The American citizen. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1888-1909, 1889-02-22
N THE FAR WEST.

Nettie and May.
There were three very dOleful little
faces at the window that Fourteenth OF
February morning.
It was a small window. The house
was small too, and built of heavy tim =,
Der, so that the cyclones neednt tip IL
over, and blow every thing inside out (
and every thing outside in.
.It's horrid place! said Florence,
with just a suspicion OF tears In her
blue ewes. Its the hOrridest place
ever saw! | wish I could go back to
grammas,'' and she looked straight
ont of the window with eyes so misty
now that she couldn't see the level
prairie stretching all around.
eve don't have any thing here!
SIGHED Nettie; "oniy Thanksgiving,
and that wasn't bit like gramma's
Thanksgiving used to be"
.sOf course Christmas comes just the
same!' put in May, with a culver;
..but it don't seem like Christmas 'thout
any snow, or sleigh-rides, or any thing
New Year don't either, does it,"
..No." said Florence; ''any time
don't, and to-day is just as bad's the
rest of 'em. 0 girls, don't you mem
Der what lovely valentine got last
year?"
"And I did, too"
"And so did |! Oh dear me-
Then there was silence for a little
while-a very little while. Mamma,
rocking the baby to sleep by the west
window, smiled, and kept on singing
! her soft lullaby; but you could have
seen that she looked along the ROAD
8 which was only a track across the
8 nrairie. quite often and rather anxious
ly.
: "Bout this time the postman usec
r to come,n said May, with sound OF
o sob in her throat; ''every year but THIS
l wish"-
$50 do I, too" said Nettle.
g inst then mamma, watching the
It prairie-trail, saw a little moving specl
n in the distance. The little girls dldn'
IS see it: they were at the east window
r and, besides, their eyes were too 1ul
d of tears to see any thing so far away
Even mamma couldn't be quite sure
E. what it was, though she thought sh
[ knew.
g The speck kept coming nearer an
10 nearer, and growing larger and Larger
IT, until mamma aOas sure; but she dldn
e. saw a word; she only went on hun
e ming to the baby a CHEEKY little song
to "Mamma's always singing bot
e silver Innings and things like that
OF said Florence pretty soon, her teal
ar getting ready to fall again; but
ed don't b'lieve there is any. Ever
n things so horrid and lonesome!
49, "And we never can go anywher
az Oh dear, dear"
ar 'Not after plums, when they're rip
Not to school even, cause it's so ia
ed And mamma says she can't bear for
ny to be little black she-she'
W. "Heathens, you mean," said Flo
te- ence, and she couldn't help the lea
nS little laugh, though she choked
Die down as quick as she could; ''tha
le- what mamma said only she didn't
u.s. black ones. And that's just prezac
III what we'll be, and not know any thir
ma And I'd like to know w9re's the silv
~ lining to that"
len There was a queer little tremble
ian mammals song, as if somehow Iau
IS was getting mixed up with it.
ans Il wish was back to my gramma'
ade went on Florence. Il wish
Rat-tat-rat-tat-tat!
ice, go to the door," said mann
'ted quietly. I've got the baby"
lom The children hung back little.
visitor was rare thing and might
10 an Indian, and they were afraid of
9es' dams. But pretty soon Florence W
ters ahead, because she was the oldest,
anu opened the door softly.
mes There was nobody to be seen,
MES papa had come, because they &C
oys' hear him embarrassing his team in
'noS lean-tO.
e 10 "Why. who"-began Florence,
see then she gave a sudden little 81
" scream.
more "O-o-oh. 0 Nettie! . mamma!
Iu.'e May. O-o-ohr'
4 tne For there, hitched to post at
ST OF corner of the house, were three
mem Indian ponies, so nearly alike
oxen couldn't tell one from the other
oeo unless you knew.
vera. Around each pony's neck was ii
Ioreu ribbon, one red, one white, one
9nVly and to each ribbon was fastened
ooeh On the red-ribbon card it said, -
ONE ties Valentine;' and the white wa
-uay' Florence. and the blue for May.
P"r' don't believe You ever saw
' lace, happier little girls. They laughed
ii,''o danced and sang.
lnu The only trouble was each one '
'',u9' ed to name her pony Valentine.
amer they settled the matter nicely at
" ny" They named them all Valentine.
" men Ill call mine Val. said Flor
"for short, you know"
4