The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-02-09

They were all
braids, and puffs, and fluffy curls-all
loops, and ruffies, and ribbons - all
smiles and dimples 1t was the Satur-
day before Valentines day, in certain
year of grace, of which | will not give
you the precise date, but less than ten
years ago, and more than five. OF the
half-dozen girls, two are busy teachers
now, two are married, one is playing
mother to her brothers little brood of
orphan children, and the sixth, not
less happy than the rest, has gone on
to the next country, where they tell us
she will never grow old, never be sick
nor sorry any more-hsppy Bertha,
whom, surely, God loved.
But, that day in February, none of
them thought much about the future
the present was enough, with its fun
and frolic, its wealth of all the pleas
ures which girlhood holds hear. They
were passing the long day together.
Two of them were sisters, aud belonged
in one house, and the rest had come
there to be with them; for they were
all going to make valentines. They
had made funny ones, and foolish ones
tender ones, with just little dash of
satire in them-poetic ones and prosy
ones-and at last it was dinner time
a feast of all the things that school
girls love. Roast turkey there was,
and cranberry jelly, and sweet pota-
toes, and squash, and then such pies
and buildings, and nuts and raisins.
How could they hold it alp All, they
were hungry girls. At least they were
all hungry girls but Nelly Hunt. and
she scarcely ate any dinner at all, she
was so busy thinking. She was
Bertha's sister, and this was her home
and Bertha's, and it was to the girls
own room that the little party went
back again, after they had eaten and
praised Mrs. Hunts dinner.
what are you thinking about,
Nell?" Bertha asked, sitting on the arm
of Nelly's chair.
"These valentines" Nelly answered,
slowly.
well, surely they need not make
you sober-they are absurd enough"
"Yes, and it's just because they are so
absurd that they make me sober. l
was wondering why we couldn't just
as well have said something to help
somebody-to make somebody think
TO do some good"
"NelIys heroics!" cried Kate Green.
iippantly. Miss Hunt as a moral re-
former
Nelly blushed from her pretty ears
TO the roots of her sunny hair; but her
eyes shone clear and there was a ring
of earnestness in her voice as she an
swered:
''You can laugh if you will, but l
mean what say, and I'm going to try
an experiment l will write one boy a
valentine, such as l think girl ought
to write, and I'll send it."
$50 you shall" Bertha said, gently
Bertha always was peacemaker; land
we'll all 60 away and see mamma and
the baby while you write it When it's
done you must call us"
Yes, and you must show it to US, !"
cried Kate Green, as she went away;
"that's only fair. We promised this
snorning to show each other all we
sent, and we shan't let you off"
And then the FIVE fiuttered away
like a flock of birds, and Nellie was
quite alone.
Her task was harder than she had
Imagined. 1t is only the old, perhaps,
who are sage in counsel by nature. At
any rate, to give good advice did not
come naturally to pretty Nelly. But
she had an idea of what she wanted to
say. and at last she got it said.
She had written and rewritten it,
and finally concluded that she could DO
no better, and then copied it into her
neatest handwriting before she called
the others. 1t was little stiff, to be
sure, and preachy and high-hown, but
IT sounded like a lofty effort and a
complete success to the listening girls.
This was what it said:
my VALENTNE:-You will have plenty Of
fine speeches and praises and perhaps, OF fun
and fancy, from others, so l shall not give you
fhose-I- who have but one interest in you.
namely. that you should be the best boy and
the best man which it is possible for you to be-
come l. goa are selfish. IL you are indolent il
you are mean, you will never be happy in your
OWE society until you have sunk so low that
you don't know the difference between good
ness and badness But IL you set out 70 be a
gentleman, and man OF honor. and a faithful
worker. you viii do good deeds and live a
HAPPY life. and be worthy the everlasting es-
TEEN OF YOUR VALENTINE"
Nelly read it with rising color and a
little culver about her mouth, which
Bertha understood; but she read it
with firm voice and a careful, delib-
crate accent
Then" she said. when she had fin
Yshed. u shall burn up all the rest of
nay valentines, and send only this one;
for it is what mean. in earnest, and as
old Aunt Smoke says: Eff it don't do no
good, il can't do harm"