The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-27
The Girl Who Drove
the Cows to
Pasture
A Stery Fer St. Valentines
Day
BY SARAH BAXTER

and think you might do the same
now that St Valentines day has come
around"
The old gentleman cleared his throat,
the. childrea gathered about him, and
he acceded to their request.
est. Valentines day has changed
from what 1t was when / was q young
ster. 1t is now day for little chill
dren to send and receive valentines.
81 see NO reason why the sending of
valentines when they are in good taste
should not be observed today among
those Of the mating age. The only
objection Is the abuse of the custom.
but 1 admit that 1t is a serious objec-
ton. There are special cases where
q valentine may bring two persons
together in happy marriage. For In
stance, suppose young man admires
a girl he does not know and has no
means of knowing"
Never mind all that, grandpa. We
want the story"
81 would not consider all that es-
sential had It not been for the change
that has come over the custom OF
sending valentines, warping 1t from its
original purity. However, l have no
more to say by way Of preface and
win begin;
There was once upon a time a
young fellow--we'il call him Jim
who lived In the country. He haf
never had anything to do with girls
and knew nothing about them. BE
was red headed and freckled, and
when he looked in the glass 1t seemed
to him he was so homely that he
would have to live all his life without
q wife or children to love him. for no
girl would have him. So he said to
himself, IN always keep away from
girls, because / might fall in love with
one OF them. and In that case I might
die of a broken heart 1t seemed
hardly necessary to make such reso-
luton, for Jim was never thrown In
with girls, and IL he had been he was
too bashful to become at all compan'
ionable with any Of them.
What was Jim's surprise one day
to receive a valentine. 1t came In an
envelope--the same an you children
use now--covered with Cupids and ar
rows piercing hearts and was address.
, ed to him In a girls handwriting. He
stared at the outside, for a time not
/ realizing that 1t was for him and won
| dering IL there was not some mista Ike
| about IL. Since he did not know a
| girl how could a girl send him a val
/ entine2 But there was his name writ
| ten out in full, with his usual address
| at the village. a mile away from the
farm. Still doubling, he opened the
/ envelope and took out the prettiest
valentine you ever saw. In its center
was a coiored picture OF yousg man
| and a girl sitting In bower, and the
/ very sight Of 1t made Jim's finger tips
| tingle. In each of the four corners
! was a Cupid with bow and arrow,
| and every arrow was aimed at the
couple In the bower. Jim has seen
many q valentine since, but they have
no such effect as this first and only
valentine he ever received when he
was young and was conscious that
with all his red hair and freckles and
ungainiy farm walk there was a girl
In the world who thought enough Of
him to send him q valentine. Today
valentines are to him nothing more
than cheap stamped pisces OF paper
with .colored pictures"
How do you know how he feels
abeut The Valentines, grandpa" asked
q iittle giri.
How Do I know III Because If
you care to hear the end Of the story
you mustn't interrupt me-"
The old gentleman chuckled and pro-
ceeded with his narrative:
Jim. who had made q resolution that
he would have nothing to do with any
girl for fear he might fall In love and
die Of broken heart. found himself
all Of sudden dwelling continually
on a girl he had never seen. He form
ed great many mental pictures Of
her. which gradually settled down to
one that remained always the same
q girl with golden hair, blue eyes. rosy
cheeks. dimple In each. and a sweet
smile II he was following the plow
this girl walked beside him. II he was
milking she was milking another cow
near him. When he ate his meals she
sat opposite him at table. Indeed.
wherever he was. whatever he was
| doing, she was with him.
"One thing Jim couldn't understand.
II there was a girl In the world who
fancied him, with all his red hair and
freckles. why didn't she put something
on the valentine to give him clew to
whom she was? Not knowing anything
about girls, he was ignorant OF the
fact that a girls great delight II to
bother any young fellow she happens
to fancy, and the more she fancies him
the more she likes to tease him.
"Of course there were girls In that
part Of the country. though Jim didn't
know any Of them, else how could he
have received q valentine? After its
receipt every girl he met he looked at
to see II she showed any preference
for him. He was too unused to them
to understand their tricks and their
manners and did not know that the
girl who fancisd him would be sure to
try 10 make him think she didn't or II
she showed . preference one day