Semi=weekly graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1895-1902, 1896-02-19

the little girls and boys, with bright
eyes and joyful faces, negan to ar
rive; some with bouquets OF flowers,
others with beautiful valentines, as
emblems OF appreciation and offer
ings OF love for theit little hostess,
who, showing due regard fnr each,
met and received them with grace
and gladness
Soon the large and spacious par-
lors OF the little entertainers grand
mother were literally thronged with
bright faced and happy children,
whose merry peals of laughter and
frequent outbnrsts OF mellifluous
ejaculation and chit-chat, betold
the fact that JOY had been enthroned
and merriment reigned supreme.
After amusing themselves With suit
able games, such as THE Stolen
Heart" est. Valentine" "Clap in
and Clap Out" for more than an
hour, the gay aud happy throng was
called TO SILENCE aud their attention
drawn to a collection of hearts made
from cardboard, suspended and
dangling between the folding doors.
Mrs. Taylor, who assisted the little
hostess in entertaining her friends,
then announced that inscribed upon
each heart was the name OF some
little girl, and In order to secure
partners for supper, each little boy
would have to leap for the heart
containing the name of the girl he
most preferred. This produced an
occasion for much scrambling, since
each little fellow was fearful of being
cut out of the girl of his choice.
Preparatory to being ushered ont
TO supper the crowd was formed
into a figure Of q large heart, then
each boy aud girl was given the
privilege Of guessing at the humber
OF children embraced in the heart,
the one guessing closest To be
awarded a prize consisting of a
beautiful and costly valentine, which
was held up to view as a temptation
To their anxious eyes as the guesses
were being made. Forty-slx was
the guess OF Margaret, The sweet lit
tie daughter of MIR. John NJ. Taylor,
and it proved to be the exact num-
Der of children present and in the
heart. Sc with Joyous smiles she
stepped forth and gracefully received
the valentine. The children then
marched forth to the dining room,
where too large tables, filed to over
flowing with choice edibles and
dainty nic-nacs, awaited them. In
this particular feature Of the even
ing's entertainment Mrs. Bell had
been un firing in her efforts to please,
and right royalty was she repaid,
judging from the satisfaction with
which each and every little one pres
ent partook of and enjoyed the splen-
did feast set before them.
AT each plate was placed a heart
shaped cake with candy heart
bearing appropriate lines and verses
which each little fellow took delight
in reading to his partner.
After supper large cake contain
ing a silver coin was placed on
table and each one as they passed
around the table was permitted to
cut for the prize. After each had cut
in their turn IL was discovered that
Louise, the pretty little daughter of
Mr.. p. NJ Bridges, was the lucky
prize winner.
The crowd then returned to the
parlors and for the remainder Of the
evening "tripped the lightfantastic.
w hen the hour of 5 arrived tire
happy throng, with expressions of
appreciation and enjoyment which
would well become older heads,
secured their wraps and bade their
fair hostess and her grandmother a
fond and loving adieu, and carried
home with them indellible impress
sions of the st. Valentine Day, 1896.