Title: The Saint Valentine's Day Party Author: Alyssa Summary: The school children have a Valentine's Day Party. Disclaimer: These characters are not my own. I am receiving no profit from my story. I am writing this for my own amusement only. "Settle down, children!" Christy said as the children came in to the classroom. She had just rung the bell. "Now, you all know that next week is Saint Valentine's Day, and . . ." "Teacher," Little Burl interrupted. "If Christmas be the Lord's birthday and Easter Sunday be the day He 'rose from the dead, what'd He do on Saint Valentine's Day?" "That is a very good question, Little Burl. A very long time ago, there lived an emperor who didn't want men to get married, because if they did, they wouldn't want to join his army. One priest, named Valentine, knew this wasn't right. So, at night, he secretly married couples, anyway. Eventually, the emperor found out. He threw Valentine in prison and sentenced him to death." As she said this, Christy heard gasps from all over the room. She knew that the children would not like the end of this story. "The jailer's daughter felt sorry for Valentine, so with permission from her father, she started to visit Valentine every day. They very quickly became close friends. On the day that he was to die, February fourteenth, Valentine wrote a note for the girl and left it where she could find it." "Oh, he didn't die, did he, Miz Christy?" Bessie Coburn cried. " 'Course not, Bessie! The hero never dies in these stories; 'ceptin 'Romeo and Juliet.' I think that be the saddest story I ever did hear," said Ruby Mae. "But he did die, Ruby Mae. And we honor him on Saint Valentine's Day. That is why, next Friday, we are going to have a Saint Valentine's Day party. Does anyone have any idea as to what we might do to celebrate?" Christy asked. Zany raised her hand. "Yes, Zady?" "We could make a Valentine for someone special and give it to them." "Aw, shucks, Zady," John Spencer moaned, "you know we ain't got none of that fancy paper or ribbons or lace to make Valentine's with!" "I think I could come up with something," Christy said. "What else? Ruby Mae?" "We should decorate the room up all perty-like." "That's a good idea. And I might be able to convince Miss Ida to make refreshments. What's your idea, Rob?" "Wal, maybe we could do a play on Saint Valentine," Rob said sheepishly, as if he knew that "Teacher" wouldn't like his idea. Christy exclaimed, "Rob Allen, you're a genius." Rob beamed. "I'll write the script and assign your parts as soon as possible." Christy spent several hours after school writing a script for the children's play. After that, she remembered that she would need refreshments for the party. So, she went to the kitchen, were Miss Ida was washing the dishes from supper. "Miss Ida," she said, rather nervously, for she was afraid that Miss Ida wouldn't want to make refreshments, and she dreaded cooking for so many people. "Miss Ida," she repeated, "the children are planning a Saint Valentines Day party. I was wondering if you would mind making refreshments, maybe cookies, or something. Please?" Miss Ida frowned. "Well, of course I'd mind." Then she saw Christy's disappointed look. "But, I suppose I could do it. Just this once," she added. Christy heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you so much!" she said. Then she went to the spare room where they kept the items that people had donated that the Mission had yet to find a use for. She gathered all of the lace, ribbon, doilies, and anything else that could be of use. In her desk drawer, she found some pretty writing paper that her mother had written letters to her on. The children could use the back. Then, she looked through the lady's magazines and clipped out all of the pictures that reminded her of Saint Valentines Day. By that time, she had a large pile of things that she thought suitable to be put on Valentine cards. The next week went by quickly. The day before the party, the children spent all day working on their Valentines. Christy laid out all of the decorations that she had gathered. "What are you makin', Bessie?" Ruby Mae asked her friend. "This here's for my John Spencer. Look at the two lovebirds on the branch. I found them in the pile of pictures. Ain't it perty?" Bessie said, admiring her work. "Yep, hit sure is," Ruby Mae said. "Mine's for Rob Allen." She showed Bessie a large red heart with a picture of Cupid in it. It read: "Dear Rob, I think that Cupid feller shot me, and now I'm in love with you. You think you could ever love me back? Love, Your Secret Admirer" "Dang, Ruby Mae! Ya think he'll know who made hit?" Bessie inquired excitedly. "I hope so," Ruby Mae answered. At the end of the day, the children put all of their Valentines in a box to be delivered the next day. The room was decorated, the Valentines were made, and the speaking parts for the play were learned. At times, the children who had speaking parts stepped outside to reherse. The ones who had no role helped decorate the room, memorized poems about Saint Valentines Day, and a few, like Rob Allen, wrote poems and stories about what the holiday means to them. Christy was exhausted! She gathered her things and went to the Mission house for a nice, long nap. The next morning, the children and their parents, who had come to see the program, arrived at school a little bit early. No one wanted to miss a minute of the party. The play went smoothly, much to Christy's surprise and relief. The young actors and actresses had practiced all recess nearly every day since they had gotten their parts. John Spencer played Valentine, Creed Allen was the emperor, Little Burl and Mountie O'Teal played the couple "gettin' hitched," as the children said it, Sam Houston and Isaak McCone were soldiers, Lundy Tailor was the jailer, and Ruby Mae played the part of his daughter. They all performed beautifully. Then a few other children who did not get a part recited poems and stories that they wrote or memorized that were about Saint Valentine's Day. The parents thought it absolutely wonderful. For the children's Valentine present, Christy, David, Miss Alice, Miss Ida, and even Dr. MacNeill, who normally refused to get involved with the Mission, chipped in to by a very large box of chocolates. The students could have on each; they were delighted. Then the other Valentines were passed out. "That from Bessie?" Rob Allen asked John Spencer. "Yep. And yers?" he answered. "It's signed 'Secret Admirer,' but I hope it's from Ruby Mae. I made her one!" Christy sat down to look at her Valentines. She had quite a few. As she finished looking through them, one that she had not seen fell to the floor. She picked it up. It read, "Dear Miz Christy, Yer the best teacher in the whole wide world. I love you SO MUCH, Teacher! Love, Mountie O'Teal On the back of the card was a drawing of Christy sitting on the floor with Mountie in her lap, sewing buttons on a coat. Christy was near tears. How she loved little Mountie O'Teal! When everyone had finished looking at their Valentines, it was only one o'clock. Christy had no idea what to do next! Jeb Spencer finally came to her rescue. "Miz Christy," he said, "iffen ya don't have no more plans for the young'uns, could we go outside and dance? I brought my fiddle." "That's a wonderful idea, Mr. Spencer!" she answered, and with that, everyone rushed out of the room. Outside, Ruby Mae and Rob found each other. At the same time, they blurted out, "I was the one who made the Valentine fer ya." Then Rob bowed and said, "Would you be liken to dance with me, Ruby Mae?" Ruby Mae blushed. "Why, I believe I would," she answered, her eyes sparkling. Christy saw Neil approaching her. "Hello, Miss Huddlesten! You did a wonderful job putting together that script for the play," he said. "Thank you, Dr. MacNeill!" Then Jeb started playing another song on his fiddle. "Would you, like to dance, Christy?" he asked. Christy turned beet red. "Why, yes. I would, Neil!" The End!