The Raymer enterprise., 1914-02-05

tousled-and his hands and face are uanswer-
able testimony to the fact that the rising genera
tion occasionally gets back to Mother Earth even
In the private city Streets pessimists to the con-
trary. notwithstanding. He has been having q
great time ST. Valentines night Is almost as
much fun as Halloween. Valentines? Sure, he's
been giving valentines-but they aren't exactly
the kind Sister Lu or even little Jane received
He's presented the almond.eyed Celestial down
at the corner with most touching reminder Of
how he looks when he irons shirt-and he's had
thrilling. hairbreadth escape from the aforesaid
washee washee who couldn't see 1t as joke at
all Pshaw. Chinaman never could run anyway
Then there was old Peanut Caruse. who kept the
fruit stand on the opposite corner. Poor. ex-
ctable old Dago. II there hadn't have been quite
so many little American devils In the gang he
might have run one Of them down and gotten his
revenge But II he did what would become Of
his peanuts and his smooth. sIeekly- 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 armchars and smile complacently
at the enthusiasm OF the youngsters. In their
hearts are memories OF other St Valentines q
eves-way back in other days. in the dim and dis.
tant past. when they both we're young and the
fever OF love beat strong In their breasts. There
are valentines for them now. for they are 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 on grandma
lap? Can 1t be? Yes-it is--its a valentine
Grandpa has remembered. 1t is not one Of those
gaudily-painted modern ones OF elaborate manu-
facture, no. but an old-fashloned one Of many
layers Of carved and eurly-cued paper. framing
tiny picture Of the Madonna and bearing the
simple MESSAGE. BE my valentine" II is the
Kind grandma knew and learned to love long
years ago when grandpa. then as fine a young
dandy as was 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 more valentines Indeed, II seems Just
like another Christmas to little Jane when she
beholds his pouch full to overhowing But he
can't see 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 darned old thing is
heavier than when he first started out with it
Christmas is bad enough. and the people who
made these fool holiday stunts ought to be salts.
fled with plagueing mail men once year; but
instead they don't give him time to recover from
all this crazy Valentine foolishness down his
throat After that pouch has gotten to a re-
spectacle convenient size-so that II feels more
like mail pouch and less like q ton OF coal
the mall man may appreciate the sentimental side
OF the day. He may recall the flushed. eager
faces that fairly hurled themselves almost
through the door in their eagerness to snatch the
mysterious letters from his hands. He may re.
call his own boyhood when he himself both gave
and received valentines with childish glee and
couldn't understand why In the world, on this Of
all mornings the mail man was 80 late II SO he
smiles good naturedly and remembers that every
task. however onerous It may be. has Its own ~
ward when viewed in the right light.
Watch your newspapers on St. Valentines day
for one particular news item-elopng couples
who chose the day because 1t is especially Cupid's
Some years they are many In number, and some
times but few and Ear between But there ia al
ways halfdozen at least. Cupid sees to tha.
himself And to the lovers themselves, It Is
day Of all days. for each gives himself to the Other
az really truly valentine for life