The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1900-02-10
( Grandma'S Valentine (
AANs

Dorothy, dancing excltedly about
q the nursery He is coming here
hear his whistlel Oh nurse, please
may l go down aud see if he has brought
any valentines?'
Not with your cold. dearie," said
nurse, shaking her head, and so Dorothy
had to be content with peering over the
stairs, while Donald cattered down and
came back again with his hands full of
envelopes, large and small.
Zone, free. six for me"' he painted,
"and one, free, seven for Dorothy" And
how happily the children were as they
tore open the envelopes and explained
the pretty cards and verses which they
contained. And then Sister Nell came in
to show them her valentine. great
bunch of beautiful roses, and when Dor
Othy asked her if she could guess who
had sent them Cfor guessing is half the
fun ON st. Valentines day.. she grew
quite red, and said: why, no; of course
she couldn't; how should she?'
And just then dear grandma came in
to see what the children were making
such racket about. And, Of course,
they showed her their valentines, and
Nell pinned one of her most beautiful
roses on grandma's black dress; and then,
quite Unexpectedly, Dorothy looked up
into the sweet, placid old face, and ask
ed, gravely: Grandma. did you ever
get a valentine?"
Grandma did not reply for a moment,
and then she stopped and kissed Doro-
thy on the forehead and something very
bright and glistening fell among the
brown curls. Yes, dear" said grand
ma, softly, lots of them, but l had one
which | think must tell you about some
time"
''Oh. tell US now" cried all the chill
dren at once. and Nell, who had been
placing her valentine in a vase of water,
joined in the general coaxing.
Nell" said grandma, IF you really
want to hear l will tell you about it. but
wait a moment, can show you my val
entine."
She left the room, and she was gone
30 long that the children had time to
wonder greatly what grandma's valentine
could be, and they were all gathered
around the chair, with eager. expectant
faces, when she returned. She carried
in her hand small, old-fashioned work
box, whose covering, once bright and gay,
was worn and faded now. She smiled
Into the upturned faces as she resumed
her place among the children, but there
were tears in her eyes as she said
NOW, children, l will show you my
valentine, but. first, l must tell you part
Of the story. And l must also explain
that when 1 was young people made their
own valentines, and, although they may
not have been as pretty as the modern
ones, perhaps, yet, l think they were "a
great deal nicer, because, you see, no
body would take the trouble to make a
valentine unless II were to send to some
body that one was very fond of indeed.
But Donald is growing impatient for the
story! When l was young girl lived
In dear old country town, which some
OF you have seen. My father and mother
both died when / was very little child,
and so lived with my grandparents, and
very kind and good they were to me, and
l loved them very dearly. Nevertheless,
they were very old, and, somehow, they
seemed to have quite forgotten how it felt
to be young and full of life, and grand
ma did not understand why | was not
always content to sit quietly in the house.
reading OF sewing all day, when all my
young friends were out skating or sleigh
Ing, II 1t were winter, or picnicking or
rowing on the river il it were summer.
The old people had one amusement, how
ever. of which they never wearied, es-
pecially in the long winter evenings; they
dearly loved a rubber of whist. l could
play. too, and any OF my young friends
who would consent to make up a game
by taking hand was always a welcome
guest L think your friend Benjamin
Worrell is very fine young man. grand
pa would say, and then he was sure to
add, He plays an excellent game; a
little reckless, perhaps, at times, but he
has a good head Once 1 repeated this
Nsise to Ben"
"WhT. that was grandpa's name." in