The New York herald., 1875-02-13
The True Love Holiday, with It's Invoice Of
Hearts and Darts, Loves and Doves.
COMIC MLSSIVES THE FASHION,
Young Minds and Old Ones, with Swains to
Match, Selecting Their Love- Bearing Des-
patches-The Custom Dying Out.


Is most welcome boon for declaration sides
ways. Human nature would seem not to have im,i
proved much by Oil the modern improvements OF
so-called civilization, for maidens and mem
are pretty much the same now In re4
gard to heart disease as they were
centuries ago. when this valentine business waa
first introduced. The old Romans on st. Valen]
tines Day had custom OF placing the names Of
young ladies in box hung up at the doors OF thal
temples, from which the names were drawn, asy
chance directed. by the young lovers in wattingk
These chances were supposed to have huge sigy
nlncance. Later on, when paganism had vans
ished. the Christian priests and bishops put stou
to all this, ana the names OF holy saints were SUBJ
stituted In the boxes for those OF theD
beautiful girls. This custom was not, accordinnG
to the authorities, quite 30 acceptable as thea
older 0ne and by degrees the tendencies OF poor
human nature had once more recourse to variouSi
wlles. by which ST. Valentine should preside.
somehow or other, over the perpiexlties ana
longings Of their loves One Of the little artinces
was that the first young lady a swain met
out OF doors on the morning Of st. Valenti tine,s
Day was destined to become his wife, and severaY
other attractive methods were resorted to by whlcM
the priests and monks should not disturb the,
lovers patron saint in the due performance Of
his pious duties. The number OF dtties composed
and sung ON this fav0rlte festival need not bd
guessed at, for lovestricken fools always take tu
writing doggerels. Even Of late years, and withiM
the memory OF most OF u.s. poor human nature has
not much improved in this respect. But how ST.
Valentine ever came to be associated with Iovera
and their foibes is enveoped in the proioundese
OF mysteries. Historical research has failed tn
connect him with any affairs OF the heart while h4
In this life In the nesh Indeed, the poor saint
would seem to have had something else to thinkd
Of II we are to judge by the close Of
the good mans life the little business 0f
love making must have been very big.
practical Joke uDon his memory. ST. valentines
according to the Roman martyroI5gy, was clubbed
to death by the Romans. aud alter his death ina
mains were buried near the gates Of the ImperiaE
City, now known as the Porto del Popuo. rhera
was not uch sentlmentality In that, and there iss
not the shadow OF q mention OF any lady having
been IN st. Valentines case. Anyhow, the worda
has seen ut for many many years to-
honor the saint as the patron OF all the young
pie who are In the tolls OF love, and perhaps, ini
accordance with the old Roman beIiei that BIRDS
the good SAINT Is supposed TO give a. propltioia
smile on the silent endeavors OF the solItalv SUR
lcrers who are pining to entwine themselves IN
the chains OF
DLIssFUL MArgIMoNY AND UNENDINd FELICITY.
OF late years, IN this city, II is sad the CUSTOM
Is not kept up quite so extensively as IL used rO
be- and rumor ascribes the fact to the materialism
OF the times and to the strong aversion TO sentt.
Inentallsm that rests IN the IN nus 0i New Y0rkerS
and their particular fondnsss for boarding house
lie and to me dearness OF rents But still there are
thousands who Keep up the Old style, and awe and
receive valentines with relish ana piquancy that
neither sun nor Irost could remove. TO ali Theses
ST. Valentines Day is q great event. They look
forward to 1t with ideas broad ana soaring and
perhaps go TO sleep with their imaginations ex,
cited up 10 very high point IN authorization OF th6
grand iiuter tnat snail ensue upon the coming ext
pendlturC OF the dollars. Foolish little heads VIII
beer at letters tomorrow morning or any morn.
inv during the next week with ihroooing veina
and flushed cheeks, In expectancy; riIiculouA
verses win be conned over win beating hear tsX
onl ha vVr 0 n m hp mt dnvWp tnr n ayS
pcnditure OF ten or twenty dollars and the ergyH
man &c. Immediately come before the brlIliant
pear pear from the dream, for the other ief-
twentS ereenbacks and hide his head undeE
bushe. Bus even the lovely and disapDOinted
to be thankful Tor than the poor, hopeu signng
beauty who opens the envelope with trembling
hands, ana . with glowing cheek and sparkling
q neatly folded paper, bearing the portrait
Of an ola Jezebel, wlth long nose
tor SIZE No. 10, beneath whose fancy coioied Ggure
are four lines breathing the most disgusting lndif-
ference to the charms and claims o. the above,
Oi course extravaganza must be expected on boti
sides OF ST. Valentines throne. He must b6
permitted to improve the hearts OF mis- dis-
ciples with a little castisation TOR their owns
good, as well as with "a little encourr
saint is Ia a most unpropitious mood. lie Isl
In harmony with the elements, and gives lew rays
OF sunshine 60 the majority OF his yotarles. A
HERALD reporter yesterday calleu at the valentine
emporium Fisher & Dennson's. of Nassau street..
to inquire now business was going, and was inS
for "a few years past, but that the sentimental
valentines IN the retail trade were not the dars
lngs they used to be TO the youth OF both sexes.
But v
MILLIONS OF COMIC VALENTINES !
had been sold never before had there been such
a sale Tor these, the male customers especiallys
seeking with the greatest care ior the most rldi>
calous and nonsenslcal OF the large seieStlon IN
crowds OF lady purchasers as they examined ana
reexamined the valentines and The sentiments
contained In the verses, expressive oil the gushing
feelings OF ove-stricken one, were matter OF the
most aggravatlng moment. Valentine after val.
thrown ASIDE. once the intending purchaser had
got at the particular collection snlted TO the sate
Uoefy % try breathing ath hope and despair and love
and every other feeling OF senslbllity was read
and reread until, IN most cases, as Iar as cond b9
on 1t was, chosen. There was one. plnched
up old lady, sy excellenty gotten up Ss,a ronaed
ways who, after tbree-quarters OF an hour, nnally
got at pretty picture. which mad underneath is
years have rolled over still DO love-" He must
be happy man To whom tnat Is sent. The young
bought the funny valentines, and young ladiess
too, who, perhaps. took the hint, brought nome
selection OF the little cartoons. And troops OF
young girls, Ia various combinations OF threes ana
fours, surrounded the counters, with great huency
Of speech descantng upon tue pfettiness OF the
HEARTS WITH DARTS AZ
In them and the bunches OF roses surrounding
words OF love and hdehty and all tnat sort OF nom
sense. These young misses were quite as serious
In their way as the shrvelled up old lady anu the
several young ladies' 'risng thrty,"and the latter
were very serious indeed. so mucn has been
said about this emporium Of valentines because it
il In It's trade for these lew days an Indication OF
how the observance OF the day ID maintained or
otncrwise.
TIE CUSTOM DYING OUT al
Inquiries were made at the Post ONCE as to tha
ARRANGEMENTS Tor tho valentine season, ana Mr.
U,Brlen Superin tendent OF the City Department,
state that to-day the rush Ill begin and Will last
for about twenty-,Our hours. An extra corps OF
clerks, varying In numbers as the occasion may
require, Will be In readiness: "But," SAID Mr..
O,irlen ''thc custom IL dying out cOnsid-
erabIy as compared with what it was
some six or eight years ago." Boxes c,ntaining
the most expensive valentines are sent IN largo
numbers through the mails and IL appears tna5
ali the POST rU1ice officials ana the carriers take
the greatest precauion In regard to tue safety OF
these, Mr.. O'Brien volunteering the iniormation
that "tne boys know how IL 1871 An old letter
carrier In arIstOcrac section OF the city stated
IL YalaAlluA