The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-02-24
HER FIRST VALENTINE.

y
mints" were about the mildest cpl
thets bestowed upon MI Hayes 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 we're
as 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
appeared ready and able to fill the vacant
appointment.
Poor Mrs. Hayel How does she man
age?' said sympathizing friends
Poor Mrs. Hay was just the one person in
the world least affected by hersons' mischiev-
Gus conduct.
How very shockingl" she would say, with
the prettiest look OF dsmay ON the recital of
some fresh enormity II am distressed be-
yond measure. But what can d027
Comely, fair, easy-eoing, ond intensely self
ish, neither her ten children nor her fifty
five years had had power to deprive her of
her childish prettiness or prevent her looking
lar more like thirty than did her daughter
Juliet, weighed down with the burden of the
family cares for more than hsdf 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
mental tour or 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 treaus for them, screened
their iniquities, and made herself their gen
eral ''slavey." with the reward Of hearing
now and then, 1.-THE mother is the best and
dearest and prettiest little mother in the
world, put you're an old catl"
1t was the month of Februry, and three
Of the Hayes We're home for the holidays
the youngest three Of the family, and BY far
the worst, uniting to their malice an intelh-
gence which made it far more formidable than
the mere Objeetless mischief 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 re0pening of his
school to the l4th of February
"Hoorayl Here's the frost again" sang
out the thirteenth. Skating, Iads?''
Not on the pond, interposed Juliet. 1.-The
gardner says the ice is quite rotfen so pray
keep Off
You shut up. What do YOU or he know
about ice-pair of muffs"
"Never mind her; see what mamma saws"
said Tom, the oleverest and most trouble |
some.
Il shall go, anyhow declared Eddie the
spoiled pet.
Go? Of course Eon may, my dear boys!'
said Mrs Haye, sweetly; and off they scam
pered, swinging their skates and indulging in
a war-dance OF derisiOn, when they spied Jul |
let looking auKiouslv after them.
Poor Juliet was NOT suited for her post |
she had too much conscientiousuess and too |
little sefishness; she adgeted the boys by |
overanxiety, and then made herself miser-
able by fits OF self-reproach 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 I'd |
said, too rotten for skating.
plague take he9 for nasty spiteful old
maidl'' said Charley. who was naturally dis
gusted with her for being in the right "Now
she'll crow over us"
Let's go for a walk to the mil" 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 our
last day in peace!'
"She's always splitting us" whined Eddie
1T was all her doing that we hadn't the
pony these holidays"
The dickens it was, how do you know"
said the other two.
"'Cause heard her telling the governor
about Sandy kicking Farmer Browns boy
off, and biting George when he went to
bride him; and the governor said he'd not
have him then"
''How I'd like to pay her off-meddlesome
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.
Not for gun powder" she said. "You
must promise me that" II