The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-04


symbols of love gone by, of passion
cOoled-who would not feel almost as
If in the recovery of her tears she had
found joy again:
If Miss Jemima had not found JOY.
she had at least found her heart again
and sorrow. Her life had been for so
long n weary, treeless plain that i'll the
dark depths of the valley of Soirowing.
she realized, as something only from
sorrows deepS poors mortals may
know 1t. the possible height OF bliss.
For the first time since the separation
she clasped the valentine to- her bosom
and called her lovers name over ana
over again. sobbing it. without hope.
as one in the death agony. But such
emotion is not of death. Is 1t not the
rebrth of feeling? So it was with Miss
Jemima, and the heart stiffness that
had been her safety during all these
years would never be hers again. There
would never again be time when her
sweet meaning to her-when II would
not be a tangible embodiment of the
holiest thing her life had known.
From this time forward. as an offset
to the budding rOmanceS about her.
Miss Jemima would repair for refuge
and II meager comfort to that which
while i'm its discolored and fading face
nance. still gave her her own.
The woman of forty never realizes
her years in the presence of her con
tempOraries. Forty women of forty
might easily feel young enough to Scoff
at the bald head, and deserve to be
eaten by bears-but thirt-nine with "a
budding maid for fortieth scOffer--
never.
Miss Jemima. ir her suddenly real
iz,aI Ii hn Il ia
her own consciousness. old and of Il
date gone by. aunt Jemima" was
naturally regared by her blooming
nephews and nieces. as well as by their
intimates who wore their mcipient
mustaches still within their conscious
top lips or dimplts dancing In their
ruddy cheeks. quite In the same cate
cory as Mrs. Gibbs who was sixty. or
any of their aunts and Srandmothers
who sat Seranly in daguerreotype along
the parlor mantle.
There is apt to come a time In the life
of the live single woman of fOrty-if
she be alive enuugh-- when in the face
of even negative and affectionate dis
paragement, sh. is moved to declare
herself.
Perhaps :hcre he some who would
say that this declaration SavOrs of
earth. Even so. the earth is the Lords.
II is one thing 10 be u flower pasted in
Il book and quite another to he the bud
u maiden wearS--One thing to he To-
day and another to be Yesterday.
one thing. indeed. ii was to own n
yellow, time stained valentine. and
quite Il different one TO be of the
dmpled throng who crowded the Simp-
kinsville post office on Valentines day.
Il reckon them young ones would
think ii was perfec'ly re-diclous ef ]
was to git valentine at my time of
life" Miss Jemilna said. aloud. to her
looking glass one morning. 1t was the
day before st. Valentines of the year
following her day of tears.
But III show EN- she added. with
some resolution. as she turned to her
bureau drawer.
And she did snow them. On the next
! day great envelope addressed to Miss
! Jemima Martha Sprague came i'm with
| the package of lesser favOrS. and Miss
| Jemima suddenly found herself the in
| teresting center of a new iEterest-an
interest that after having revolved
| about her awhile blew off, i'm suspicion
| toward every superannuated bachelor
| or widower within a radius of thirty
| miles of SimDkinSvlle.
l 1t had been great moment for Miss
| Jemima when the valentine came in
and 4 trying one when with genuine
old-time bushes she refused to open il
| for the crowd.
How she felt an hour later, when in
| the secrecy of her own chamber she
! took from its new envelope her own old
| self-sent valentine. only He who has
tender knowledge of maidenly reserves
and sorrows will ever know.
There was something i'm her face that
| forbade cruel pursuit of the subject by
her family, and so. after n little playful
| bantering, the subject was dropped.
. But the incident had lifted her from
one condition into quite another in
| the family regard, and Miss Jemima
| found herself uncOnsciously lying ur
| to younger standards.
| But this was ten years ago. and the
| mysterious valentine had become q
yearly fact.
There had never been any exDlana
tions. When pressed to the wall. Miss
| Jemima had. indeed, been constrained
to confess that certainly every valen.
| tine she had ever gotten had been sent
her by a man chow sweet and sad this
| truthD
And are all the new ones as pretty
| as your lovely old one. Aunt Minnie ?"
To this last query she had carefully
replied: d.
every bit an, grain ez purity ez that one
| NOT a one"
AN why don't you show 'em to us
| them
Such obduracy was indeed hard t.
| comprehend.
II. as the years passed. her brother
began to suspect. he made no sign o.
1t save in an added tenderness. And, o.
course. he could not know.
On the anniversary upon which thi.
little record Of her life had opened. th'
| situation was somewhat exceptional.
The valentine had hitherto alway.
been mailed In Simpkinsville-her owl