Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-02-14
Fashions in Valentines.

nOte-paper, with some poetry ana punch
of forgct-me- knots at the head. Years
ago my dear old grandmother made me
happy by sending one of these, which l
have still, and very pretty it is, although
the ink is faded to yellow. The poetry
is especially nice, but the punctuation
marks are left out, as they didn care
about these troublesome little things in
the good old days. think it said:
"When the sunshine is around thee
In the dark and silent night
In the cottage and the palace
May thy way be always brghtw
OF course l couldn't imagine who sent
it,-nobody who gets valentine ever
can,-but strongly suspected Sally Law
ton, and she had bite out of all my APP
Piles until found out my mistake. Tom
my Jones was her valentine, and l gave
him punching for it, too, as he was
mean, and pretended all the while that he
didn't like her.
However, the old fashion has passed
away, and valentines are now very elabo-
rate things, employing thousands of skill
full workmen in their manufacture. They
serve as the covers of all sorts of costly
presents, and some of them are real works
of art. Clever designers are constantly
employed in the invention of new combi-
nations, pleasing effects of grouping or
careful labors of draughtsmen, Autograph
ers, woodengravers, painters, color-print-
ers, card board, artificial flower and feath
er makers are spent upon them, to say
nothing of the assistance given by work
ers in silk, silver and glass. Even the
tropical forests of Brazil and the depths
of the sea are ransacked for fresh mate
rails.
There is one firm in London which has
three hundred and sixty-cight different
kinds of valentines. The cheapest are
two cents each, and the finest cost nearly
sixty dollars. All are pretty, and some
are magnificent. One is called Loves
Photograph" A tiny mirror is hidden
beneath a bunch of flowers, and some
dear girl finds that the reflection of her
own face is your loves photograph. There
are true lovers knots painted on the soft
est satin; birds of bright plumase under
gauze; girls in silver frames; paper flow
ers which bloom when the valentine is
opened and close when it is shut; more
paper flowers hidden behind screens of
Silver and in little wicker baskets, with
exotic flowers painted by hand on the
finest silk and framed in silver lace.
No florist ever succeeded better than
the modern valentine maker does in put
ting together the prettiest colors. Blush
roses and forget-me-nots; camelias, with
rich dark green leaves; lilies of the val
ley, water lilies, ferns and pansies are
combined with a wondrous degree Of taste
and skill. Sometimes the valentine is the
miniature of transformation scene in
the theatre 1t is folded and unfolded
by an ingenious arrangement, which re-
veals garden, with flock of birds fly
ing over it, and lake of mirror-glass,
with a swan upon its shining surface.
Sometimes, too, the flowers are neither
painted nor made of paper or muslin.
Far away in Brazil, there is large con-
vent, in which the sedate nuns make gay
artificial flowers entirely out of the feath-
ers of the gorgeous birds that haunt the
forests of South America. l cannot give
you an idea of how rich and lustrous they
are. More than this, marine flowers
gathered from the bottom of the Medi-
terranean sea are used in valentines, and
real birds are quite common. AS Lucy
opens the box that comes for her with a
whole string of postage-stamps upon 1t,
it is possible that she will find the cum
ningest of humming- birds in Il little nest,
holding a message in its beak. Not the
picture of one, mind you, but real one,
that has been caught and stuffed for the
valentine maker.
la g. 10
combine them with useful articles. A
lace or a pearl fan, costing sixty
dollars; is sccreted beneath flowers and
notices and Cupids. A fine silk necktie,
for gentleman or boy, is wrapped in
white guaze, with the tender sentiment
| ''Through cloud and sunshine l am thine.
| Articles of dress often are enclosed.
Sometimes smoking-cap or pair of
embroidered slippers. The descriptive
catalogue of Mr.. Rimmel, the London
perfumer, includes valentines containing
Japanese ornamental hair-pins, cravats
pin-cushions, chatelaine bottles, brooches
gold watch trinkets, lockets, turquoise
and garnet rings, silver filigree brooches
earrings and bracelets, head-dresses ant
double smelling bottles. Then, too, ther
are musical valentines in the form of GLOW
and handkerchief or jewel-cases. On
magnificent affair costs forty dollars.
is made of pale blue silk, and trimme
with gilt. AT one side is a compartment
for gloves, and at the other a place 70
handkerchief, with two beautiful smell
ing bottles in the middle. AS the lid
raised, musical-box, hidden underneath
plays favorite air, such as, "Then you'l
remember me-" or an air from an opers
| am not sure that the new custom o
making expensive presents is better thai
the old one of writing love-letter, an
it certainly is not a proof of greater affec
ton in the senders.-St. Nicholas.
"BRoTHER SMITH, what does thi