Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-02-17
MOTHERS VALENTINE.
1t Was Home Made, but II Made Her
Very Happy.


Very Happy.
MY kind only costs ten cents.
Roxy explained.
Mine costs five!" piped little Puss,
Importantly, as If a fve-cent valentine
must be much more valuable than q
| ten-cent one.
i've picked out two twenty five
centers," Andy said. over the edge OF
his First Book in Latin; "of course
couldn't send Miss Pitcher and the
principal cheaper ones than that"
Nor mel, I mean-cheaper ones
| to Miss Rebecca and Milly Pollock,
chimed in Jess, over the edge of her
book MY, Milly's going to get some
perfect beauties ones doHar!"
| Mother was mending stockings in
her corner. All these remarks were
made to her, of course. 1t was queer
she did not answer. There was a
! tiny space of silence, and then the
remarks began again at Roxy and
went the same rounds-all of them
valentine remarks, as before. Thurs
day was Valentines day, didn't moth
er know?
"She isn't asleep: her eyes are
OPEN" whispered Jess.
shes thinking of stockin's," whis-
pered Roxy, guitily. There's nor
nous big holes in mine. l don't s'pose
holes remind folks of valentines"
Andy corrugated "amabo, amabis
amabit," three times through Then
he went on to the perfect tense and
learned that There was plenty OF
time before mother spoke.
children" she said at last, and the
oldest little quiver-quaver was in her
sweet voice, i've got to disappoint
you; l can't spare you any valentine
money this time. Tits pretty
hard year"
No valentine money! Not send any
to anybody! The four children round
the table drew a long breath that,
coming at almost the same instant,
seemed to raise a little breeze and
blow their disappointment across the
room to mother. At any rate. she
seemed to feel it and shiver a little.
"But-but Miss Rebecca," faltered
Jess I've sent her one, and all the
girls are going to-"
Ssh, can't your" muttered Andy,
behind the Latin book. Il guess Miss
GRebeccas aren't any more important
than Miss Pitch rs and presidents"
80, my shole! O., my shole!" sud
denly burst out little Puss, as If 1t
had lust occurred to her to wall Il
was a-goin' to send my valingtimes
to metz
OF course they laughed at Puss,
and at that the little breeze of signs
died down. But so did the laugh, very
quickly, and all four faces sobered
again.
LET me tell you about it, honeys,'
mother said, gently, in the middle OF
Roxy's biggest hole IT'S this way:
Mothers feeling pretty poor just now.
One of the banks she had little mon
ey in has failed. If father had lived"
the gentle voice shook a little. as If
it were going over a hard road-"but
but it's different now. We shall
have to give up other things besides
alentines-Pompey and Sally Ann"
"Pompey and Sally Ami" Four
pairs of eyes flew wide open.
The breeze freshened again. But
the busting and dishwashing and the
brushing up? Sally Ann did all those
things. Would they have to go I'M
busted and unswept and eat on the
breakfast plates at dinner time? And
Pompey? Why, Pompey chopped the
kindlings and filled the water pals
and weeded the flower beds! How
could mother get along without Pom
pey? You had TO kindle fires in COOK
stoves and drink water II savings
hanks did fail; of course you could get
on without pansies and peoples.
I'VE must get along" mother said.
quietly Just this minute I'm sorrier
about the valentines. dearies. But
you can give them up, don't you
think? never had a valentine in
my life"
Mother Marg'ret!"
Mother Margaret Knappi"
20, my sholel"
A little after the children went to
bed that same night a ghost appeared
i'm Andy's doorway. in the moonlight.
''You awake, Andy?"
Me? What? I'll pinch myself and
see."
well. you found out?" giggled the
little white ghost.
Yes I'm awake. What's up?"
Me. 1 am. I've come to call a |