A REAL VALENTINE
By NORMA MORSE
thought about the party and how much fun she and Linda woqld have. It was too bad that Janet couldn’t come. What was it Mother had said? “ Maybe some one will give her a dress to wear.” Well, 8 he could give her the blue dress, or even the pink velvet. That was her very best one except for the new yellow one Mother had made today. It was so pretty, though . . . perhaps the blue one would do. Of course, it wouldn’t be a new one for she had worn it a lot. Everyone would know that it was her dress and not Janet’s. No, that would not do. If she could only give Janet a new dress! Just then a little voice way down inside Susie seemed to say: “ You.could give her your new dress.” “ Oh, but I’ve not even worn it my self,” cried Susie. “ And what would / wear to the party?” “You could wear the pink velvet dress. Didn’t you pray that you might learn to love your neighbor as you love yourself?” Susie tried not to listen to the voice, but she could not rest. She kept thinking about Janet and the new yellow dress. Most of all, she thought about loving her neighbor. She was sending Janet a frilly paper heart, but that wasn’t enough. A real valentine had to have love in it—not paper frills. Finally she fell asleep whispering: “ Lord Jesus, help me to be strong and to love Janet as you want me to.” Susie was awake early the next morn ing, and as she opened her eyes upon a beautiful new day, she realized that God had answered the prayer she had prayed for herself. She was now willing to give a real valentine to Janet — even the pretty new dress. Quickly she jumped out of bed and ran to Mother’s room, her face all aglow with a new happiness. “ Oh, Mother, may I—would you care very much if I gave my new yellow dress to Janet?” For answer, Susie’s mother gathered her up in her arms and gave her a big hug. “Why of course you may give Janet your dress, my dear Susie, and I’m so glad you’ve learned ‘to love your neigh bor as yourself,’ ” answered Mother. Needless to say, the Valentine party was a very happy occasion, especially for two little girls. Janet was thrilled to wear her very own yellow dress—the prettiest dress at the party and the nicest one she had ever owned. And Susie was so happy because she had given her first real valentine that she didn’t mind a bit wearing the old pink velvet that everyone had seen again and again. Page Thirteen
4 4 '■ "TO L D still, Susie!” exclaimed I—I Mrs. Bates. “How can I pin J . a hem in your new dress while you wiggle so?” “I’m sorry, Mother,” said Susie, “ but I’m so excited about our school Valen tine party that I can hardly wait until Thursday.” “ It won’t be long now, dear; you’ll have to be patient. There! I think that will be fine. My, you look pretty!” “ May I go next door and show it to Linda? Please, Mother, may I?” “ I suppose so, if you hurry. I do want to finish it today.” Susie, looking very much like a yellow butterfly in the organdy ruffles, hurried to her friend’s house. She knocked at the door which was quickly opened by Linda. “ Oh, Susie, it’s just beautiful!” Linda exclaimed. “ Come right in and see my new dress.” She led the way to the closet. “ Close your eyes,” she commanded as she held out a lovely blue dress. “ Oh,” squealed Susie, “ it is so pretty! We’ll have the prettiest dresses at the party! I must go right home though, because Mother wants to finish my dress. Good-bye, Linda.” “ Good-bye, Susie, see you tomorrow!” Susie watched her mother’s fingers as they swiftly guided the needle through the fragile material. “ Is Janet Brown going to be at the party?” Mother asked. “ No, I do not think so. I was talking to her yesterday and she said that be cause she did not have a new dress, she would not come. They are so poor, and Jean and Ralph, her sister and brother, both need new shoes. I feel very sorry for her. I do wish that she could come to the party. She is so kind to everyone.” “ Perhaps someone will give her a dress to wear,” Mrs. Bates said. “Well, Susie, your dress is finished and it’s time to get supper.” Susie hung the dress up and then she helped her mother prepare the evening meal. Mr. Bates took the big Bible down from the shelf while Susie, brother Jim, and Mother sat down around him. “ Since it is near Valentine’s Day,” said Daddy, “ I believe a few verses about love would be in order. God’s greatest love verse to us is found in John 3:16. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoso ever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ ” Susie sat very still and listened. She was a Christian and loved the Lord Jesus. “ We give our friends paper hearts to show them that we love them,” said Mr. F E B R U A R Y , 1 9 5 2
Bates, “but God gave us His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus loved us so much that He was willing to die for us, and He has taught us to love our friends. He said: ‘Love one another,’ and ‘Love your enemies.’ Jesus also said that the greatest commandment of all was this: ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind . . . and the second is like unto it, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself’ (Matt. 22: 37-39). “ It costs little to send our neighbor a paper heart, but it costs much to really love that one as we love ourselves,” commented Daddy as he closed God’s Book. As they bowed their heads in prayer, Susie prayed that she might learn to .love her neighbor as much as she loved herself. Later in the evening Susie addressed her valentines. She sent a very pretty one to Janet because she would not be able to come to the party. As Susie dressed for bed that night, she looked at the pretty dress her mother had so carefully made for her. Then she
By Martha S. Hooker
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