The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-02-13
LOCAL NEWS.

against the desecration of bis apniversarv. so
common In our day and generation, by burden
ing the mails with combinations of daub and
doggrel, the receipt of which calls mn frowns
instead of smiles, and VOWS of retaliation in
kind, instead OF vows of love and constancy.
LOOK over the display in the store windows
and then Imagine canonized saint. whose
special function is to watch over and purify
lovers. aspirations, recognizing such rubbish
as III iuei 10 Iced the fire of "tender passion
or inspire cloves young dream.v Faueb |
there are three hundred and twelve davs fer.
cluding, OF course, Sundays) on which we can
Stuck social pins into each others "faelings -
ana surely we need not rob our calendar Of the
only day sacred to compliment. Printers' ink
and cheap postage have had much to do with
tnis oesecration OF st. Valentine; but as they
are partsceps crininis in this, under duress Of
public demand or official duty, we will. on
account OF the much good they do in other
ways, enter verdict of snot guilty.r and
arralgn the real cuprits, those who have not
VIII indite sonnet to their " mistress eve
ofows' or copy such gems ofpoetry as,
r ihe pink is red, the violet blue,
inc rose is sweet and so are YOU"
The origin of the rites of st. Valentine lies
SO iar IN tne past that even tradition fails to
give us day and date. and va incline TO the
beilef that the custom came in with Adam,
who received Eve as his Valentine. Among
the Romans valentines were persons. not
papers; and at the feast Of Juno. which
answers our February Ia, the names Of Young
women were drawn for by young men in q
Kind OF lottery, which practice was las IL is
now) so popular that the christian bishops
are recorded as permitting it to their con
verts. provided they would refrain from ioin-
ing IN pagan festivities. Giving ordinary
poetic license, as st. Valentine was beheaded
under the Emperor Claudius, February Ia,
tne world must give him the credit for trans
GiaQtInU nj capt r. ~
10 the christian era, and especially bear in
D'ind that II letters, even complimentary or
amorous, are an innovation on the rule of
good ola times, what an objectionable out
rage must be an insulting, or even satirical
letter. Young men and madens, on valen.
tihe Day be nothing If not compliment.
Shakespeare makes mention of valentines as
amorous espistles. Julia having received a
valentine from her lover, and torn it into
shreds to deceive her maid, exclams:
~ 70; hafefal bands, to tear such loving worlsl
IN kiss each several paper for amends;
anu mere is Writ-KISD JULIA. unkind Julia ~
But the popular theory in his day seems to
nave been that st. Valentines day was the
day for choosing sweethearts or mates. So he
makes Ophelia sing:
Good morrow, tits Saint Valentines dey.
All IN the morning betime
And | a maid at your window
10 be your Velentinep
So we recollect an humble bard, who shall
pe nameiess, addressing his ladye-love thusly:
sOn Valentines day birds choose their mates,
Mychoice is you, if not too late.'
| Now, the idea is Shakspearian, if the rhythm
| is not; and to make amends for the hating
numbers, there is in it a fine moral recognition
of the rights of meum ct tunm; and it is de-
cidedly anti-Brigham- Youngish, for "my
choice is you, If not too late \" while
| ts11r rsra&. &. L
mistakable key for her reply, which may
be "e'est trop tard" Gee NEST pas trop tard,'
| as the circumstances suggest though we
| much fear feminine cOquetry would invariably
respond see NEST pas rop tard pour c8sayer."
| We rather commend this style OF valentine, as
it looks like "biz," but the aorostic is perhaps
| the most popular; and whatink has been shed
dictionaries thumbed, and brains cudieled to
match with ten syllable lines in gingling
rhy ymes, the letters which spell the name Of the
| snamordta. Our raven or auburn locks INC
matter which is our color,) are streaked with
| silver, yet we can remember something like
the following:
| MAY piety and faith thy footsteps guide,
| A nd hope and sweet content companions be-
| Rude sorrows blast meier ruffie pleasures tide
Youths eaco and innocence remain with thee"
We pause before we spell out the name Of
the charmer who at that particular time had
thrown her spell over US, and ask--"How il
Now young people, in choosing or com
pounding, or inditing valentines, always re
member Dr. SIMPSONS advice sPutyo
in his, her, or their place"--as the receiver
instead of the sender.
If your nose masculine, is aquiine and
prominent, your glass has already made yor
acquainted with that fact and it is not neces
sary for Miss Felina to send you a published
notice to that effect, and if Miss Felina, YOU
nose feminine is of the style nes retrousse yor
know it already, for your tell-tale glass said so
ard you have stroked it (the rebellious nose,
caressingly downwards times untold, to correc
the too strong upward tendency. Therefore
seriously and lastly, we suggest and entreat
that our readers will send no valentines but
as Webster says they should be, 'sletters ex
pressing regard or affection, billet.doux or love
letters with verses" and in further proof that
this is good advice, even for the fair sex, SET
what old Burton says of the Ewes of lang syne
''They use many allurements, mods, jests, winks
(oh, fe!) tokens, favors, symbols, letters
ualentiaes, &C., for which cause beliSe God
fridus would not have women learn to write.
As Godfridus cannot prevent you knowing hov
to write, use your talent to make others happy
if only for one day, February l4,-dip you
paper shafts in the honey of your own sweets
" For many shaft at random sent,
Finds mark the archer little meant"
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