Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-02-09
My First
Valentine
Having Treasured 1t, | Came
Upon 1t In Middle Life.
By WILLARD BRAKEMAN


l remember the first valentine l ever
received. l have good cause to re-
member it, for it marked an impor-
tant feature in my life. But this is
not the reason for my remembering 1t.
made upon me at the time, and that
impression has remained with me and
will remain with me so long as l live.
In childhood one feels keenly little
things that would be of trifing impor-
lance in maturity. Child loves are
evanescent, but while they last they
are of paramount Importance. And
disappointmentsl l can remember one
day when l was a boy that l was to
have been taken to a show. 4 was
away from home at the time and de-
layed going back till it was too late.
l locked myself in my room and bawl-
ed so loud that l could be heard all
over the house.
But as to my valentine. / was past
Tie axe Wleu CDllQIcA dle lAlGlCSbCQ
in getting a great number of these
missives, but not old enough to dis
card them. At any rate, | received a
valentine and was very much affected
by it. The filigree work, the bleeding
hearts, the attachment, within which
was a beautiful Cupid with a bow and
a culver full of arrows, all conspired
- kI,s1l 80 rrfAB =. 6a1f1hE fhnE Il hnA
never felt before. And | took 1t for a
certainty hat the little girl who sent
it to me loved me as she said she did
in the printed verses it contained.
And how my Imagination pictured
her in the flesh! She had mild blue
eyes and golden hair that hung In
shining wavelets down her back. 1
likened her to fairies | had seen in
picture books dressed in spangles and
holding a rod with a star on n end.
There was nothing beautiful that |
did not liken her TO. And to think
that this fair being loved me-not only
loved me. but had sent this dainty mis-
sive to tell me so!
There was nothing in the valentine
" luulCulG III SCAt ~ AI0SNA
think if | had known from whom 1t
came it would have destroyed this vi
sion of loneliness l created. Perhaps
I was a boy of more than ordinary
ideality. l needed a subject for my
dreams. Whether it occurred to me
to endeavOr to discover my valentine
l don't now remember. What l do
remember is dwelling upon her III an
imaginary creature.
Time did not cure me of my love. l
grew to manhood, but | treasured my
image, though it gradually faded Into
a fainter form, the whole leaving a
delightful memory.
When | became a man l met a girl
TO whom | was drawn, not only on
account of her physical attractions,
but because she was one of those Wom-
en- possessing that which we a char
acter. There is no other word that
expresses what l mean, but what 1t
stands for is a great deal.
Margaret Stanford and became fast
friends. Friendship-platonic friend
ship-is what l felt for her. There
was another girl of my acquaintance
who affected me very differently. In
deed, she was a very different girl.
She was piquant, being also a bit OF a
firt, and had brought her destinations
to zeal upon me. | do not mean that
she was to be blamed for that. 1t is
a woman's province to fatter men,
and there are times with every man,
no matter how strong. when he needs
to be fiattered.
Lucy Tisdale's methods were very
innocent. She was loyable, not only
from a certain native feminine deli
cacy there was about her, but she had
in her a certain She loved
poetry and pictures. The voice in a
is an important factor, and
Lucy Tisdale had a very feminine
voice. My friend M~argaret's voice
was rich; Lucy's was like a child's.
Another difference between the two
girls was that when Margaret was dis
pleased she showed her displeasure
with a quiet dignity. Lucy, on the
contrary, would cast down her eyes
and seem rather hurt than offended.
Why | know not, but | sometimes
associated Lucy with my imaginary
valentine. l suppose it was that she
was childlike. My valentine, being a
creature of the imagination and per
feet. had a great advantage ove Lucy,
who was a real being in the flesh.
But. being now a man, a great deal of
the reverence for the opposite sex that
l had when a boy had dwindled. Alas,
now that l am an old man, though it
has not died out, it has greatly chang
ed. A woman is not a creature to be
placed under glass and w%orshiped.
She is to be valued in proportion as
she fills the position in which Provi-
dence has placed her.
Margaret I'M Lucy did not belong
to the same social set and did not
know each other. This enabled me to
keep them apart and enjoy the COM