The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1889-03-02
IN THE FAR WEST.
The Valentines That Game to Florence and
Nettie and Nav.

| Nettie and Nav.
There were three very dOleful little
faces at the window that Fourteenth OF
February morning.
1t was q small window. The house
was small too, and built of heavy nm-
Der, so that the cyclones needn't tip it
over, and blow every thing inside out,
and every thing outside in.
''It's horrid placer said Florence,
with just suspicion of tears in her
blue eyes, ''It's the horridest place
ever saw! l 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 see the level
prairie stretching all around.
1--WE don't have any thing herer'
sighed Nettie; ''only Thanksgiving,
and that wasn't bit like gramma's
Thanksgiving used to be-"
''Of course Christmas comes just the
samer' 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 o girls, don't you mem
Der what lovely valentine | got last
year?"
'And l did, too!''
''And so did l! Oh dear mer'
Then there was silence for 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,
which was only a track across the
prairie, quite often and rather anxious
ly.
"'Bout this time the pOstman used
to come" said May, with sound of a
sob in her throat; ''every year but this.
/ wish"-
$50 do I, too" said Nettie
just then mamma, watching the
prairie-trail, saw a little moving speck
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 specI kept coming nearer and
nearer and growing larger and larger,
until mamma 101s sure; but she didn't
say a word; she only went on hum
ming to the baby a CHEEKY little song.
Mammals always singing bout
silver Innings and things like that.
said Florence pretty soon, her tears
getting ready to fall again; ''but l
don't b'lieve there is any. Every
things so hOrrid and lonesomew
''And we never can go anywhere!
Oh dear, dearr'
'.Not after plums, when 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 the least
little laugh, though she chOiled it
down as quick as she could; that's
what mamma said only she didn't say
black ones. And that's just preZactly
what we'll be, and not know any thing.
And I'd like to know wsre's the silver
lining to that.
There was a queer little tremble to
mammals song. as if somehow laugh
was getting mixed up with it.
Il wish l was back to my gramma's,
went on Florence. II wish
Rat-tat-rat-tat-tat!
go to the door," said mamma,
quietly i've got the baby"
The children hung back little. A
visitor was rare thing and might be
an Indian, and they were afraid of In
dians. 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. whor-began Florence, and
then she gave a sudden little shrill
scream.
.sO-o-oh! o Nettie! o mamma! o
May! O-o-ohr'
For there, hitched to a post at the
corner of the house, were three little
Indian ponies, so nearly alike you
couldn't tell one from the other two
unless you knew.
Around each pOny's neck was tied
ribbon, one red. one white, one blue;
and to each ribbon was fastened a card.
On the red-ribbon card it said, met
ties Valentines" 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
ed to name her pony valentine. But
they settled the matter nicely at last.
They named them all Valentine.
"TlI call mine VAL" said Florence.
''for short, you know"
"And I'll call mine Allie said
Nettie.
Aud I'll call mine Tiny said May.
''Oh, isn't every thing splendid?'
so there's some good here after
all, " said mamma. with smile.
"Well, l guess there is!" laughed
Florence; there's ponies. Youth