The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-02-17

the most delicate expression OF q
young mans admiration for young
Lady lay in sending her oncs year an
expensive and elegant valentine? The
paper was miraoulously fligreed and
embossed. A minimum of picture
Was enclosed in q maximum Of frame.
Impotsible nymphs were shown re-
olining beneath unrealiz able foliage.
Pref Posterous notices did duty for
poetry. Alteration wriggled and
writhed through doggerel Screens
and curtains OF embroidered paper re-
vealed, when upifted, in6nitesimAl
scenes of gold-and tissue enchautment.
The paper WAS infinitely more poeticul
than the prosody with which it was
emblazoned. II neither appealed to a
very higher order Of Intelligence, both
made an onset On tho heart. They
were the very cream OF sentimental
ism. the coxoombry of passion. No
wonder that Araminta, who lad soit
bosom, aud brains which, We are
afraid, betrayed similar want of den.
sity, believed herself the most Worship.
ped of her sex. No wonder that
Alphonso considered that he had DON.
the chiYalrous thing, and did not re-
gret the five or ten dollars for that
efiorescence OF tho stationer's art.
But now change has come over the
spirit Of st. Valentines Day. The
sentimental valentine has almost dwin.
died into N tradition. Nobody sends
it. excepting fools and children, and
perhaps few old bachelors who ure
to be placed somewhere between the
two. The only kind of valentine
which, to-day. has q solid existence is
the comic one. That st'l, holds place
because Of the opportunity it provides
to m alice, satire and rid.cule. If We
could obtain correct statistics Of pur
chasers we should. perhaps. fluid that
not tew adults employ this ingenious
method OF venting their vindictive-
ness. Decency forbids that Jones
should tell Smith to his face that he is
common druukard; but it cannot
prevent him mailing him a valentine
representing him with very red nose
aud AN empty brandy bottle. The
sweet amenities Of life render it i'm
possible for Green to taunt Brown
with having had mother who took in
washing; but il ia eminently admissi-
bic for Green to send Brown come
anonymous rhymes about soap-suds,
accom- panied with highly colored H.
lustration representing Mrs Brown,
mere. over the tub. Mr.. Thompson
dare not inform his landlady that her
terms are high aud living low; but he
Gan send her, without detection, some
satirical verses on hash, which will be
Il superb indemnitioation for the pune
tual payment she ipjuriously insists
upon.
St. Valentines Day is. then, an an.
nual escape valve for the malice and
unoharitableness OF close acquain-
tances. It affords Us an easy method
OF wounding our neighbours sensibili-
ties without being found ont. Yet,
even in this respect. it is steadily on
the decline, and ere long must take it's
place among the ghosts of dead insti-
tutions, and it is ghost which no one
need care to materialize and make
tangible again. 1t has had its golden
hours, and has contributed in bygone
times to the smiles aud bushes aud
happy tears of innocent maidens and
susceptible spins:ers. rs sentimen tai
side has too much Of Arcadian sim
plicity and rustic ingenuousness to suit
this rafting locomotive age. Let it.
therefore. take its place beside All
Hallow Fen and other spectral insti-
tutions which come stealing quietly
out to us once year from behind the
tapestry of tradition. till ut last they
melt into airy nothing and are lost in
the blue mists of time. No sensible
adult sends a serious or sentim ental
valentine DIVA days, excepting from
a reason similar to that which may
lead him to choose IL stage coach in
preference to the steam car. There is
something reverential aud antique in
The flavor. The nest radical among
us do not always refuse a passing tri-
butte to n custom our forefathers were
not too wise love.-N. 7. Herald
A leading ultra Republican, who
backed Butler all the way through his
fight on the Civil Rights Bill. made
this frank confession to the CORES.
pondent Of the Chicago Times: He
said that none Of the Republicans be.
lieved that the bill would ever become
perfected as law; and that it could
do no good il it should. It was valna.
bic only as declaration of principles
and disciplining of the weak.kneed
ruling members of the party up to
the front rank of extreme Radicalism.
He neglected to add what he virtually
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