Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 February 1902 — Rastus Johnson’s Valentina [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Rastus Johnson’s Valentina

ST LENA ELINN LEWIS

oeSLLENTINE’B DAY came on Frilay, and Miss Gray, the teacher of *-» room No. 3, had consented to allow the scholars to celebrate. For a week there had been much suppressed excitement, and the improvised pcstoffice in the room was fast filling with envelopes. A nice program had bees and the mothers of the girls *nd hoy* were Invited to attend. llomer wag not a very large village, and so the Interest In the school entertainment was widespread, and quite a number of guests were present Rastus Brown was the only colored boy tn Homer, and everyone liked him because of his cheery face and his willingness to help anyone at any time. He Mved with his grandmother, and she did the most she could for him and managed to keep him in school. He was greatly Interested in the coming entertainment and had committed a poem to memory, hoping he would be asked to take part. Mammy had promised to go to the school that afternoon, and she, too, wished her little grandson would be invited to speak, but nothing waa said about it Rastus suggested that perhaps someone might forget his piece, and then he would be ready to fill in the empty place, so Mammy put on her black merino dress and her old straw bonnet and went along. Rastus was very proud of his grandmother, and his little black face was full of i«y when he led her to Miss Gray and said earnestly: “Mammy’s come, too.” Miss Gray welcomed the old lady warmly, but ahe felt sorry she had come, as she remembered that Rastus had not been invited to take part in the entertainment; she had entirely forgotten him, and she knew how sensitive he was, beta* the only colored boy in the school, but ahe thought of the valentines and that Rastus would be happy when his name was called to receive one, and she dismissed it from her mind. / The program went off nicely and no eno ■ forgot his part, as Rastus had thought possible; but as the largo box

of valentines was placed on Miss Gray's desk and she began to read off the names, ho forgot his disappointmen and watched each valentine eagerly, thinking the next one would be for him. He had spent the dime that Mammy gave him Christmas lor a valentine for Miss Gray, and ho saw her look at It earnestly and then look his way and amlle, and he knew that she was pleased. too, was watching and listening for llsstus’ name, and twice she whispered. “Your name will come next, honey;*' but it never earns, and before they were missed, Mammy and Rastus slipped quietly away and •nt Into the storm, where Caesar, the faithful old donkey, was waiting to carry them home. The snow waa coming down very rapidly, but Caesar trotted along at hia beat pace, wondering what had happened to make his master so quiet. Mummy sighed once or twice and Rastue blinked real hard, but neither aald a word until they reached the little house on the hill. Rastue opened the door for her to go in and then led Caesar to tho shed, which served as a barn; the cracks were stuffed with straw and the roof was covered with branches from the trees, and the donkey found it a comfortable home. Slowly Rastus took the harness off, and then he looked the old donkey in the face and put his arms around its neck and his head close to its ear and burst into tears. "Oh! Caesar, I feels awful bad; 1 wisht I hadn't gone to school; you know, Oaesar, this Is Valentine's day, and moo’ everybody got a valentine but me, I gusts" Oaesar looked very solemn In sympathy an he pricked up his long ears and rubbed his nose against tho dusky cheek. “Rastas! R-a-s-t-u-s!" called hfal grandmother. “Yes, I’se cornin’, mammy," and wiping the shining drops from bls sorrowful face he tried to look cheerful and .went

to the woodpile for an armful of sticks, making a poor attempt at whistling. • e e e e • Miss Gray had noticed that Rastus had received no valentine, and she blamed herself greatly, although she had left that part of the program entirely to the pupils; but she felt amends must be made in some way, so she gathered together as many of the boys and girls as she could to talk the matter over. She reminded them that In olden times a valentine was a gift of love, not only a pretty or a funny picture, and she suggested that they all together give Rastus an old-fashion-ed valentine. “Hie face is black, but bis heart la just as tender and sensitive as our own; wo were all very thoughtless and I am sure will not feed happy until we do our best to make Rastus forget our slight." “He Is always ready to do for others," said Mildred Hale; “he often sharpens my pencils for me." “And mine, too,” added Nellie Smith, and all tho rest agreed that Rastus was the nlceot kind ot * boy, and they felt very sorry that they had neglected him. Miss Gray had a plan to propose. “I think it would bo nice to surprise him to-morrow evening and take him a new set of books. I know his slate is cracked and hia geography is all to pieces; It is one I found in tho cupboard and gave to him. Hie reader has no cover at all, and ho has no spelling book." The next evening they were all gathered at Miss Gray's, ready to start for tho little house on the hill. The show had piled high in drifts and everything seemed fairly buried from sight. Rastus had worked hard to shovel a path from the house to the road, saying: “It don’ seem so lonesomellke when der’s a path out to de road." Ho sat by tho Are that evening reciting his geography reason to Mammy, as she darned his mittens. There was a loud rap on the door and they were startled, for it was seldom anyone came to see them at night. When the boy cautiously opened tho door ho was met with a loud “Hurrah for Rastas Johnson!" and the boys and girls poared into the little kitchen and deposited their bags of nats, candy and popcorn on tho table, and the box containing tho valentln* was left in tho shadow behind tho door. Rastus hurriedly built a firs In the front room and they were soon» all having a merry time, while Mies Gray

helped Mammy prepare some nice hot coffee to servo with the rolls she had brought. At 11 o’clock the young folks all went home, leaving a very happy hoy and a mysterious box behind them. When Bantus opened it he saw written on a beautiful new slate, "A. Valentine,” and as he unpacked the books and everything a boy could use in school, he said softly to Mammy: “I guess Saint Valentine touched der hearts, and dey hab touched mine.”

"OH, CAESAR, I FEELS BAD.’’