The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-02-12
REMEMBER ST. VALENTINE"
THE IDEs OF HYMEN-vALKNTINE's DAY IN
THE oLDEN TIME

APPROACH OF THE ANEIvERsARY OF CUPID AND
THE IDEs OF HYMEN-vALKNTINE's DAY IN
THE oLDEs TIME.
On Monday all maidens and youths who have IA
ceved reciprocal wounds from the arrows Of Cupid ana
who view the possibility Of having to light Hymen,s
torch will celebrate tho birthday Of St Valentine
Though the times are hard and money scarce tho de-
mand greater this year than for these missyes
Of love courtesy For let II be understood that all
valentines which pass through the post on Valentines
Day do not betray feeling of love, do they alway
indicate motive OF courtesy. Malicious people who
have fancied sptes wrongs to avenge and who ara
DESTROYS of being even" seize the occasion OF this
ancient and honored festival Of St Valentine to have
laugh at those whom they may dislike The letter
carriers who are on duty st. Valentines Day
will be worked very hard in the delivery Of
loves missives and no matter how cheerfully they
are received other days the year. this is the one
day on which specially grateful smile is to greet
them The origin and cause Of the Fourth Of July and
Washingons birthday very well known to the Amer
can people, yet Of the 40 900, 600 who approach
ing Centennial Day with ervent hope and gadness how
few consider the derivation Of St Valentines Day In
the old, proud days OF Rome, when the Republic had
become dstasteful to the mob, no festival
honored than that OF the Lupercaa, which cee-
brated on the Lupercal Mount during several days in
which was the foundation OF ST. Valentines Day
Young women who were DESTROYS Of gaining beaux had
their names placed In box, and the young men who
desired the love of the maidens drew their by
chance and selected their mates The bishops and
fathers OF the early Church found needful TO obter
ate these pagan customs afterward but ST. Valentine
priest OF the Church, born the l4th Of Febru
ary and his connection with the nomenclature of the
day is very slight Born that day selected
the patron of distressed and sngushed couples, and
his memory is kept green forever by them. To-day
the stranger who visits the centre OF the Christian
vorldr IOnk hv cial fave mart 0fi ha
Saints remains in the Church OF St Praxedes, near
Porta del popolo gate OF the People, which formerly
bore the name of the Porta Valentino St Valentine
suffered q martyrs death at heather hands, first
being beaten 10 death with clubs and afterward Boz
headed
THIS being the centennial year, IL might be proper
here TO state how madens sought for valentines 100
as1gs and .Se night 90, ye Say
leaves and pinned four of them 70 the four Of
my pillow and the fifth TO the middle, and then Il
dreamed Of my sweetheart Betty said we should
be married before the year was out But TO make
sure boiled egg hard and took out the yolk
bed, ate it, shell and all, without speaking or
drinking after It We also wrote our lovers
in clay, and put them into water; and the nrst THAI
up to be our Valentine Would you think It
Mr. Rudophus Hollingsworth was my man lay
abed and shut my eyes all the morning till he came to
house for would not have seen another man be-
fore him for all the world" This is a magnificent
recipe for getting beau But young ladies' OF an ar
dent and faithful temperament should be careful how
they manage in eating egg shells OF the family physi-
LOWS MIssIvEs.
The commerce in valentines is something incalcu-
liable, and, as we have mentioned before, the hard
times do not affect the trade Men and women will fall
In love and marry and be given in marriage, although
bread be dear and rents be at the maximum HER
reporter waited Fisher the we'll known valentine
manufacturer, No. 9S Nassau street. yesterday, to
certain from him how valentines were made and what
were the newest fashions in those deecable missves
of love Mr. Fisher, whose house has been for forty
years engaged IN this trade, during which ISa
time they have turned out over 100. 900 900
OF valentines, said to the reporter:-"We have
different style OF valentine altogether from those
used in the old time The has brought luxury in
its train and the public demand finer article
artists brains racked TO please difficult public
We have them from two cents 10 $50 and 800, and all
the high priced valentines this year seem TO be OF
white or bridal color in boxes Everything Is in bridal
fashion suggestive Of the possibilities of the lovers
final intentions. Then we are compelled to make
bouquet valentines in that shape which opens and dis
closes vines, birds, notices and portraits Of anciiui
nature Then there is the basket of flowers also
thing, which considered r0Le by fashionable peo
pie We have lots of girls at work, and however it
may be in other business we are driven almost 70
death"
The basket Of flowers, however is not new idea
Charles, Duke of Orleans, OF the ondest lovers
sends to Rer with ss
To the Dame dc Chenonceau lady OF high rank and
beauty, he sent magnificent basket Of bowers with
the following verses
Ny lips III softly lay
Upon her he avenly cheek,
Dyed like the dawning day.
As polishd ivory sleek;
And in her ear I'll say.
-Oh, thou bright morning STAR
IT'S that come so far
Ny Valentine to seek"
The writer OF this captured among the crowd OF
princes kings and barons that fell before the might OF
the English spears and bowmen at Agncourt and the
rest OF his life spent in the Tower Of London and
other English prisons But as lover OF the fair sex
he has never been excelled and all romantic young
ladies who receive glowing epistes Monday should
think with emotion OF the fondest lover told Of in
history.