The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-02-12
A FEBRUARY HAMA.

Styles ana Nooeetk1 OF IuA4 AeAL-A 4HG
illustrations and Notes on the Prevail
InE Passion.
At this season OF the year the valentine
counters OF our news stores are as good
place to study nature as Is the stamp vim |
dow Of the postoftics. At this counter are
during the frightening days Of
early February, an ever changing group Of
buyers, These buyers possess attributes
as distinct as are the grades Of valentines
they examine, The servant girl element
at that particular portion OF
the counter occupied by the alleged
"Comic" valentines, A higher grade OF
humanity stands before the prettier valen'
tines that speak Of warm feelings and not
OF malice in the form OF horrible pictures.
Before the next and higher grade Of val.
entines are gathered small but select
audience OF well dressed, well behaved
and generally, pretty girls who have both
money and taste at command. They pur'
chase their selection very shyly and, in
many cases, order the valentines sent to .
certain address, or request the obligtng
saleman to write the supersCripton.
The designs Of the latter class Of valen'
tines are mot altogether new. nor do they
present any features OF freshness in poeti-
cal sentiment. Some are very pretty, es'
peCially those encaSed In handsome illu.
minated boxes. They are gotten up in
silk trimmings oil delicate shades. oldest
aud QuAintest ConCeits are Cleverly en-
brOidered in most artistic coloring and the
valentine becomes not mere emblem Of
romantic nonsense but charming add.
ton TO parlor or drawing room adorn-
mSnts. This class vary in price from five
cents to one dollar and fifty cents, and the
demand for them, we are glad to say 10
better than for the meRner and more
spiteiul class ofalleged "ComiC" valentines
There Is enough variety in the poetiCal
matter to suit all tastes, the sad the solemn,
the pensive, the ievered sutton, the retire.
ing and modest maiden; and also AppropTi.
ate verses 10 give weight to the plaintiye
wall OF a hopeless passion. Most the verses
breathe lofty sentiment, some OF
which are too strained In their meaning,
In no case did we run across anything
like the broad license contained In the
homely and pointed lines, whose author
tradition fails to record, Of
The rose IaIel, The vloet's blue
Sugar 10 sweet, aud ~ are you.
These lines contain all the necessary
information that need be conveyed 10 q
young lady 10 impress her with the fact
that that you are not, to put 1t mildly, in
sensible to her charms. Now, however,
the lover wells q plain avowal In the fol-
lowing verse which Is contained In q very
handsome valentine, neatly surrounded by
lunches OF forget'me.nots,
There Is aoWer, which oft unheeded grows
Amidst the BpendOT Of lhesummeT'B ray,
And though this simple flower no sweets disclose,
Yet II would tell thee all Wish to.SHy.
Here Ia another gem, a sort OF 1.-TWO
souls with but asingle thought, two hearts
that beat as one" alfair-suitahle for aili-
mites as 1t were. We thrust 1t into cold
type Tor what 1t Is worth.
Our hearts, dear maid we're formed 10 be
The genuine twins Of Sympahyi
In Joy or gIiGi, but most In love
Like chords in unison they move.
Here Is something real sweet, and we
hasten to rescue 1t from oblivion byrepro-
duCing 1t. II you are away from her don't
fall to send a valentine containing the
brave verse. Here goes:
The hills mAy tower, the waves may rise
And roll between my homo and me,
Yet shall my quenchless memories
Turn with undying love to thee.
Pretty strong isn't IN But here 10
something oil soft, appealing nature;
very tender, II 1t Is inquisitive:
When the rose you gladly cherished
Shall be wlthOred on my brow,
And the iondest hopes have poriihed,
WIN you love me then as nOWS
Wegiveitup. Depends altogether on how
long Il takes the rose 10 wither. But here
is one that puzzles the reporters brain.
OF course 1t 70 not to be inferred that the
problem Ia very complex from this fact,
but we spread 1t on the minutes for solu.
ton. The verse is addressed ITO my
own beloved" and reads as follows:
Go then, In LIES fair morning,
Go In The bloom Of youth,
And buy for thy adjoining
The precious pearl Of truth.
Why, we solemnly inquire, should one
want ones "belOved" to start on an ex.
ploring expedition after the precious pearl
Of truth. ORe might as well say 10 ones
beloved that ones aforesaid beloved was
a liar. That Is our acute Judgment OF the
verse. Or, II the ray OF light that breaks
upon US Ia true ray OF Information, 10
the verse intended for ones beloved who
has failed to keep sacred promises made.
For ourself, however, we wouldn't care to
take the responsibility OF sending the val.
entine TO "our beloved"
The reporter also noticed very pretty
conCeit In valentines, which Is q hand.
onn,a iIlnrntnatad aNotr tpithaut ana, In.
sCription or device, to which is attached
pouch Of perfumery. These are cheap for
the style In which they are gotten up, and
would be very acceptable presents. There
are also novelties In the way Of artistic
cards, containing appropriate verses, very
neat affairs and not very expensive.
There is not much novelty In the comic
line. These atrocities on human weak.
nesses display as usual the same villainous
cariCatures as Of yore. The sending Of
these alleged comic valentines often dis.
plays o certain yindiCtiVeness not alto.
gether pleasant TO contemplate. They are
mainly used as vehicles OF spite. The man
who will devise q comic valentine, pos.
sessinR some real merit and genuine
humor, deserves future II he don't real.
lie one. Here Ia q sample OF the comic
valentine OF to-day: The highlY.colored
figure represents young man Of receding
forehead, or no forehead OF all, . ridicu.
lous prolongstion oil the nose and re.
treating chin. II ia labeled 1.-THE Society
IDIOT" The explanatory foot note reads
as follows:
You 70 In good society,
At least you Bay you do;
But II you are 4 specimen
They're but sorry crew.
In fancy clothes you love 10 shine,
with ejt-glAIS, rings and chains,
But heads that run 20 much 10 nose
Have little room for brains.
Everything about 1t 10 inappropriate,
void otwit OF humor and as polntless as o
bed. post. There are society idiots, 80.
called, who arc very comely In personal
appearance and who, In repose, would be
taken for smart and clever persons. And
thus It runs through the whole catalogue.
A novelty in this line oil valentines is |
silhouette pictures, taking the place Of the