The New York herald., 1869-02-14
ST. VALENTINE.



All hail to st. Valentine and best be his memory
foreverl Here IL is, rcome again. the anniversary OF
the saint looked for SO much by the youth OF each
generation with anticipations Of fun, and by many
with loving hope. or what earthly use could
learned disquisti0n be to the true history OF the
saints life and the origin OF the present frolicsome
custom cOnsecrated by the day OF his anniversary
Who cares whether Valentine, the blessed saint.
was live Roman In the days OF Emperor
Ciaudps, martyred for his firm adherence to
the Christian faiths or whether he was q
sturdy Brlton. or Welsnman, or a Scots What
odds does 1t make to know that the time
honored customa OF Exchanging valentines
on this day took its origin among the Lupercalia In
ancient Rome, whether 1t was introduced by peO-
pie OF more Northern cimess Nobody cares and
nobody need care about all this learned twaddle.
Suicicnt unto the day is the pleasure thereof, and
SO let all hands join ana have merry St. Valentines
Day.
WHAT THE DAY MIGHT BE.
To certain extent the opportunities which the
custom Of the day affords for doing good have not
yet fully avaied Of Bashful lovers have often been
brought together and encouraged to an open declara
ton Of their mutual feelings by the exchange OF
these missiyes Of love. Many q heart full Of the
tenderest passion knew first Of the reciprocal afec-
tion Of the beloved one through q valentine. On
the other hand many a hope was broken, lor IN
g00dly number Of instances expectations were ut
tery blasted BY the frank declaration OF want OF
a1ection, again through the blunt language
Of valentine. In times past the custom was almost
entirely connea to the use Of the young and tender
hearted Of both sexes. The caricatgre, however,
soon crept in and was quickly ADOPTED fof the fun
and frolic 1t promised Under the veil of anonymity
hits and puns sometimes offensive and sometimes
tO no nkaAr dor ia avn nj
an individual which the rules Of politeness might
prohibit at other times and in any other way. SO
this practice confined itself to the ludicr0us, to
humorous extravaganzas not much could be said
against 1t, nor were so very many complaints heard
about IT, But partly the manufacturers OF valen-
tines, partly the instinct for mischief Innate In
man. could not let such q rich opportunity pass
without carrying It too far. Old grudges were
past hatreds were revived by carrying the
tendency q carlcature too far. The manu-
facturers Of the colored prints known as valentines
contributed to this by 0eriaT compositions intended
to be humorous criticisms, but being in truth but
coarse, vulgar and in some instances even obscene
emanatiOns Of low minds. This practice in the very
nature Of things "runs the thing into the groundn
the phrase is and 1t is well known that for many
years IN great number OF families every envelope
brought by the p0Stman suspected OF containing
valentine was either refused acceptance or was at
once thrown awav into the waste basket into the
hre-unOpened, unseen, unread.
The custom Of Valentines Day might be made
useful as well as amusing There are many foies OF
the day which properly call Tor the scourge OF carl
cature. There are habits OF men-and OF women too,
for all that-whch might be severely criticised call
ing. by means Of valentine, attention to their de-
contemplation and perhaps probable amendment
But such criticislng carlcatures must not be
offensive nor vulgar, nor obscene. From the
common run OF the persons nlcknamed ssartists'
no such productions can be expected. Their minds
is too low, their associations too vulgar TO be able
to take higher fight above the scum OF the world
In which they live themselves. A better class OF
true artists, mel imDued with humane and noble
feelings should take hold OF IT, and with true appre-
NJ npbu nfaro off hn
OF the ways OF 'men OF the world" of the extrava
gances with which greed fashion, pride, lust, pas
sion and other .s to which flesh Is heir to-" often
leads. lSuch valentines, thus conceived, and exc
cuted In style OF art OF the highest type and
dered comparatively cheap by the ingenious ap
pances with which modern skill has enriched the
printing press, would render st. Valentines Day a
public beneiactor. Were such productions of art
placed within the reach OF the many the day would
mac as the period Of the year when humanity
nSas " 70 s S TSSigsy gsS Wees nr0dsSg S
reflection and OF least resolve to mend In the
future. Though he'll is said to be paved with good
nne e. q and sh % H
ultimately result 1t is to be hoped that these hints
may not pass unnoticed.
THE VALENTINES OF THIS YEAR.
The style Of valentines offered TO the public this
year is, with very few exceptions, about the same
cuts with the same vulgar rhymes-poetry it cannot
called-of the kind Of 1.-The butcher the baker, the
candestck maker, all went to sea in BOWL are
counters. They are, Us usual OF various classes;
the animal, with oxen, roosters, geese, sheep,
sies Of wGSsS the animal Insaom from the S
minutive flea TO the gigantic rhinoceros and
elephant, all attlred in gorgeous colors and with
proper, or rather improper, lines oil intending to
show up the individual foies OF human nature. but
in reality doing such thing, but rather disgusting
the peholder. Then there Is q human class order
proposing to caricature the several nati0nalities
and trades-the German, the Irish, tine French, the
English, the American, the jew, the cook. the tailor,
v.la frn Iryf
evefynation and every occupaoni here represented
with unfeeling coarsenes5 and vulgarity. There Is
Consisting s Of ifeless things but with heads and
hands and feet attached, perhaps by their authors
considered to be witty, but in truth being but un
dculous, and Objectionable and offensive In design,
are by far less TO be condemned than q fourth
class OF valentines. which, composed probably
with the intent OF caricaturing female fashions run
into fthness and oDscenity. Such are the valen-
tines to which the above remarks specially REFER and
the manufacturing and vending OF which should be
abandoned by the better class OF dealers.
new addition to the so-called humorous valen-
tines has been made by taking hold OF the latest de-
veIopments IN fashions and other eccentricitics.
Thus the "Grecian bend" furnishes q large number
Of various plates and the velocipede comes In for
full share, and so does also the 'steam man."
1t Ii but just to state however, that all these seve-
raj subjects and these dierenG classes OF valentines
are also treated In different manner and with bet
ter and purer taste, presenting much less OF the
offensive which Is rcprenensible In the Others II
all were the same style aud st further improved
less to complain OF would remain
LOVE TOKENS As VALENTINES
In this class Of valentines marked increase In
the expenditure OF artistic skill and costly material
can he noticed Besides the customary letter sheets,
with boughs and fowery arbors, hiding loving
couple in sweet embrace, with quotations from By
ron Moore, but generally from n. p. Willis or
General Morris. and other similar "valeniinesr sur
rounded by embossed or embroidered borders there
are great many costly prepared for this years
season. with lace, heavy gliding, splendid miniature
paintings or chrOm0s all designed and executed In
true artistic manner, and presenting a handsome
token OF love to any fair dasel from the heiress to
the one less gifted With this worlds goods.
HORSE NOTES.