The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-02-22
HER FIRST VALENTINE.

thets bestowed upon Nj Haye rising young
family by their village neighbors. The black
day of their return for the holidays, and the
joyful date OF their departure to school were
MS well known to all the country round as to
the Haye household And there was no end
to them, either As fast as one Haye out
grew the character of public nuisance another
apps AIRED ready and able to fill the vacant
appointment.
Poor Mrs. Haye How does she man
age?" said sympath'zing friends.
Poor Mrs. Hay was Just the one person in
the world least affected by hersons' mischiev-
GUS conduct.
"How very shockugl" she would say, with
the prettiest look OF dismay ON the recital OF
some fresh enormity II am distressed be-
yond measure. But what can COZ"
Comely, fair, easy-g Ding, ond intensely self
ish, neither her ten children nor her fifty
five years had had power TO deprive her OF
her childish prettincss or prevent her looking
far more like thirty than did h + daughter
Juliet, weighed down with the burden of the
family cares for more than half a lifetime.
Juliet was the eldest-the one girl of the
family. She it was who managed the house
while Mrs. Haye dragged her stupid good
tempered husband off on delightful Cont
nehtul tour or a season in London. She taught
the young ones till they were ready for school,
mended their clothes, sent the others cakes
and supplies of pocket-money from her own
allowance, begged treats for them, screened
their niquities, and made hers Ii their gen
eral "slavey," with the reward OF hearing
now and then, "The mother is the best and
dearest and prettiest little mother in the
world, put you're an old cat''
1t was the month of Februry, and three
OF the Hayes were home for the holidays
the youngest three of the family, and by far
the worst, uniting to their malice an intel,i-
gence which made it far more formidable than
the mere objectless m-chief of their elder
brethren; and, to lengthen the sisters pen
ace. Doctor Baxter had written to say that
in consequence Of illness in his family he was
compelled to postpone the reopening of his
school to the I4th OF February.
"fIoorayl Here's the frost again. sang
out the thirteenth "Skating, lad's?''
Not on the pond, interposed Juliet 1.-THE
gardner says the ice is quite rotten; so pray
keep off"
you shut up. What do you or he know
about ice-pair OF muifsl''
"Never mind her; see what mamma says, "
said Tom, the cleverest aud most trouble
some.
81 shall go, anyhow declared Eddie, the
spoiled pet.
"GoY vi course you may, my dear boysl'
said Mrs. Haye sweetly; and off they scam
pered, swinging their skates and ndulging in
a war-dance OF derision, when they spied Jul
let looking anxiously after them.
Poor Juliet was not suited for her post
she had too much conscientiousness and toe
little selfshness; she fidgeted the boys by
over anxiety, and then made herself miser
able by fits OF seli-reprooch when they came
to grief.
Mrs. Hayes gracious permission proved
utterly valueless, for, on arriving at the pond
the ice was discovered to be as Juliet h ID
said too rotten for skating
plague take her for a nasty spteful oil
maidl' said Charley, who was naturally dis
gusted with her for being in the right. Nov
she'll crow over u.s.
Let's go for a walk to the MILL" proposed
Tom.
Cant, we've to be home in time for that
fellow to try on our new boots, she says
Bother her-she might have let us have oul
last day in pencil
shes always spiting u.s." whned Eddie
SIT was all h-r doing that we hadn't thu
pony these holidays"
1.-The dickens it was. how do Won know?'
said the other two.
! "'Cause heard her telling the governo
about Sandy kicking Farmer Browns DO,
off, and biting George when he went t,
bride him. and the governor said he'd no
have him then"
old thingl What business was it of hers?'
said Charley.
''Let us do something to serve her out be
fore we go, said Tom.
An animated debate ensued, and ten min
utes later they burst in upon Juliet demand
ing two shillings Immediately.
mot for gun powder" she said ''Yo
must promise me that"
"Never you mind, fork outl'' in chorus.
Juliet, dear, how absurd you arel Here
half n crown. Now do go away, like goo,
boysl" said the iudicious mother.
Bright and clear was the day oftle hes
honored saint in the calendar.
"The boys last day at home" though
Juliet, with n sigh of relief, ms she descende
to make the breakfast Other interest i
the day she had none, being perhaps tn
sole young lady in England who never got
valentine. Lovers aud love affairs wer
matters as much beyond her ken us the topc
graphy of Central Africa--''I never had an
time for them. she said once to an inauis
tive friend. Consequently it was very d,
lberate glance she gave, whan she had mad
the coffee, at the little pile OF letters besid
her plate. One from Aunt Maria, one fror
Harry at college; hut the thrd-what was it
A square. thick, satiny envelope, with a d
riction in a bold masculine hand, and "A sea
with armorial bearings. 1t vast must b
IA valentinel Juliet tore it open with
look of astonishment. II was a valentine
more 1t was a regular love letter-more still
it was proposal Of marriagel Aud III
very morning, of all days in the year thos
! Objectionable brothers of hers took it int,