The Penn's Grove record., 1885-02-28

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"Many years ago" sending a valen-
tine to ones love was by no means the
simple thing 1t has grown to be in these
days of hustle and hurry. Then the
signing swain of the love lorn damsel
had TO retire within themselves and
with much travail in spirit, bring forth,
after mighty struggles with the muse,
a sonnet or a madrigal or whatever the
Courts Of Love decreed in those days
to be the proper and correct thing in
which to express the all consuming pas
sion.
Then a valentine meant something
more than 1t does now. 1t was, indeed,
an open declaration that Cupid had
wrought great things in the slender's
heart, and that the recipient was the
one person above all others to whom the
true love of the author went out. 1t
was a good old fashion, and in many
happy households to day the good wife
cherishes among her dearest treasures
the queer. looking t~hree-corner packet,
sealed with a waxen dove or a bleeding
heart, and containing the hating
rhymes of her boy-lover.
1t is a very different affair in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hun
bred and e~ighty-live. "As the day
dedicated to the lovers patron saintap-
proaches, the young man who loves a
maiden far counts over his pen, AMI
having decided to stay away from the
theater for a week or so, and to eschew
billiards for the same time, determines
that he shall send his sweetheart some
token of the season. So he visits a
store where the votive offerings to his
saIntship are sold, and having gone
over the stock buys, according to the
limits of his purse, something that he
thinks will just about suit his lady love.
Unlike his father and mother, who in
their valentine days carefully endeav-
ored to conceal their identity, he has
the gift boxed up with his card inside
and mailed or sent by messenger to his
inamorata's place of abode. And what
a vast variety of articles he has to
choose from, too. Lovely handkerchief
cases made of the rarest shades of the
most costly satin and plush hand-painted
aud embroidered. Jewel boxes the like
of which none but the very richest
could enjoy In our fo~refathers' days ;
costly knicknacks of all descriptions,
and of valentines proper everything
that can by any possibility be made OF
swansdown, flowers. satins, silks and
plush. Beautiful little boxes of the
most expensive woods filed with rare
combinations of costly materials and
bearing in the center some verses OF
poetry chosen from the very best
authors or written for the occasion by
a poet in the employ of the makers. All
of these things and many more can be
found on the shelves and counters OF
all the leading stores in the city, and as
the superintendent of the valentine de-
partment of one of them said recently,
the cost will always suit the purchasers
pocket. For" continued he, 'if n
does not wish to pay 800 he ear buy
one for $50, and II that is too high then
S25 will pay for something beautiful, or
he can choose, if all these prices are too
great, beautiful little triles for SIS, $40,
SIS, 81, SO, 81 or 81, or If he still wanted
to go lower, here be can find valentines
that will express the tender passions
Just as thoroughly as the other for 8
cents. OF course, if he wants to pay
more than 800 we can accommodate
him in that, too. AS a rule we do not
Keep In stock valentines or gifts suita
BILE to the day that will cost o than
$50, but we can easily make anything
that Is wanted.