The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-02-04
JEMlMA'S VALENTINE.
ny RUTH n1enNERY STUART.

that her brother was bringing in the
frailA and, ia he entered the room, Blic
bent lower over her work, her crochOt
needle New Faster and sho couEhcu y
slight. nervous cough. But she hlh hpI
look up.
She knew, without loolulng. that her
brother brought IN n pile OF valentines
In his hand, and that when presently
he should have finished dlstrtDutlnE
them to his eager sons end danEhtcr',
her ttcphews aud i1leces. he would conn
aud bring one 10 Ller-or elsey ne WoW!u
not do this ilst, Ii was this dread mat
brought the crimson spots to her
checks.
II there was one for her he would
presently come, and. leaning over hcr
shoulder. he would say. as he dropped
upon her lap the larger, handsome one
tnnn all the others: This looks mighty
suspicious, Sis Minnie or well have
TO lind out about this" or maybe, 40
he presented It, he would eovcItly
shield her by addressing himself TO the
younger crowd after this fashion:
"Es VISA lot o. boys an girls an,
couldn't git bigger valentine from Ail
my sweegheapts an boauS Than my
OIL auntic can set still at home an gu,
why. I'd quit tryln' that's wnat
would"
There was always n tenderness In
,the brothers manner when he handed
his sister her valentine. He had brought
her one each year for seven years, now,
and after the first tlmc, when iin liau
seen the look OF pain and confusion
TINT had followed his playful TEASING
rs he had prescribed II, he had never
more than relieved the moment by
passing Jest.
The regular coming OF Aunt Je-
n.lma's valentine" was q mystery IN
the household.
II had been thirteen years since she
had qunrreled with Ell Taylor, her
lover, and they had parted IN anger,
never TO meet again. Since then she
had stayed at home and quietly grown
old.
Fourteen years ago she mad beech
In the flush OF this. her only romance,
and st. Valentines day had brought a
great, thick envelope. in which lay
fragrant with perfume. q gorgeous VAL
cntinc. Upon this was painted. after
the old Dresden china pattern. q bcau-
tlful lady with slender waist and cork
screw curls, standing beside tall cav
alter, who DOTTED his hat TO her MS he
presented the card that bore her name.
SO finely and beautifully written that
only very young eyes could read II un-
aided.
BY i!f.InS this card, one might read
the printed rhyme beneath-the rhyme
soitender and loving that u needed only.
the Inscription OF O name on the nap
above u to make It all-suthc!ent IN
personal application to even the most
faatldlous
This gorgeous affair was SO arttully
constructed that by drawing Its pie
tured front forward. II could be made
TO stand alone, when there appeared
fountnIn in the background and
brilliant peacock with arEus-eyed tall
n great rose on tiny bush and a cres.
cent moon. The oldest childrep Nau
been very small when fhls resplendent
CONNECTION had come Into their home.
Some OF them hnd not been born, but
they had oil grown up In the knowl-
edge OF Il.
There had been times in the tender
memories OF all Of them when "Aunt
Minnie had locked her door. and no.
cause they had been very Eood.let them
take a little peep at her bcap.ifut vat-
entinc. which she kept carefully locked
away In her bureau drawer.
They had on occasions been allowed
10 wash their hands and hold lt-tust
1t had always been thing to wonder
over, aad Once-but this was the year II
cnme-when her sky seemed rs rosy
as the ribbon about her wnIs:-Mlss
Jemlml had stood II UP on the whatnot
In the parlor when the church soelable
met at her brothers house, ana every
body In town had seen II. while Tor her
II made the whoie corner OF the room
beautiful.
But the quarrel had soon followed
a foolish lovers qunrrel-Ell had gone
away in ungcr-and that had been p'le
end.
Disputes over trIiles ore the hardest
to mend, each pJrty finding u so a!Ht-
cult 70 forgive the other for beinB
angry for so slight c.ilse.
And SO the years had passed.
For ten long years the beautiful VAL
entlne had lain carefully put away:
For 1--WE years Jcmima had looked ut II
with fearless eyes and q hardened
heart. And then came the memorable
flrgt anniversary whea the children OF
the household began TO celebrate the
day, and tiny comic pictured pages be-
gan Hitting In from the school sweet
hearts. The realization OF the new era
was shock to Miss Jemima; In tine
Youthful merrlmert OF those budding
r1nances she seemed to see n sort OK
reflection OF her own lonG-1go JOY, ana
in the faint glow OK 1t she felt impelled
ITO 10 10 her own room and to lock the
door and look Mt the old valentine.
with a new strange tremor about heS
heart and an unsteady hand iahe TOOK
II out. and when IN tne i!Sat o.
awakened emotion she saw again us
tlme-st;uned face and caught Us musty
cdor, she seemed 10 realize again the
very body OF her lost love and 10: INC
first time In MI tac years the fountains
OF her sorrow were broken up ana snl
sobbed her tired heart out over the OLD
valentine.
Gods beautiful world, ! wonder, who
would not weep again. II size coulu'
over some of lIfc's following symbols
syrnS,ols OF love gone by. OF passion
cooled--who would not feel almost az
n In the recovery OF her teurs she !iaa
found Joy again?
n Miss Jemimn had not found Joy,
abe had at least found her heart again
and sorrow. Her life had been ICr
so long q weary, trccicss plain that IN
the dark depth OF the valley Of sorrow
Ing, she realized, nS something Only
from sorrows decps poor moTtals may
know II. the possible height OF bliss
FOT lHe llIHL t'l'N ""t 49, - -.
she claspcd the valentine to her bosom
and called her lovers name over ana
over again, sobbIng It, without hope,
ns one in the death agony. But such
emotion ~ not Of death. IL II not the
rebirth OF feeling? 50 1t was with Miss
Jemimn, md the heart -atillness that
had been her safety during MI these
Years would never be hers GFuin. There
would never again he time when her
precious possession would not have q
sweet meaning to hcr--whcn II would
not be tangible embodiment OF the no
Host thing her life had known.
From this time forward. MS an offset
to the budding romnncc3 about her,