The New York herald., 1871-02-12

said saint, VIII go Dack III lonu Hlcinory VI tueiE
salad days They have not forgotten how their
| hearts palpitated as the important day drew
near. Would they get valentine from
Fred, and what would he sayf The post.
man was never SO important parsonage
as ON the 14th OF February. Then he was
vertable Fare. burtoned up to the chin In shaggy
overcoat and tramplng from house to house in
monstrous boots that fell directly upon the heart OF
every maiden whom he passed unnoticed. These
same sober matrons have their od-fasnioned vaen-
tines put away in private drawer now. The EN-.
bossed and tinted paper Is yellow and the scent Of
and volets has 10 ago evaporated the Cupids
have changed to commonplace fat boys just as the
dear, dainty maldens TO whom years ago the vaen-
tine was sent have changed TO commonplace fat
in opening these old love tokens and reading, after
the lapse OF thirty years perhaps, such words as
With all my soul, love- III be thine,
Ii thou wilt be my valentine.
| Time may crease thy brow with care
And bleach thy locks OF auburn hair;
| Yet naught change this heart OF mne
Il thou wilt be my valentine.
! The mother Of family goes dreamy back over
days when she was "young thlng' and read with
q thrill
All the in all the gardens
All SannUi ahs ssSa 'sy M sns1as sns Sve
| Are not as blue as thine eyes, my dove;
my breath |. =. sweet =, Is the breath Of kline;
| II thou my dear valentine
| Alas the writer is a prosperous pork merchant,
roses all the gardens" or for all the valentines
IN all the shops; and as for the heart that thrilled
how it could have been $50 foolish in those days
ST. Valentine has always been mischief maker,
aud has lent himself to further the ends
sible way: If anybody had a spite against
as ne, neighbor hb i t. YVES through this Old
ceive valentine representing horrd crone with
her ear at the keyhoe; and all the fOloles OF human
nature were illustrated by pictures too hdeous TO be
faithful chronicler says:-"The true, proper cere.
KIND Of lottery followed BY ceremonies NOT much ~
unlike what is generally called the game Of forfes."
Another says:-.'On the eve OIL st. Valentines Day
tom, celebrate little festival. An equal number Of
MAIDS and bachelors get together; each writes his
the Bullets are all rolled together and drawn by way
OF lots, the men drawing from the Inatdens billets
ana ana the maidens from the mems. The name
Fortune having divided the company thus into
couples the valentines give balls and treats to their
mistresses, wear their blets ior several days upon
their bosons or sleeves, and this little sport after
ends in loveo
In those old days married ana single were alike
liable to be chosen as vaientine, and present
was invariably given to the choosing party. Pepys
morning, came up to my wi1es BEDSIDE little VIII
Mercer, 10 be her valentine, and brought her name
written upon blue paper, in gold letters. done by
1
with it. But, am also this year my wiie's valen.
tine, and it win cost me 45." In 1868 he writes
show me her stock of jewels, Increased by the
ring she hath received lately as my Valen-
diamonds. diam . With this and what she had, she she
reckons that sne natn aDsve f15O worth Of
jewels OF one Kind or another;. and l am
glad OF 1t, for 1t Is fit the wretch should have some
thing to content herself with" Poor Mrs. Pepys
she couldn't so of on little lecturing tours when she
got dlscontented, and her husband IS amiably glad
that she should have jewels to amuse herself with.
The peculiar OF endearment that he uses is TO be
commented for its piquancy to husbands Of the
present day.
"There used to be prevalent opinion, SAYS
another writer, "among the common people that st.
Valentines Day Was tue day on which the birds Sc
lected their mates. They imagined that an influence
was inherent IN The day which rendered In some de.
gree binding the lot er chance by which any youth
or maid was led TO fix his or her attention on per-
OF the opposite sex. II was supposed that the
first unmarried person OF the other sex wnom we
met on st. Valentines morning was destined wife
or husband The same writer adds:-"One OF the
earliest known writers Of valentines Is Charles,
Duke OF Orleans, who was taken at the battle OF
Agincourt." poet OF Shakspeare's time wrles:-
Each little bird this tide
Doth choose her loved peer,
In wellock ali the year
AS nature is their gulc,
This year. nor change for new,
As turtles coupled
II is supposed that the customs Of St. Valentine s
Day are the vestiges OF ceremonies that were cele
| DRAFTED during February In ancient Rome In honor
| OF Pan and Juno, ST. Valentine himself (who was a
priest, and martyred in the third century, having
only an accidental connection With them.
/ In History Of Public Education During the
Colonial Period" it Is stated that the Dutch Kept
day which they called vrOecea DdCh (Woman g
Day, the with the Valentines Day oi the Eng.
lish, though differently observed. On the morning
OF the day every girl was armed with whip and
had the privilege OF giving three or four smart
strokes TO anybody that she might overtake.
| The boys requested that the next day should be
4 theirs and be called Manner Ddqh; but they were
! told "that the law would thereby defeat It's own
\ purpose which was that they should receive the
| lesson OF manlfness-he is never to strlKe.r
IL Is SAID by valentine dealers OF the present time
that as many valentines are sent, taking the whole
country INTO account, as ever. The wholesale trade
OF the whole country Is said TO reach half million
dollars year. The business is mostly III the hands
OF seven or eight firms, TWO OF which are In Worces
ter, Mass. and one IN Philadelphia. These manu-
factories receive orders from all parts OF the Unlon
the Western States buying more than the East. A
dealer in valentines says that twenty millions Of the
"comlc" varlety are sold in the United States
every year. and u Nassau street retail dealer
sold fifty gross in less than o week last February.
The business is carried on by statoners and pub
lshers, who are glad 10 avail themselves OF thus
folly TO fill up the dull season after the holidays.
The laced and embossed paper the wreaths OF
flowers, cupids and hearts and quivers imported
from England and Germany ana worked up here by
girls, sometimes thirty or forty beng employed by
one frm. But the Yankee claims the credit uf the
'.concn valentine. Inat lovely product is indigo
nous 10 the soil. The stock carcatures are repro.
duced from the same block year after year, while
every fashionable vagary that affords material for
'ht'i Is seized upon for variety These daubs are
made at SO trining cost that the manufacturers
and retailers make their profits when they are sold
fer penny. AS insignificant as valentines seem
they furnish employment TO hundreds Of people Ter
portion OF the year. and are III their way basis OF
commerce.
HONOR To WHOM H1soR Is DUE.
To THE Editor OF THE HERALD
We desire to contradict the report published In