Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-01-27
FASHIONS IN VALENTINES.

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There was q time when valentines
were simply love-letters written on
very fancy note paper, with some poe
try and bunch of forget-mc-nots at
the head Years ago my dear old
grandmother made me happy by send
ing me one Of these, which ! have still,
and very pretty II is, although the ink
is faded to yellow The poetry is
especially nice, but the punctuation
marks are lett out, as they didn't 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 In
May thy way bealways bright"
I OF course | couldn't imagine who
sent it,--nobody who gets u valentine
ever can,---but { strongly suspected
Sally Lawton, and she had bite out
of all my apples until | found out my
mistake. Tommy Jones was her val
cntlnc, and gave him punching for
1t, too, as he was mean, and pretended
all the time that he didn't like her,
However, the old fashion has passed
away, and valentines are. now. very
elaborate things, employing thousands
of skillful worlSmen in their manuiac-
ture. They serve as the covers Of u !
sorts of costly presents, and some of
them are real works of art Clever
designers are constantly employed in
the invention Of the new combinations,
pleasing effects of grouping or color,
and whimsical surprises. The most
careful labors of draughtsmen, litho-
graphers, wood-engravers, painters,
color-printers, cardboard, artificial flow
er and feather makers are spent upon
them, to say nothing of the assistance
given by workers in silk, silver and
glass Even the tropical forests of
Brazil and the depths of the sea are
ransacked for fresh materials.
There is one firm in London which
has three hundred and sixty-eight diff
ierent kinds ofvalentincs. The cheap
est are two cents each, and the finest
cost nearly sixty dollars. All are pret-
ty, and some are magnificent One is
called Loves Photograph" A tiny
mirror is hidden beneath 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 softest
satin birds of bright plumage under
gauzc; girls in silver frames, paper
flowers which bloom when the yalen-
tine is opened and close when it is shut;
more paper flowers hidden behind
screens of silver and in little wicker
baakets, with exotic flowers painted
by hand on the finest silk and framed
in silver lace.
No florist ever succeeded better than
the modern yalentine-naler does in
putting together the prettiest colors.
Blush roses and forget.me-nots; ca
mclias, with rich dark green leaves !;
lities of the valley, water lilies, ferns
and pansies are combined with won
drous degree of taste and skill. Some.
times the valentine is the miniature Of
Il i folded and nnsoldcd bv an ';ngeni.
ous arranrament which reveals n gar.
dan, With q mock OF birds ayirg s~s.
il, and lake of mirror-gIass, with
swan upon its SHINING surface
er painted nor made of paper or muslin.
Far owov in prazil there is n large
convent in which tbe sedate nuns
make oav artificial flowers entirely out
of the feathers of the gorgeous birds
tbat baunttho forests of South America.
| / cannot give Won an idea of how rich
and lustrous they are. Moro than this,