River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-02-05

school. / had a good mind to refuse
because she wouldn't let me see the
valentine she got the day before.
thought il was real mean of her,
when / showed her all mine. But got to
see it, anyway, for Cousin Zoe sent me
to get a ball of blue Germantown
zephyr out of her drawer the same day,
and there was the valentine right be-
side il. | suppose l hadn't ought to.
but couldn't help taking just one peep
at it; and then knew why she wouldn't
show it to me, for it was a comic one
the very comicalest one / ever saw.
II was picture of big, stout wom-
an, with long, red nose.
Cousin Zoe's nose is a little long, and
she is sort of stout, too. l know she
hates to be stout, too, for she wears her
dresses just as tight.
But didn't tell her / looked at the
valentine. | knew she felt mortified
about it. And she said if / would post
the valentine for her, and not tell a
single soul about it. she'd give me a
whole bandbox full of silk scraps for
my crazy-quilt.
was real glad to get them, for was
afraid Susy Dave would finish her
quilt before | did. Her sister Classy is
a dress-maker, and SO she gets lots of
scraps.
So said I'd take it. and tucked it
under my arm and started. But when
got to the post-ofiice, it wasn't there
the valentine, | mean and went back
three blocks to look for it, but couldn't
find it, and 1 came near being late to
school on account of it.
felt so worried about it, too, that /
missed my spelling lesson, and got kept
in all recess. told Susy Dave about
it at dinner-time. OF course, Cousin
Zoe wouldn't mind Susy knowing it.
Only she didn't want grandma and
Uncle Dave and brother Robbie to
know, because they'd be sure to tease
her.
And Susy asked right away who the
valentine was to.
80 Hazard" / told her.
And then she said
''Why don't you buy another and send
him, BABE" my name is Barbara, but
everybody calls me Bab) He won't
know but what it's the same one" she
says.
Sure enoughl hadn't thought of
me. So asked her if she would go to
the store with me to buy one, and she
said she would.
The store was right around the cor
ner on Prairie avenue, so we had time
enough to go before school began again.
"Was it pretty one or a comic one?"
she asked, as we hurried along.
l hadn't seen it, of course, but 1 was
most certain it was pretty one.
10 Hazard and Cousin Zoe used to be
great friends, and he was always com
ing to our house, and taking her to sing
ing-school or sleigh-riding and other
places. But something happened-I
never knew what it was. But l know
Cousin Zoe and Joe had some sort of
falling out, and he stopped coming.
And Zoe felt bad about it, too. /
could see that plain as the nose on my
face-and that's a pretty plain one,
everybody says. But don't care. I'D
rather be smart than pretty any day.
And so told Susy that / thought it
must have been a pretty one.
Its likely Cousin Zoe wants to make
up with him." said, ''by sending him
n real pretty valentine"
For l always judge other people by
myself. and l know that's the way l
would do if / wanted to make friends
with anybody.
And so Susy and / picked out the
very prettiest valentine THAT didn't
cost too much) in the whole store. But
there were such lots and lots of 'em,
it was hard work to choose.
Susy wanted me to take one with
silk fringe all round it, and tiny little