Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-03-07

g all loops and ruf1ies
e-z->.'7 and ribbons - all
smiles and dimples.
1t was the Saturday before Valentines
Day, in u certain year of grace, of
which I will not give you the pre-
else 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 brothers 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 or 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 and all the
pleasures which girlhood holds dear.
The six were passing tho 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 val
entines. They had made funny ones
and foolish ones--tender ones, with
just little dash of satire in them--
poetic ones and prosy ones--and at
last it was dinner time, feast of all
the things that schoolgirls love.
Roast turkey was there, and cram
berry Jelly and sweet potatoes and
squash, and then such pies and pud-
dings and nuts and raisins. How
could they hold it all? Ah, they were
hungry girls. At least they were all
hungry girls but Nellie Hunt, and she
scarcely ate any dinner at all, she was
so busy thinking. She was Bertha's
sister, and this was her homo 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.
"Weil, surely they need not make
you sober--they are absurd enough. )"
eyes, and it's just because they are
SO absurd that they make me sober.
[ was wondering why we couldn't just
as we'll have said something to help
somebody--so make somebody think
to do somo good"
"Nolly's heroics /" cried Kato
Green, hippantly. "tiss Hunt as u
moral retormer!"
Nellie 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 us she
answered:
fYou can laugh if you will, but
moan what [ say, and Pm going to try
an experiment. l will write one boy
valentine, such as I think girl
ought to write, and send it,"
$50 you SHALL" Bertha said, gently
Bertha always was poacemaker !;
Sand We'll all SO away and see mamma
and the baby while you write it.
When it's done you must call u.s.
Eyes, an2 you must show it to us, ="
cried Kate Green, ns she went away |;
"that's only fair. We promised this
morning to show each other all we
sent, and we sha'n't let you off.
And then the five futtered away
like flock OF birds, and Nelly was
quite alone.
Her task was harder than she had
imagined. 1t is only the old, perhaps,
who are sage in counsel by nature. At
any rate, to give good advice did not
como naturally to pretty Nelly. But
sho had an idea Of what she wanted to
say, and at last she got it said.
She had written and rewritten it,
and finally concluded that sho could
do no better, and then copied it into
her neatest handwriting before she
called tho others. 1t was little stiff,
to be sure, and preachy and high
flown, but it sounded like lofty eff
fort and complete success to the lis
tening girls. This is what it said:
"MY yALENrIyE--You will have plenty
OF fine speeches and praises, and, perhaps,
OF fun and fancy, from others, SO that shal.
not give you those-1, who have but one IN
torest In you, namely, that you should be the
best boy and tine best man. which II Is possi-
bic tor you to become. II you aro selfish,
II you arc lnloiont, II you are moan, you
will never be happy In your own society un-
til you have sunk SO low that you don't know
tho difference between goodness ani badness.
But If you set out to be u gentleman, and a
man Of honor, and faithful worker, you
will dc good deeds and live n happy fife,
and DO worthy the everlasting esteom of
"YoUn VALENTINE"
Nelly read it with rising color and a
little quiver about her mouth, which
Bertha understood; but she read it
with a firm voice and careful, delib-
crate accent.
"Then," she said, whom sfe had fin
ished. 81 shall burn up all rhe rest OF
my valentines, and send only this one,
for it is what | mean, in earnest, and
as old Aunty Smoke says, 'Ef 1t don't
do no good, it can't do no harm"