Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1894-02-08

scnorAuyuse WAS tAIest WIN the toys
and girls Of the town. February 18th
was a grea; a holiday A. could be
made OF il with school in session and
somebody had a party. or some one got
Up a ride. or there was a grand pop
corn frolic In fact. there was always
something going on that DAY, IL ali
other days IN the year should be dry As
dust, though that could never be the
case with forty girls aud boys to make
them lively. The excuse for this extra
fun on the 18th was that il was 10 Jen-
ningS birthday. and they must celebrate
II: and when any of the parents tried TO
demonstrate the ready argument was
that they didn't celebrate other birth
days, because nobody was ever born on
. day they could celebrate. and with
such q good reason what could be said
further2 All the girls sent him vaIen-
tines. and all the boys wished they
could change places for Just that one
day. As he grew older the custom ~
always been. a great favcrise in the
town The mail nag which came in on
the stage that night fairly baIz-l with
the uumber OF msSSives directed 10 J. J.
Jennings To be sur- some Of the girls
had married and lef, the tow A. hut all
who remained kept up the custom
Everybody eall-i him 10. and a. he
came hzrk ysar after rear seemingly
unchanged in his love for the old home.
and Just a. cordial with al the old
friends, they decided hat travel could
rawzm -a-La AH-r 81 So 81 -
hearted frieEd l. mad ever been
Always impartial in his treatment %
the young ladies Il the place. he took
enc 10 the picnic. another oat driving
behind the fzt. black pony still an
other on the harbor excursion. and 4
different ~ up the mountain after
blueberrie>
Everybody called his mother Aun,
Judith. because she Was such a lovely
Old lady they simply couldn't help it
4 face sweet and beautiful in its youth
only grew more sweet a. the years
madew wrinkles and drew lines here and
there The eyes. always syrupAtk.tic.
only flied with = deeper light OF love
a. time Fed The hair. in earlier a
q rich crown for the erect figure, only
laid itself in more caressing waves
about the face Truly she had grown
old gracefully. An invalid. she was
cared for hy her eldes, daughter.
Martha. who had already sent away a
lover because she would 10. leave her
home just now.
She did wish 10 wo1ld marry and
bring his wife home 20 live Tha,
would make ali clear. Martha could
r. happy. and she knew for herself she
could love anyone Of the village girls
whom he might choose for a wife.
Why didn't be rare for some oueg The
year before something had happened
They bad all e3I valentines according
10 the usual custom There were
eighteen Of them The next morning.
down a the Corner 70 was talking
20 Jimmie HazeE. ant Jimmie asked.
c~arelessly. How unany this time. JoF-
Eighteen splendid ones. bat ! doa-t
spose q " the sen1e-s can rake a
biscuit 10 save her life
OF course Jimmie mentioned il aS a
good Joke 10 hts sister Ruth. who had
black eyes and a lively temper Of her
own aud she told the Other girls con
ss6eruS il anything bat. a fke. and
that ~zs what ezusei AL the fu.ter.
Now Rath couldn't make biscuits. and
she bad always thought 10 Just .
little better tAan ordinary nortzlS
aid 70 rave hil come down 10 biscuits.
aud thea % th-ow u such q remark
- that TO her brother. He probably
mean TO have Jimmie tell her.
Ruth told The girls At the next social.
srd- with her eyes flashing. declared
she WISHED she could bake. bat she
couldn't and she hated dough; bat IL
she could make biscuits she'd make q
hashsi and smother him - rox. Soc
cried ~ home. and thought is vsrv
u1ki1i Of 10. and declared she
wouldn't send another valentine as
long n she lived Ba. when the sun
uer came znc the girls rot forgetting
the fling a. their iaeS Of ability. took
TO refusing him when invited TO pienies
or other places Of amus@ments. Ruth
was sorry. ami yet glad. for she
eOCldn't stop liking him ali At once.
even II she tried her best - when
the anniversary came again she decided
she would just s-ad IS always and no:
mind what had probably tho1ghtIessly
b<xn said