The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-02-16
IN THE FAR WEST.
The Valentines That Came to Florence ant
Nettie and Nav.

over, and blow every thing inside out,
and every thing outside in.
ats horrid place." said Florence,
with just suspicion of tears in her
blue eyes. "It's the horridest place |
ever saw! | wish l could go back to
gramma's," and she looked straight
out of the window with eyes so misty
now that she couldn't SEQ the level
prairie stretching all around.
1--WE don't have any thing herew
sighed Nettie; "only Thanksgiving,
and that wasn't a bit like gramma's
Thanksgivings used to be-"
"Of course Christmas comes just the
samem put in May, with culver;
"but it don't seem like Christmas 'thout
any snow. or sleigh-rides, or any thing.
New Year don't either, does itP"
NO." said Florence; "any tim Q
don't, and to-day is just as bad's the
rest of 'em. o girls, don't you mem
Der what lovely valentine l got last
year?"
"And l did, too!'
Anu 50 ulu i! CH uc1T me.
Then there was silence for little
while-a very little while. Mamma,
rocking the baby to sleep by the vest
window, smiled. and kept on singing
her soft lullaby; but you could have
seen that she looked along the road,
which was only n track across the
prairie, quite often and rather anxious
~.
Bout this time the postman used
to come" said May. with sound of q
sob in her throat; every year but this.
| wish
$50 do l, too" said Nettio.
just then mamma, watching the
prairie-trail, saw little moving spccS
in the distance. The little girls didn't
see it; they were at the east window,
and, besides, their eyes were too full
of tears to see any thing so far away.
Even mamma couldn't be quite sure OF
what it was, though she thought she
knew.
The spccll kept coming nearer and
nearer, and growing larger and larger,
until mamma wtS sure; but she didn't
say word; she only went on hum
ming to the baby checry little song.
Mammals always singing bout
silver Innings and things like that
said Florence pretty soon, her tear,
getting ready to fall again; "but |
don't blieve there is any. Every
things so horrid and loncsomew
"And we never can so anywhere!
Oh DEAR dcar!"
mot after plums, whom they're ripe.
Not to school even, cause it's so far
And mamma says she can't bear for us
to be little black she-she"
"Heathens, you mean" said Flor
ence, and she couldn't help tho least
little laugh, though she choked it
down as quick as she could; that's
what mamma said only she didn't say
black ones. And that's just prczactly
what we'll be. and not know any thing.
And I'd like to know warc's the silver
lining to that"
There was a queer little trcmble TO
mammals song, as if somehow a laugh
was getting mixed up with it.
81 wish was back to my gramma's,
went on Florence. 81 wish''-
Rat-tat-rat-tat-tat!
go to the door," said mamma,
quietly. 1--WE got the baby"
The children hung back little. A
visitor was a rare thing and might be
an Indian, and they were afraid Of In
dams. But pretty soon Florence went
ahead. because she was the oldest, and
opened the door softly.
There was nobody to be seen, but
papa had come, because they could
hear him embarrassing his team in the
lean-to.
why, who"-began Florence, and
then she gave q sudden little shrill
scream.
"O-o-oh! o Nettie! o mamma! o
May! O-o-ohr'
For there, hitched to a post at the
corner Of the house, We're three little
Indian ponies, so nearly alike you
couldn't tell one from tho other two
unless you knew.
Around each pony's neck was tied a
ribbon, one red, one white, one blue;
and to each ribbon was fastened card.
On the red-ribbon card it said, Net
ties Valentine;" and the white was for
Florence, and the blue for May.
| don't believe you ever saw three
happier little girls. They laughed and
danced and sang.
The only trouble was each one want
cd to name her pony valentine" But
they settled the matter nicely at last
They named them all Valentine.
"I'll call mine VAL" said Florence,
'for short, you know"
"And I'll call mine 'Allie,'" said
Nettie.
And I'll call mine Tiny" said May.
"Ob, isn't every thing splendid?"
80 there's some good here after
all" said mamma. with q smile.
well, l guess there isl" laughed
Florence; there's ponies. "-Youth's
Companion.
- -
y