The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-12
CUPID's HOLIDAY.


Next Monday, the fourteenth of February, re-
tSzvSed on the calendar os St Valentlnv uay,
N''NSs DO obseryed by ali loyal folIowek
of that patron saint wit. app.opris.e M ueeas ana
ceremonies. st. Valentine "a 40 20 onensu0 ',ss,t
st. Nicholas are about the only sain,> "'es
whose festivals are still popularity obser, eu'
They hold their places in public opinion with
great tenacty, so much so as to show very
high degree of fidelity in their devotees. Every
few years we hear the report that the
holiday is going out of fashion, but store win
dows and letter carriers do not attest the fact.
In this city, perhaps, the day was never OBJ
served TO the same extent as in some other
places. In this country the customs appear to
have taken the greatest hold in New York city,
where thousands of fancy and comic missves
are annually sent through the mails on the
recurrence of the festival. But even in this city
we have a considerable number of the pictorials
in general circulation. The report of the decline
of the day most generally emanates from those
who have once been silly, like the present rising
and partly risen generation, but who are now
wise and sober and wish to do away with all
remembrance of their former foolIshness.
The store windows are now gay with the ma
terials by which agonized hearts may interpret
their feelings to other hearts not quite SO full of
agony. The devices are various A heart
pierced with Cupids cruel arrow reclining in
the midst of q bed of roses is very popular.
Joined hands are also In demand. wedding
ring of gilt paper, cooing doves with joined
bills, emblematical of the more pleasing joining
of human beaks, jolly cupids romantic scenes
of lakes and grottoes cut in paper and tnse,
are the devices which are presented to the eye
of the amorous customer. These sentimental
valentines can be purchased at all prices, from
five cents to twenty-five dollars; but, as might
be supposed, few of the higher-prlced ones
used. few made whose value is
from $50 to $500, but the cost of these does
not SO much depend upon the articles them
selves as in what they contain. Receptacles are
made In them for jewelry or other valuable
gifts Some of these are very elaborate; some
represent scene in miniature, with figures of
paper, sometimes with the love-lorn swain Civ
ing a serenade with his voice and guitar beneath
the pasteboard balcony or window of his mis-
tress. These precious mementoes are not con-
signed to the perilous chances of the mail in
fimsy envelopes, but put up in elegant boxes,
which of themselves would make acceptable
presents. The great bulk of sentimental valen-
tines is, however, made up of small pictures in
the,midst of embossed or gilt surroundings. with
a verse below, and are sold mostly to children,
at prices varying from five to twenty-five cents.
Most of the colored white paper flowers,
cupids, doves, loves, etc. ETC., are made by ma
chinery in large Sheets and afterwards cut up
and pasted on paper of the requisite size and
quality. These handsome valentines are more
used in the country than in the city.
The comic valentines belong to an entirely
different department. They answer different
purpose from that of the sentimental ones.
They may be intended as joke insult.
They usually contain vile caricaturizing and viii
famous verses, relating to every possible occu-
patton or personal peculiarly. The practice of
sending these documents is generally very re-
prehensible 1t has not even the dignity of
anonymous letters. Who dislikes to hurt the
feelings of any human being should not use
them for no one likes to be told of his faults or
peculiarites, be he friend or enemy, in this
rough manner. But the country is annually
flooded with them, because 1t is thought that con-
siderable wit is involved in investing one cent
in comic valentine, putting 1t in an envelope,
and sending it through the mail. From ten to
twenty millions of these are annually manufac-
tured, though the profits of the trade are not
very large. The entire sale of valentines, senti-
mental and otherwise, in the whole country
amounts to several hundred thousand dollars
annually In England the trade is even greater
than in this country.
1t was the former custom for the sender to
done away with that privilege. The true lover
was accustomed on that day to write sincere
loving epistles, signing them usually with some
assumed name, or facetious written production
was sent from one friend to another for the
! amusement of the receiver. Mr. Sam Weleri
noted valentine is specimen of this class. Tht
writer In this case most probably comes unde
the head of true lover. We reprint part of th
account of the proceedings on the memorable
occasion when that production was written.
Mr.. Sam Weller is detected by his father IL
the very act of writing valentine, and is horror
stricken at the discovery. Having been unhap
PLY situated in his connubial relations himself
the old man does not wish his son 'Samivel" t.
do anything which may tend to bring upon hin
the same misery. But being distinctly assure
by Sam that he does not intend to marry, h
allows the writing to proceed, and settles him
self by the fire to hear whatever the documen
may contain, aud to make corrections.
BY his fathers command Sam dips his pen /
the ink and begins with the word 'lovely.
Here the elder Weller interrupts with an orde
for O ''double glass of the inwariable" whic
being supplied, he orders Sammy to go on.
''Lovely creetur," continues Sam.
"Taint in poetry, is it?' interposed tt
father.
''No, no. replied Sam.
EVERY glad to hear it" said Mr.. Welle
4'poetry's unnatural; no man ever talked
poetry 'cept beadle on boxin day, or Warren
blackin' or Rowland's OIL or some of them 10
y fellows; never you let yourself down to ta