The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-14
COMlCAL AND SENTIMENTAL
fagaries i'm Valentines to Suit the
Thoughts of the Wag and the
Gushing Girls.

The gaily decorated windows of the
bookstores for the past two weeks were
sufficient evidence that st. Valentines |
day was close on hand, and none knows
better that it has arrived than the busy |
clerks at the postoffice. The 14th of Feb
ruary has long been celebrated in pecu>
liar fashion by the people of Europe and
this country. 1t was the custom on the
eve of st. Valentine, for a number of
young folks-maids and bachelors--to
assemble together and inscribe upon little
billets the names of an equal number of
maids and bachelors of their acqEain-
lance, throw the whole into receptacle
of some sort, and then draw them lottery
wise, care being taken that each should
draw one of the opposite sex. The per-
son thus drawn became ones valentine.
Of course, besides having got valentine
for ones self, one became, by the univer-
salty of the practice, some other persons
valentine; but as Mission, learned trav"
eler in the early part of the last century,
remarks, the man stuck faster to the
valentine that had fallen to him. than to
her to whom he had fallen These
imaginary engagements, as may readily
be supposed, often lead to real
ones; because one necessary con
sequence of them was, that for whole
year, a bachelor remained bound to the
service OF his valentine, somewhat after
the fashion of medieval knight of ro-
nance to his lady's love.
But of late years St. Valentines day
has ceased to possess the graceful sym
bolic meaning it used to have. The ap>
proach of the day is now heralded by the
appearance in the windows and on the
book sellers counters, vast numbers Of
missives to be used on this occasion.
Most Of them consist of single sheet Of
paper with some ridiculous colorcd car
feature of the male or female figure, with
a few burlesque figures below. More
rarely the print is of sentimental kind,
such as view of Hymens altar, with a
pair undergoing initiation into welded
happiness before it, while cupid 1utters
| above and hearts transfixed with his darts
decorate the corners, Some one says that
about this time of the year the birds
choose their mates, and probably thence
came the custom of the young men and
maidens choosing valentines for special
loving friends on that occasion.
There are new designs innumcrable in
the emblems of affection displayed this
year, but nothing very striking. Begin
ming with the caricatures, vilely executed
and absurdly colored, that sell for cent,
and are popular with the small boy as an
instrument of revenge on his big sister
maiden aunt, or their best young men,
up to the most ornate and expensive, it
would be strange indeed if a suitable card
could not be found. Many dainty affairs
in delicate hucd satin, with hand painted
flowers upon the surface, are real gems of
ar. They come high, but the girls must
have EN-. Large cards, in boxes, of satin
and plush combination, hand painted, and
also in imitation Of the same, are numcr~
Gus and handsome. The most artistic
combination this year, however, and quite
new, is an exquisite genre picture, prints
of fine lace surrounding the picture. The
back is of bright colorcd satin and has
the inevitable verse printed in gold. The
whole makes satchel for a glove or
handkerchief box Cards are in such pros
fusion that they become bewildering in
their variety. The solitary novelty dis
covered was white and purple velvet
plaque, with pansy in full bloom hand
painted, on the white portion. A similar
design was on 4 white velvet scent bag.
They cost only 81, and are in great de>
mand, The premium attached to the hand
painted article makes these valentines
much sought after, but many more artistic
souvenirs can be found, yet do not sell
for want of the magic sign hand paint
ed" The old reliable embossed, lace
papered, tinseled, and KALEIDOSCOPE
&c valentine, the stanzaS filled
in every line with loves young dream and
long drawn sweetness, is still the favorite
with the masses; and a green heart, with
a purple Cupid perched on top, holding
in outstretched hand yellow letter, in
scribed with message of love, is token
of more ardor in the sender than can be
produced with all the arts Of painters and
silk~looms.