“I want to send it awful bad
      To Nelly May, for she
    Will likely send her loveliest one
      To her dear friend—­that’s me.

    “But there is little Molly Jones—­
      She said, the other day. 
    She’d never had a valentine
      In all her life; now say,

    “I’ve half a mind to send her this;
      ’Twill s’prise her so, you see. 
    That won’t be selfish, for I know
      She’ll not send one to me.

    “And Nelly May won’t miss it, for
      She’ll have so many; so
    I’ll start right off and mail it now
      As quick as I can go.”
    —­Written for Dew Drops by Helen M. Richardson.

* * * * *

HOW BLANCA SAVED THE KITTENS.

Blanca was a pretty fox terrier who lived on the fourth floor of a big apartment house, and the four kittens were her adopted family.  For when the kittens’ mother died and left them wee, helpless babies, Blanca at once proved the kindness of her heart by taking and caring for them as if they had been her very own.

One day a great danger came to Blanca and her family, as well as to everyone else in the building.  A blue mist began to drift through the halls, there was the smell of smoke, then someone cried “Fire!” and the people in the different flats rushed out of their rooms in a panic.

Quickly a big, shiny, brass fire engine rattled up, followed by the hose cart, and the wagon loaded with long ladders if they should be needed.  The firemen rushed in, dragging lengths of hose, the smoke grew thicker and the confusion worse.

Some of the people were so frightened that they did not know what they were doing.  But there was one who did not lose her presence of mind, and that was the little dog.  When the first alarm was given, Blanca ran down to see what it all meant.  But she was not satisfied to be safe herself, and leave her foster babies in danger.  Up she went again, up the stairways filled with firemen and excited tenants to the top floor, and down she came jumping over hose pipe, dodging between firemen’s legs, with a kitten in her mouth.

This she carried out and laid down where it would be safe, then started back again through smoke and flame and heat.  Four times she made the trip to the top floor, and each time she came back with a kitten in her mouth.  Nor did she rest till they were all out of danger.

All the people who had watched the little dog said how brave she was.  And so we all say.  But what made Blanca brave was because she thought of the kittens instead of herself.—­Written for Dew Drops by Adele E. Thompson.

* * * * *

Learn to treat everybody with respect and consideration.

* * * * *

A good friend is worth trying to keep.

* * * * *