e always said that that 14th of February was the happiest day she
had ever spent; and it was also a turning-point in the fortunes of the
German family, for Mrs. Almer having heard from Uncle John of her little
daughter's _proteges_, interested some of her friends in them, who gave
work to the mother, and when summer came, found a pleasant cottage on a
farm for them in the country; and with the mother now happy and hopeful,
Gretel well clad and rosy, and Minna quite restored to health, they were
sent away from the dark, dreary tenement to a happy home among "green
fields and pastures fair." And it all came about through Nettie's
valentine.

AUNT SUKEY'S FIRST SLEIGH-RIDE.

"Oh, Nan, look how the snow comes down! I thought it would never snow at
all this winter. Just look at it! Now that's what I call tip-top," said
Tom Chandler, gazing at the fast-whitening landscape, and drumming a
cheerful tattoo on the window-panes with his fingers.

For some time the children stood in silence, watching the snow-flakes as
they whirled and danced and floated like so many feathers, only to fall
and pile up and cover the brown earth and the bare branches as with a
lovely mantle of swan's-down.

Suddenly a thought seemed to have entered Tom's curly head, and he broke
the silence with an air of profound mystery, saying: "I say, Nan, can
you keep a secret? Well, look square in my face and say, 'Upon my word
and sacred honor, I'll never, never, never tell anybody what Tom's going
to tell me!' There! do you think you could keep it? It's the awfulest
jolliest thing you ever heard of."

"Why, Tom," returned Nan, with dignity, "did I ever tell anybody
anything that is a secret when you told me not to? Now do tell me this
one."

"Let me see, now; haven't you told lots of my secrets, madam? Who went
and told pa about my painting the white gobbler's feathers black, hey?
Who told about my putting the mouse into Aunt Sukey's soup? Who told
about my tying the clothes-line across the grass last summer? Who told
about my--"

"That's real mean; you know I couldn't help it, ma was so vexed. You can
keep your old secret; I won't listen to it--there!"

Seeing there was danger of one of Nan's showers, as Tom called her
sudden tears, that young gentleman lowering his voice said, soothingly,
"Never mind, old girl; just say, ''Pon honor' once more, and that you
will never tell if you are shot for it, and I'll tell you what it is."

"That's wh