The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-02-15 00:00:00

VALENTINES.

"An old inhabitant" of Dorchester sends to us the
following very sensible remarks :
I have a word or two to say about the practice of
sending Valentine Letters, and I am sure you will
favour me with a little space in your paper to record ,
my opinions concerning the ancient custom of the
14th ; a custom, indeed, according to the way it appears
to be carried on in Dorchester, much more honored in
the breach than in the observance.
St. Valentine is said to have been a priest of Rome,
martyred in the third century, and than had the honour
of being assigned a niche with other saints; but he had
no more to do with the present custom, than that he
was f&MOUS ha love making or letter writing. That
the custom, however, is of antiquity may be gathered
from the fact that Shakespere makes poor mad Ophelia
sing in broken snatches—
" Good morrow 'tis St Valentine's day
All in the morning betinie,
And I a maid at your window
To be your Valentine."
No doubt like all customs, this one, has its good and
bad sides, and may be made innocent or miachevious
aessrurding to the disposition of individuals.
It is by no means desirable to put down any
establishes] custom, nothing in fact is more difficult or
fraught with more disturbance. Take for Instance
our fifth of November with its riots and tax barrels.
If you can eliminate the vicious excreesences of an old
usage, you do. as least, a modicum of good.
There .. be the 'cult harm in the youth of
either sex itransmittiag a Wye bouquet, or token of
affection or esteem, or even respect, one to the other.
If friends at a distance at Christmas and new year
remind cad' other with congratulatory cards, there
can be no reason why sweethearts and would be lovers
should not exchange tokens of affection on the 14th of
February. There is a certain amount of courtemu
noble gallantry in all this. it 'weals to imply that in
these times of competition and money grubbing,
chivalry is not wholly dead, that the:sources of truss
affection and gentlemanly feeling are not entirely dry.
Some of the specimens of valentines which Messrs.
Foster, Ling, and Russell, have been showing this
year were very beautiful. Not only gems of art, but
exquisite pr, sluctions of a rare genius. The perfumery
house of Rimmell's, it is said, make a little fortune by
the sale of these elegant trifles. Young mea and
real-lens, old men and children, may surely add to the
beauty and happiness of this life, if they choose, by
transmitting an! exchanging these pleasant reminis-
cences, if done with a right feeling and goodness of
heart.
I regret now to be obliged to turn the subject round
and bring to light its graver and objectionable side
It is a fact known and regretted by every well
disposed person, that there has been in the town lately
a brisk sale of grossly scandalous valentines. Carica-
tures, the lowest and basest. Grotesque figures. the
most abhorrent and revolting. Distorted delineations,
verging closely on the infamous. Of course it is a
difficult matter to suppress this traffic, and I euppose
iso bung as there s a demand for such abominations,
there will ne,essarily be the mipply.
After all it comes to be a matter of individual taste
and kmling, an exhibition ..f character. Never will a
silk purse be male out .if a ROW'N ear, or a blackguard
become a gentleman. The vile scoundrel, be he young
or old, who can buy awl send an infamous valentine,
or scandalous caricature. to any respectable young
girl in the world, is a creature whom the felons grind-
ing on the treadmill need not envy. I should call this
worthless scamp a dastardly coward as well as a foal.
As a fool ,d the weakest calibre, I sh iuld ask him if
he thinks that any respectable parent cannot easily
frustrate his cowardly insult, by simply intercepting
his communication. I would most respectfully advise
him to seek out his friends and compatriots the
garrotters; with them he will be in his native element.
With them toi I most sincerely hope he will receive
two or three dozen ladies well laid on his quivering
flesh, and which will teach him afterwards to be wary
how he ventures to annoy respectable people, or insult
a quiet family of the town.