The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-02-17
FOR VERYLITTLEFOLK
The Story Of Little Jamie's
Way of Sending a Val
entine
(Corinne Rockwell Swain in March
ST. Nicholas.)

| (Corinne Rockwell Swain in March
st. Nicholas.)
Jamie was four years old, and little
| Mary who lived next door, was four,
too She was a dear little girl, with
| such a happy face, and she always
wore such pretty, bright butterfly
bows on her dancing brown curls.
Jamie was very fond of her, and they
had many good times playing togeth-
er.
When February came, JAMES
schoolgirl sister began to talk about
valentines, and he was very much
interested, for he had been too little
before to remember about them. One
day sister brought home a lot of
beautiful valentines from the store,
and a big pile of envelopes, and the
dearest little box of heart-shaped
seals, to make favorS for her valen-
tine party. Jamie was careful little
boy, and sister let him lay the pretty
thing all in row on the table and
look at them as long as he pleased.
"Play they are all mine, and I'm
going to send themv' he said, clap
ping his hands. "Play this one with
the brides is for you, and the white
rose one for mother, and that pinky
one is for Mary, cause she likes pink.
Oh, couldn't I send Mary valentine
"a really one?" he asked.
He had not thought Of that before.
Sister laughed and Rugged him
again and again. ''Of course you
may, you surely may, deary," said
she. And she really gave him the
own.
May 1 go right over and give it to
Mary now?" asked Jamie dancing up
and down and showing all his dimples.
s'Why, no. said Sister; .'that isn't
the way! I'll put it in an envelop,
1911 ~ nd "a
Mary's name on 1t, and We'll put it
in the mail box tonight. Then when
the pOStman gives it to her in the
morning, she won't know who sent it,
"Ohv' said Jamie, surprised. He
would have like to ask, What for?"
but people always laughed when he
said that, which was pretty often. So
he just thought; and the longer he
thought, the more he wondered. Why,
half the fun Of giving presents was to
watch and see how pleased people
looked when they opened the bundles.
1t did seem silly to send that beauti-
full valentine to Mary, and not have
her know it was from him; silly, and
rather sad, too. Big people had some
very queer ideas. jamie did not like
it. He really felt very much tempted
to send his own valentine in his own
way. 1t wouldn't be exactly like
mot minding," because it didn't mat
ter to any one but Mary and himself,
and he was sure she would feel just
as he did about it.
He was sitting very still, holding
the valentine and thinking hard,
when through the window he saw lit
tie Mary run out on the porch next
door, to call her kitten He looked at
Sister; she was busy putting seals on
her envelopes. He looked at Mary;
she didn't have her outdoor things on,
so she would stay on the porch only
a moment. Jamie drew a long breath,
slipped quietly out of the room, catch
ing up his cap as he went through
the hall, and managed to turn the
knob of the big front door and open
it. Mary was just about to go in at
her front door, but at his call she
waited, and then started down the
steps to meet him.
He handed her the big envelop that
held the valentine. Here's a pretty
valentine he said. "And it's from
mer' he cried, all rosy and smiling,
Flank you said little Mary, smil-
ing back at him. She peeped, and
gave a pleased little "O-o-oh, Jamier'
as she saw the pink and gold glory
within, and Jamie felt very happy as
he ran home again. He thought about
Sisters plan and wondered again what
fun there could be in all that! He
must hurry back and tell her that his
way to give valentines had been the
right one, after all.