The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1885-02-11
DAINTY NISSIYES
An Uuuaually Elaborate Display of
Valentines.
A SAINT FORGOTTEN.
Reasons Why once Universally
Observed Custom Has Fallen
Into Disuse-Views of
the Stationers.

CHllulou tuclo alo CutupaltllNely leW WIN
know or care whether 1t is 81. Valentines
day or not. They may know that it is
near at hand, but they do not mako par
ticular inquiry about it. If 1t wero not for
the display of valentines in the shop win
dows the day would pass with the vast ma
jority of people ignorant altogether of it.
These sbop.window displays are, some of
them, very pretty. The valent ines arc
prettily arranged, and many of thom are
truly works of art. They are generally
made OF paper, but there are plenty of them
of silk and satin, hand painted in beauti-
full and harmonious colors, These are al
ways in boxes and each bears upon it some
verse. When the verses are copied from
the poets, they arc generally very good and
appropriate but when the work Of tho
machine writer for the occasion is used,
they become almost ludicrous.
The valentines most displayed in the
smaller stores aud posted upon the win
dows or nailed TO display boards outside
arc Of the cheap and nasty kind. They are
vile in conception and worse than coarse
in execution. They are vulgar,,but none of
them can be said to be obscene. The
law against sending obscene matter
through the mails is evaded only by the
This class of stnF They are all offsnsive
and made to cause pain to their recipients.
Tho doRgerel at the foot of the extrava
CANT and disgusting pictures is worse than
the pictures themselves-if that Is possible.
Some of the stationors will not handle
them at all. They are to be seen along the
nnon tbe A venne 4 Carrie renortsr ran
,bronob about a hundred of them In a
lao On seventh streat There was not one
~ the,n Thar anv nerson WIN has anv seIf.
yesnoc, would send In ano,her These a RI
worse sven than an auonvmons letter
TLo orodo of valontina maj ahova than,
is the small oblonp of white nanar cut into
rsncv en,hYo;1erv having n hriyht chem
nai,,ting in tho centre and n verse beIow n
Thnse seii for from, ,vo m ten and 4 ftcan
cents The grade above them Ia the larSer
obIonp Gotten nm on the same stvle. bnt IN
bettor naner. and thew are more highly
6nished
These range in rrice from tweptv. A va
cents 10 n dollar, The reporter finds that
moro of them are sold than of any other
Kind Above this grade are tho hand
peinted silk and satin valentines. They
can he bouoht M ali the wav from 81 To $40
A considerable number OF them are sold.
Put there are not AZ many of any kind sold
as there were last wear. Though che falling
off is not yery marked.
This falling off has continued for wears
so Yepula,Iv that what was once a mi.
versalIv observed cnstom is now ono in
dnlged in by. but comnaratiyely few. The
day sltbon9b II ;s one en- nnoscd In i'm do.
yoIo6 20 the eanding of inve toi,ans vat has
not anX thine lii,e iove in lie origin ~
Vaior,i, &c dav is tho dav sacred IN the
mSmory of 81 Valeut;nc n nresbvter who
acco,djne m Tho Iegcnds was beieaded at
Ponno -, Ar ~ tho emnsror CIonJius Tne
,ot;",, Of connsc,;na ioue With tha d,v IL
boUc,.or a varv ola oDs ' -
Tho noet Chspcar sa,d that nm that dav
Tho Si,SS mate Shatsneare in the aTIo
Gontlonnon of Vn,onap maLns tic sauna
ror, renee In tho ala fasbionrd Vov which
we ore toid consistpd of .,nods beclis iests
winLs toLons fanors svmhoIs Iettars yolI
an,inos ); The daS, nrobabIv bsd ito most an
tbnsiasiic Jovoiees amona the EnSIisb
mnosantrv Of tbo long 400 II was o1ons
IN Is1N.S5 tbot Tho dev w.s ohserveI io
a 80 rI oonorai ,Sar ~, this oorntry II toot,
a % s,, e boId rnnn tbo nnoyie aud fnr
,nanv Soars n yos as antbnsiastic,iJg
io"t,sd Scrusrd IN osneciallv hv the majde1
nossos.o a. oS yeorp and tho vnnng mi n
I'hosa f,n,ias $50 I;ah,Iv tr,rnins IN
tb n Of love "0 s' W
'N T,,s,.,, b. \, cant and rocoivod oissives
ava 81, ons 'vshiIo Tho custop1 ,vss NJ its
bnisbt Lilo Tho nnmber of calls which
sbe hoasts NJ having rece,yad nm New Year,s
40, eo ala the yonng lodv bnast Of the
nmyrbor Of valentines sbe had receivsd nm
tba Idih NJ Fehrnarv And tradition has
II thet sba did not in falling of her valen.
tines rerrain from that harmless exaggera.
t,on which IL Is so hard for the Young lad y
TO resist in reciting about her New Years
receptions.
In those days the mails were as crowded
| ahont tbe 1ltb of Fehruarv az tbeU nnw
are AT Christmas times Mr. Brad Adams
| the well.known stationer. made this poinl
IN the reporter. Zone great cause y h,
said "of the decadenoe of ST V.Ientine's
| doy's observation is the randi increase In
| the nse of cards of remembra nee. Won So,
| there arc Cbristmas cards Nav Yea,
carts Faster cards birthday cards and so
on in nrofusion These naturailv hav,
| Sore nnch In decreasc the sale of vaIen,
tines y
The venerable stationcr. Mr.. Josenb shil
| linpton said 10 THE CRITIc reporter.
yves tho nractice of sending vaIentins
hos erestiv faIIen of deal in them son,e
INT not to anv considerable extent / wa.
tbe 6rst IN Introduce the sale of them /,
tbis ci,v II was In 1SI7 The saIes yar,
Immense WHY. have had this stor
croy1ed with peonle Soliciting valentines
,rbiIe ont on tbe Sidewalk thev formed 1,
| line waitinp their turn To get in. Now
The practice is mostly confined Id children
| Very fey prown,un nersons buv valentine,
Tha yaiontines in tboso davs were of a bet
Co. ,roi;t,, zoo considaring the faoiIitias
A. .iny - iii nood n.,nrod m