Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1889-02-14

For a month or two before Valentines
day the poet kept limiting Tat he was
going to write Jennie q valentine with
poetry in it. He didn't say so right out,
but he intimated that it depended on the
muse or the spirit, or some other thing,
which he said was moving round inside
of him. Jennie was all in q hutter
about it.
The night before Valentines day, AIgy
called. Jennie had been reading Brown
ing's poems in the parlor. She under
stood them about as well as she would
an account book in a Chinese laundry.
They Were too much for her that even
ing, and she Went to sleep with her head
over the back of ajchair. ] saw her there,
and then / kepta sharp lookout for Algy.
When he came | let him in without MAX
ing any noise, and | showed him right
into the parlor. ! told Jennie afterward
that she had her mouth open SO that he
could see clear down her throat. That
was a lie, but ! didn't want her to lose
any of the joke.
While he was waking fer up, ! hung
his long, yellow ulster on the hat rack.
It's about the worst l ver saw. It's SO
loud / can hear it when he turns the
corner of the street. After ! had hung
it up ! went through the pockets. I
usually do this because he might bring a
box of candy or something and forget to
take it in with him. This night ] didn't
find anything. but . letter. It had Jen-
MES name on it, and I knew that itsmust
be the valentine he'd been talking so
much about.
I thought I ought to know what kind
of poetry he was sending to my sister, so
! took it up stairs and opened it with a
little warm water and a lead pencil,
Before reading it | asked mother for a
little peppermint, because / knew what
Algy's poems are like, and / wanted to
be prepared. Then ! went back to my
room and read this:
Tho poet strayed among the paths OF song,
Enwrapped in dreams OF beauty like a cloud;
And set the way was lone, the way was long,
Anon. he saw a face. and dreams were done,
When Jennie's voice spoke tremulous and low,
And Venus murInured: Cupid, bring your
bowr'
"Rats!' said i ";ts lucky I took the
peppermint. | don't feel very well as
When ! began to feel a little better ]
decided that that poem had got to be
fixed. 1t didn't seem to me to breathe
tho spirit of the writer. 1t needed some
thing a little more definite about his per.
sonal appearance and that coat of his.
Besides, I didn't like to be entirely left
out OF it myself; SO ! sat down and wrote
q revised edition of it. ! had TO. hurry
up, for Algy wasn't going to stay long
that night, because he was coming or
the next. So l stirred up the muse, a.
Algy would say, as lively as / could, and
this was what ] put down:
The poet wrote his girl q little song;
1t was so pretty that 1t made him proud.
The poets form was thin; his hair was long;
His old plaid ulster was a trifie loud.
Anon, gadrookii he was a holy showi
He sat with Jennie till the rising sun.
And when it seemed as II he'd never go
The old man murtaured, Johnny, get the gunf'
fnissstruck me DIS being more true Il
nature, and besides. it gave me a show
So folded it mp nicely, put it into the
envelope and sealedit up. Then ! slil
| down stairs and put it back where