The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1914-02-14

tousled-and his hands and face uanswer-
able testimony to the fact that the rising genera
ton occasionally gets back to Mother Earth even
in the private city streets pessmists to the con-
trary, notwithstanding, He has been having
great time. St. Valentines night is almost as
much fun as Halloween! Valentines? Sure. he's
been giving vaIentines-but they aren't exactly
the kind Sister Lu or even little Jane received
He's presented the a1mond-eyed Celestial down
at the corner with most touching reminder OF
how teslooks when he irons shirt-and he's had
thrilling. hair-breadth escape from the aforesaid
washeewashee, who couldn't see it joke at
all Pshaw. ChinaInan never could run anyway.
Then there cid Peanut Caruse who kept the
fruit stand the opposite corner. Poor, ex-
ctable old Dago! If there hadn't have been quite
many little American devils in the gang he
might have run one Of them down and gotten his
revenge. But, If he did what would become CT
his peanuts and his smooth, sleekly-polished ap
pies in the meantime, with all those other little
pests swarming around and yelling like Comanche
Indians?
And grandma and grandpa They sit quietly
by in their big armchairs and smile cOmplacently
hearts memories Of other St Valentines
eves-'way back in other days, in the dim and dis
tant past when they both young and the
fever OF love beat strong in their breasts There
are valentines for them now, for they old
and gray and their course of life is almost run,
and somehow, ST Valentines day is day for the
young. But wait What is that grandma's
lap? Can it be? Yes-it is-its valentine!
Grandpa has remembered 1t is not of those
gaudiIy- painted modern ones of elaborate
facture; no, but Old-fashiOned of many
layers of carved and cufiy-cued paper, framing
a tiny picture OF the Madonna and bearing the
simple message: BE my valentine" 1t is the
kind grandma knew and learned to love long
years ago when grandpa, then as line young
dandy to be found in all the country
round, came sparkling her. She smiles happily
and mods across at the old man, who understands
all that she feels-and remembers
In the morning the mail man comes loaded
down with valentines Indeed, it seems just
like another Christmas to little Jane. when she
behol6s his pouch full to over1owng. But he
can't it in that light at ALL or in any other
light except that he has been Juggling that blamed
old pouch for ten squares leaving something at
almost every door, and the daTned old thing IS
heavier than when hezfTst started out with it.
Christmas is bad enough. and the people who
made these fool holiday stunts ought to be salts
fed with plagueing mail men a year; but
instead they don't give him time to recover from
the Christmas avalanche of mail before they jam
3 ALI this crazy Valentine foolisllness down his
throat. After that pouch has gotten to re-
spectacle, convenient siZe-so that it feels more
like a mail pouch. and less like a ton OF coal
mail man may appreciate the sentimental side
OF she day. He may recall the flushed, eager
faces that fairly hurled themselves almost
through the door in their eageTness to snatch the
mysterious letters from his hands. He may
call his own boyhood when he himself both gave
and received valentines with childish glee and
scouidn,t understand why in the world on this OF
all mornings the mail man was so late IL so he
smiles good naturally and remembers that every
task However onerous it may be- has its own re
ward when viewed In the right light =
Watch your newspapers St Valentines day
: for one particular news item-eloping couples
Eho chose the day because il is especially Cupids-
! Some years they many in-number, and some
zsti1Ees E1ut5few and far between But there is al
ways a half-dozen at least Cupid sees to that
hizpseIfsz and to the lovers themselves. It is
ay q al days each gives himself to the other
as really truly valentine for Afeas..
s=sszss ~ -+7sa.'= "a ~