have jolly pic. ,ic in the recitatiOn-room "