Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1878 — MANTY’S VALENTINES. [ARTICLE]

MANTY’S VALENTINES.

“ Did I have any valentines? Why, of course. I always do. I had one beauty, from, I guess, Ned Rogers. I don’t know for certain. But, oh! Auntie, I never told you about the splendid time wo had last year, did I? Well, you shall hear all about it; forl-don’t believe 1 ever did have such a nice time in mv life. _ “ Let me see. What brought it about was, we were going home from school one day, a lot of us girls. It was three of four days before valentine’s, and the windows were full of just beautiful ones. We were looking at them and picking out those that we’d like to have, when Belle Howard (she’s dreadfully proud and stuck up, I never did like her), she spied one of these horrid coiflie valentines, with a picture of a little hunchback on it and some funny versos, and said she was going to get it to send to Manty Wheaton. “ He’s Tuimpbaclced, you know; but he’s just as nice as lie can be, and so smart! Mr. Raymond says he’s the best scholar he has in his school. And we think lots of Manty, and never notice that he’s lame, or anything. And we begged of Belle not to do it; for we knew it would make him feel dreadfully to get any sneh t hing. He’s awfully sensitive. I knew he is, for his mother says so. She lias a school for little bits of children, you know; so Manty didn’t have to go away to school till lie got to be big. And then he zli’eaded it so at first. But Mr. Raymond was so good to him. He’s just splendid, I think. And we didn’t think anything about his being lame. So his mother said he didn’t mind it a bit, after awhile. “ Well, you see how it was. We thought it would lie dreadful for Bello to send that to him. -But all we said didn’t make one bit of difference. She said there wouldn’t anybody else send him a valentine, and she was going to, and it would be such fun to ask him the next day if he had any, and see what he’d say. She was going in then to get "it, only she hadn't the money. “ I was real glad, for I thought I’d ask Burt to go down and buy it before she had a chance. He always does

everything i want him to. And, do you think, he did go. And they lmd half a dozen or so of the same kind: and he bought them all, and said if he saw any more down town he’d get them. But he didn’t see any, I believe. “Belle was awful mad because it was gono; for, after all we’d said, she was bound she’d have it. 1 more’n half believe she said it, at first, for fun; and then, when we teased her not to, she was determined to do it, I told the rest of the girls what Burt did, aq# they were real glad. But somehow—l don’t know how—Belle found it out, and what do you think she did? The very next day she sent Burt one of those comic things, just the hatefulest one she could find. Of course, he didn’t care a bit. Ho knew she sent it, for she told Annie Allen she was going to, and Annie told me. “ Well, about the valentines. Somebody suggested—l believe it was Hattie Foster— that we should each of us girls send Manty a valentine. That would make just eleven, leaving out Belle; for we knew she wouldn't send anything pretty, so we didn't say a word to her about it. But all the girls fell in with it, and they came down to my house the next afternoon and brought all sorts of papers and everytiring to make them with. I think it’s a great deal nicer to make them; don’t you? “ I can’t think what they all were. But some were beautiful. Marie Stanton bought a lovely ono in a box; and her sister made an acrostic on Manty’s name and wrote it inside. Wasn’t that niceP Little Mabel Montague got one of those raised pictures—l don’t know what you cqll ’em—of the cunningcst little kitten you ever saw; and her mother pasted it on some lovely giltedged paper, and wrote underneath: ‘ With Midget’s compliments.’ You see Midget is the name of his kitty, that he thinks everything of. Ain’t it a funny name. - ——*-————— “Then Bertha Ryder brought lots of this beautiful lace paper, and we past ed lovely pictures on it—doves and dowers, cupids and everything you can imagine. “1 wishl could remember what Evelyn Barnard wrote on hers. There was a picture of two little-doves—on it, and: undedit she wrote—why can’t I think? I believe this was it: “ * Thf"* i ittle df > ve "- ’ti* plain to gee, ■■' ~ They love eaoh other well; And, if you 11 slop awhile to read, My love for yon rll tell.' ‘ * I love you as I love the roae, The Violet, pink and lily • My love for yon—ah! well I know It never will grow chilly.' “ Wasn’t that a funny w&y to end it? But Evelyn said she couldn't think of anything to rhyme with** cold,’ and so, as ’* chilly’ went so good with * lily,’ she thought it would do just its well.

Of course, it wasn t very good. But then Evelyn ain't but eight years old, and she made it all up heraelL ••Oracle Blanchard wrote some real rretty poetry, but 1 can’t remember it. wish I could. “And what do you suppose Julie Granger put inside of hers P A lovely blue silk necktie. Wasn’t that queer? But it was nice; wasn’t itP She cuCjMit a round piece of paper, and then cut it all around in slits—you know how they're done; and she pasted it on a sheet of lace-edged paper, and fastened a cunning blue tassel Sn the middle, to pull it up by; and she pul the necktie under that. Wasn’t it cute? “ Burt came in and saw her making it, and, after she'd finished it, he askea her if -he could take it a little while; and wo couldn’t imagine what he wanted it for. But pretty soon he came down-stairs and gave it back to her. He wouldn’t tell us anything about it, only said he wanted to see how it was made. We found out finally; but I shan’t tell you now. You must wait, as we did. “What was mineP Why, I put two decalcomanio pictures on some white cards. They were just lovely! One was a bunch of violets and the other a cluster of autumn leaves. They came off splendid and looked for all the world as if they’d been painted right on. You sec, there were going to be so many of the real valentines that I thought those would be better. “And what do you think Edith Chandler brought? You know her father makes confectionery. Well, she went down to the store and picked out just the loveliest box of French candies you ever saw. Wasn’t.it good of her to think of it?

“ Well, we all met at Marie Stanton’s, right after tea, because that was nearest Manty’s. And we took our sleds, for we thought it would be such fun to tic them together and have some of the boys draw us. So Burt, and Evelyn’s brother, and Mabel’s, and—l don’t know, there were five or six of them —all went up to Marie’s with us. And oh! we did have such a jolly time! “ Well, we all got there, and waited and waited for Ethel, Raymond. She didn’t come, and it was after seven o’clock. Will Montague was just starting to go ofter her, when the door-bell rang, and in walked—who do you think? Mr. Raymond and Ethel and Belle Howard! Weren't we astonished? I guess you’d have thought so, if you’d been there; for we didn’t suppose Belle knew a thing about it. But it seems she had found it out some way and hinted something about it to Ethel; and, when she told her father, he said he thought the kindest thing would be for them to invite her to go with us. So he went over there, with Ethel, after tea, and suggested to Belle that she should buy a valentine for Manty. And they went with her to get one; ana that’s why they were so late. “I was real glad, on the whole; for, to tell the truth, I’d felt rather uncomfortable every time I’d seen Belle. And she was just as pretty as a pink all the evening and seemed to enjoy it as much as anybody. So I suppose she wasn’t as bad as we’d thought slie was. And the valentine she bought was just lovely. Of course, she’d get a good one, if she got ifhj. ;- — “But what kind of a valentine do you suppose Mr. Raymond brought? He’s so funny! He said he wanted 4o give Manty something, if he wasn’t a a girl. So he’d got a beautiful volume of Longfellow’s ‘Hanging of the Crane,’ all done up in pink tissue paper and marked ‘A Gift from St. Valentine.’ You know Manty is crazy about poetry. And I think it was just splendid of Mr. Raymond; wasn’t it? “ Well, at last we got started. The boys tied the sleds together, and there we were, twelve of us in a long row, and the boys to draw, with Mr. Raymond ahead. Wasn’t that a jolly party ? Oh! didn’t we have fun! “It's quite a way. to.Mainly’s house. Don’t you know where he lives? Way down in Chapel street, in a little brown cottage. It’s a real cunning little place. And they aren’t so dreadful poor, tor Mrs. Wheaton owns the house; but I guess she hasn’t much besides, and she has hard work to get along, mamma says. Well, the windows in the sittingrOOtrr It 1 c l ultl cvtitfr rfitJj cM WHj N keep the curtains up; though we were awfully afraid they wouldn’t be that night. But they were.

“We were just as still as mice when we got to the house. I didn’t hardly dare step, for the snow creaked so. It was real cold. But Mr. Raymond faxed the sleds for us under the window, and by standing up on them we could just see in; and he held Mabel in his arms, so she could sec splendidly. “ Mrs. Wheaton was •sewing and Manty wasreadingaloud to her. Wasn’t it fun to be there looking in, and they sitting there as unconscious as could be? “Well, the arrangement was for the boys to take turns, and to leave only one valentine at a time, so that the rest of us could have the fun of seeing him open them. Burt left the tirst one, and gave the bell an awful pull. That was Marie Stanton’s. . , “Manty laid down his book and went to the door: and pretty quick came back with the valentine in his hand. He seemed surprised. We couldn’t hear a word they said. I wished we could; but we couldn’t get near enough to the window for that. Well, when he opened it he looked so pleased. And he read the acrostic to his mother, and then they both laughed. Just, thou the bell rang again; and wheu he came back that time he looked so funny and acted as if he didn’t know what to make of it. He sat down and they both laughed when they saw the cat" “Mabel was so pleased that she gigfled right out; and Mr, Raymond put is hands over her mouth, for fear they’d hear her. And the boys came around to the window, to look in, too: for they said we were having all the fun. Then Will went back to leave another; and do you think—he’s so full of fun—he rang the bell, and before Manty got back into the sitting-room he rang It again. And he rung it like that four or five times. He’d just get into the room when he’d have to go back to the door. Finally, Will came racing around the corner ot the house, just as Manty sat down, with his hands full of things. . my Edith's box of candies. You 'dbn’t know how funny he looked. He acted as if he couldn’t understand it. They’d take up one nnd look at it, and then lay it down, and take up another; and they talked as fast! 1 did wish we could hear what they said. But Mr. Raymond said it was better that we couldn’t. I don’tseo why, though. “Before they’d looked those all over Burt ran around to leave the rest. He said he was going to leave Mr. Raymond’s book tho last thing. Well, be rung the! bell two or three times, end

then came back to the window. He told Julie that he'd left her necktie. Mrs. Wheaton went to the door that time, for Manty acted so excited when the bell rung again. Ho got up, and then sat down again; ana finally his mother went. “ Well, they opened one. That was Belle’s. Then the next one had the little round slitted paper, and Burt said: “ ‘Now for your necktie, Julie!” “Manty read what it. said on the outside and then took hold of the tassel; but, as he raised it up, I saw something shine and I heard Burt say, under his breath: “ ‘ Oh! I made a mistake.’ “ And then ho ran off just as fast as he could. “You see that was Burt’s. He made one just like Jalie’s and fastened a tendollar gold piece under there; and he meant to leave it till the rest had all gone, so we shouldn't know anything about it. But he make a mistake and took the wrong one out of his pocket. “ And what do you suppose Manty did? He aetually cried! He did. The tears just rolled down his face. And then I looked at his mother and she was crying, too. ' “‘Well,’ Mr. Raymond said, ‘we mustn’t have this.’ “ So he sent Joe round to tell Burt to hurry up and leave the rest. Just then we heard the bell ring, and Manty started up as if he was shot. I guess he thought he’d find out who it was. And Burt didn’t think as he’d be there so sobh, and he had to scamper like fun to get out of sight. “ Well, he left the rest of the valentines and Mr. Raymond’s book, and the boys went to fix the sleds. But two or three of us girls stood up on tip-toe and peeped in, and Mantv’d got the book undone and sat there holding it in one hand and his handkerchief in the other. “ But Mr. Raymond said we hadn’t better stay any longer. So we got on our sleds and we had a splendid ride home. We separated when we got to Hyde Square, and nobody went our way but Mr. Raymond and Ethel, Belle went home with Julie Granger and Joe. “When we*left Ethel and her father, at their corner, Mr. Raymond put his hand on Burt’s shoulder, and said—these were just his words: “ * Burton, you did a noble deed tonight, and it was none the worse because you meant to keep it secret. Goodnight, my boy.’ “I know it made Burt glad to have Mr. Raymond say that, for he thinks lie’s just about perfect; but he only said it wasn’t much. But wasn’t it nice of him? I do think he’s just the best brother in the world. “ Well, we got home at last, and it was after 10 o’clock and I was tired enough to go to bed. But I never did have such a nice time in my life.”— Mrs. M. C. Dowd, in N. Y. Independent.