Valentine: It's a little late in the day, but in honor Valentine's Day, here's the story of Daniel Boone and his love for his wife, Rebecca, from Daniel Boone : The Life and Legend of an American Pioneer by John Mack Faragher. Daniel Boone was gone from home a lot, hunting and exploring the American frontier. Sometimes he was gone for several years at a time. Upon one of his returns after a couple of years absence his wife greets him:

When Boone returned home, so the story goes, Rebecca meets him, weeping. "What's the matter?" asks Boone. "You was gone so long," says she, "we supposed you dead." In her sorrow, she had found company with another man, and now there was a new baby in the house. "Oh well," sighs Boone after a considerable pause. "The race will be continued. Whose is it?" "Why," says she, lowering her head in shame, "it's your brother's."

She claimed that the other Boone looked so much like Daniel, she couldn't help herself. And legend has it that Daniel told her to dry her eyes and welcome him home. After all, he had been obliged to "marry in Indian fashion" a couple of times himself. They lived the rest of their lives happily married and the child was raised as his own. True, selfless, love. Happy Valentine's Day!