New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-15
ST YALENTINE'S DAY.

Yesterday was de jure, though not de tdcto, the
dav for loyesmitten flames to indulge In the Odlime
OF sending paper pellets OF the braln 10 inc
,oaens Of their choice IN memory OF one ST. Valentine
- % sunposed to have written the first bGetdOtr, or
"a have originated the custom of popping the question in
verse or TO have had something or other TO do with
an Cupid Of private and confidential nature, or TO
have been in some underlined and mysterious way inter
ested in the establishment of pictorial stationery bus
ness in connection with the penny post AS yesterday
was sunday-a dies non TO pOstmen-there were no de-
liveries Of scented heartleaves creamlaid heeedged
mssyes emblazOned with the arms and legs OF the VIM
pied, whining purblind hayward boy" Expectant
madens young and Old passed the veong day rs best
thew COULD hut no valentines The postnen were
all at church. To-day however, they are engaged IN
gratifying the wishes Of the anxious ones as FAR as e
pow er them les and If the ancient custom OF Nae-
tine writing has not altogether passed away, there are
some bright eyes sparkling even now over amorous ines
most neatly penned, and cheeks crlnsOnlng, ana nls
partlnC in happy smiles, the rhymes are read BUT
alas the practice Of the bygone days is wenlgh Tor
gCten-thOse days OF sunshine when valentine was te
vehicle of harmless sentiment and not the nasty sheath
in winch TO hide the poisoned dagger OF TIE cOwardy,
malicious brutal enemy In those days we wrought upon
the virgin page most wondrOus stanZas OF gushing
poetry with the rhymes all right and the meter an wrong
Those Of us who skilled In the use OF the peheI,
wnud paint NenuScs the virgin page, ana
mbed Cupids and bleeding hearts lTanshAed WIN
cpsapguined darts We also embehshed the broad mar,
gin with forget-me-nOts sky blue roses DlOod req anu
other eloquent flowers bright of hue; ana OF SIZE OF
two larger than the little blind god himself Iheh our
poetic feeling found vent in lOyeaden lines the sense OF
which we guided by the rhymes at the end as butchers
steer calves by the tall for we believed win uer tha
"ryme the rudder is Of verses and If our dacys ana
spondees did not always mind the helm, put
mixed themselves up into scazonilcs ana cnoI'
lambics and other lame aud halt forms, we
enjoyed the satisfaction OF believing that no fault cond
he found with the sentiment they expressed ana INA.
our ladyoves would hide screeds away III secret
places and read them often and sigh over hem ana pre-
them forever. When the days OF hobbedeho hoo
gave way to the stad and sober days IN when faney
sleeps. aud the glorious visions of youth 1ade INTO INC
dull lead color of reality, we learned better N9wau1S
there Is but little Of the odfasOned sentiment let we
have grown more matter-offact We have learned 100
much worldly wisdom, and either scon al the gee vas
sion which afOretme nervcd gallant knights to deeds OF
worldadmred daring else give it no thought al all
after We have passed our thild lustrun. Ana How
the rerbuOn For 20 days We have been snOcked
with the vulgar glare Of mdeous things purporng 10 De
comic valentines. They nave stared az US from every
toyshop window, and ogled us with their ugly eyes az
every street until the very thought OF one ls IKE
the approach OF midnight ghost or the embrace OF the
warlocks and witches that worried Tam OShanter on
that evenul night when he broke up the dance OF the
rgwOodie hays at Kirk AlOway
These socailcd comic valentines arc OF various sizes
and shapes but all bear unmstakahe marks Of oneness
cOarsest dnges white and the pictures thereon en-
stamped about wreched attempts at caricature as
dscraced even the pages OF me ia crosse Deoed
its days Of prosperity. But tue verses such 1Tahc
tricks upOn rhyme and reason as are played IN these
coarse lampOOus disgrace to the age in which we
live and but fair to suppose hat they please oy
that class of our people whose literary studies are co-
fined to the police gazetes and other trashy pnOca9ns'
Ii is estimated that about l00O000of these comic vale
tines nave been sold in NewYok alone during the past
week, and that about 100000 have been sem from mere
the BGOtIans living beyond the borders al Mammalian
There are now Dut TWO cHEdStu III
manufacture; but in Philadelphia, Boston. Chicago Gin
cinuat and other cities, there quasi publishers who
issue few thousand every year. IL Is gratifying To
know that the business is falling of, aud that before
long the demand for the Comic Valentine" Improperly
called will he light as 10 warrant 10 one III eXpCnd
ing the price of token OF white paper III throwing them
into the market.
The delicate tasteful valentines OF few arc
practically out Of daethe custom Of sending them
is kept alive only in France and England Perhaps
when the valentine has been buried out OF sight
forever the pleasant odashoued epistolary surprise
will vogue again, and all the delightful assOcia
II,
which shall lis for happy retrOspects when we and
Time grow older.