Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1914-02-06

paraded all over country churchyards, by the light
OF the moon, and held serious converse with owls
and hobgobllns, In spirit at least If not in letter.
In fact, it was quite the proper thing in England
for a lovelorn lass to HE herself into the church
yard at midnight and as the clock struck u run
around the church and play tag with herself
among the tombstones, repeating anon the en-
Tightening and touching little doggerel: Il SOW
hemp seed, hemp seed 1 SOW; he that loves me
best come after me now"
Imagine-just imagine if you cana certain
type Of twentieth century maid conducting herself
In a fashion SO violently at variance with the in
structions of the Ladies' Hum Journal and other
Anthony Comstocks of feminine propriety! 1t
cannot be imagined-not even in ones widest
dreams!
1t might have been all right for her ancestors
simple folk at best-but not for her! Nothing Of
that sort in her family! Instead, it's flowers and
bonbons and real grown-up' presents for hers
the aforesaid flowers at one dollar per, the bon
bons done up in a fancy, silklined box and the
presents anything that poor William can be per-
suaded into coming across with, from a jabot 80 an
aeroplane.
1t would be pleasant, indeed, to picture a GER
tain Miss st. Valentine of the present all In a
futter over what the patron saint OF the day Will
bring her. 1t appeals to the mental appetite to
picture all the fair sex as the same gentle, shy, re-
firing creatures Of former days. AS a matter OF
fact, however, such Is by no means the case.
Of course, the average wholesome, mentally
healthy girl is interested in st. Valentines day.
OF course, she believes in it. But there are, 1t
must be confessed, many who find but little mys-
terry about it for them. If Alfred sends a girl OF
this sort a fve-pound box of bonbons, you can bet
your last dollar he is going to let her know in
some way that it came from his, not from Tom or
from Will. And If she, in turn, sends him a tie or
a package of shaving papers inclosed in a valen-
tine cover you may be equally sure she will mad
vertently see to it that the young man is aware Of
the proper person to thank.
But not all our girls are like that-not by a
great deal. There are some still who enthuse
over tinsel and gauze bearing dancing cupids and
bleeding hearts. Tender verses still appeal to
them, and old favorites are still popular. The
rose is red, the violet blue; sugar is sweet and so
are you" still causes a futtering of the heart and
a t~elltale blush. II had a heart and it was true;
it few from me and went to you. Treat 1t as well
as l have done, for you have two, and l have
none," is still certain of eliciting an ecstatic sigh
from it's fair recipient. But the lad who will car
ry off the candy this St. Valentines day and put
one over on the other chap is the broth of a
boy who manages to secure a dainty befowered
missive bearing the words oh, you kid" Maybe
they have been manufactured and may be they
have not. They ought to be, at all events.
And don't forget little Jane, the dear ten-year-
old mite, who won't trust her valentine even to
the postman, but insists on delivering them her
self In person. She is in somewhat of a quandary
as to whether she had better remain in her own
home for the exquisite joy Of flying to the door
at the first ring of the bell on st. Valentines eve,