The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-02-10

- hcN were dhl
braids, and putfs, and fluffy curls-all
loops, and ruffles, 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
haif-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
10 the next country, where they tell us
She will never grow old, never be sick
nor sorry any more-happy Bertha,
whom surely, God loved
But. that day in February none of
them thought much about the future
the present was enough, with it's fur
and frolic. its wealth of all the pleas
ures which girlhood holds hear. They
were passing the long day together.
Two OF them We're sisters, and 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 a little dash of
satire in them-poet Z ones and prosy
ones and at last it was dinner time
II 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
ana puddings and nuts and raisips.
How could they hold it all? Ah, they
We're 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 Nellys 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
alb ard that they make me sober ]
was wondering why we couldn't just
as well have said something to help
souebody-to make somebody think
10 do some good"
"Selly's heroics." cried Kate Green,
flippantly. Miss Hunt as moral re-
former
Nelly blushed from her pretty ears
TO the roots of her sunny hair: but her
eyes shone clear and there was ring
of earnestness in her voice as she an
swcred:
You can laugh if you will, but
mean what say. and I'm going to try
an experiment. | will write one boy a
valentine, such as think girl ought
to write, and III send it."
So you shall" Bertha said, gently
Bertha always was peacemaker; 'and
Wen all go 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
morning to show each other all we
sent, and we shan't let you off,
And then the FIVE futtered away
like 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 nat ne 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 ii 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 preacby and high-fown, but
it sounded like Il lofty effort and a
complete success to the listening girls.
This was what it said:
9Iy NALgsTikE:--You Will have plenty OF
filc speeches and praises. and perhaps. OF fun
and fancy. from Others. 50 4 shall not give you
those~-l. who have but one interest in YOU
namely, Tint you should be the best hoy and
the Lest inan which II Is possible for you TO he.
come II you are selfish. II you are indolent, II
you are mean. you wiz never be happy in your
Own society until you have sunk SO low that
you don't know the difference between good
ness and badness. hut II you set out to be =
gentleman and man OF honor. and faithful
worker. You VIII do good deeds and live u
happy life and be worthy the everlasti ting es-
fAem Of Your VALENTINE"
Nelly read it with rising color and a
little quiver about her mouth, which
Bertha understood; but she read 1t
with firm voice and careful. delib-
crate accent.
sThen," she said, when she had I'm
ished, Il shall burn up all the rest of
my valentines, and send only this one;
for il is what mean. in earnest. and as
old Aunt 6ploke says; III Il dop't Do no
gco6, y eau'td haym's