Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-02-15
DOCTOR JACKS VALENTINE.


together-pretty creatures, in the very
first season of their long dresses-the
eldest not quite sixteen. They were
all braids, and puffs, and fluffy curls
all loops, and rufles, and ribbons
all smiles and dimples. 1t was the
Saturday before Valentines day, in a
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 brother
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
happy 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
pleasures which girlhood holds dear.
They were passing the long day to-
gether. Two of them were sisters,
and belonged in one house, and the
rest had come there to be with them;
for they were all going to make valen'
tines. They had made funny ones
and foolish ones-tender ones, with
lust 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 schoolgirls love. Roast
turkey there was, and cranberry jelly
and sweet potatoes, and squash, and
then such pies and puddings, and nuts
and raisins. How could they hold ii
all? 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 think,
ing. She was Bertha 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 arr
so absurd that they make me sober.
was wondering why we couldn't JUS
as well have said something to helI
somebody-to make somebody thinl
to do some good.
"Nelly's heroics," cried Kate Green
i
hippantly. miss Hunt as mora
reformerl"
Nelly blushed from her pretty ear
to the roots of her sunny hair; but he
eyes shone clear and there was RIM
of earnestness in her voice as she an
swered:
"You can laugh if you will, but
mean what say, and I'm goingto tr,
an experiment. 1 will write one bo
valentine, such as think a gil
ought to write, and I'll send it. >.
$50 you SHALL" Bertha said, gentl
Bertha always was peacemakel
"and we'll go away and see MANN
and the baby while you write i
When it's done you must call US.
Eyes, and you must show it to u.s.
cried Kate Green, as she went away
"that's only fair. We promised tn
morning to show each other all "
sent, and we shan't let you off.
And then the FIVE futtered ava
like a flock of birds, and Nellie We
quite alone.
Her task was harder than she ha
imagined. 1t is only the old, perhap
who are sage in counsel by nature. a
any rate, to give good advice did ne
come naturally to pretty Nelly. B'
she had an idea of what she wanted
say, and at last she got it said.
She had written and rewritten
and finally concluded that she coul
do no better, and then copied it I'M
her neatest handwriting before 81
called the others. 1t was littlest
to be sure, and preachy and higl
4 1nff ffxr 4,