Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-02-14
ST. VALENTINES DAY,
Set Apart by Cupid For the Sending
of Tender Tokens of Love,
And Also Utilized by Humanity for the
Transmission of Sharp-Pointed Re-
minders That Jealousy, Hate
and RidicuIe Exist,

The fourteenth of February is set apart
on the calendars as St. Valentines day,
when the lover and sweetheart are to anony-
mously send each other bright-co!ored and
dainty reminders that although the age Of
mythology has long since passed the god
of Love still holds sway upon the human
heart and exerts a mighty effect upon the
affairs of the mundane sphere.
For weeks the show windows and coun'
tiers of the book, news and fancy stores have
been gay with a gorgeous display Of valen-
tines from
THE ALLEGED COMIC PRINT
al one cent each; manufactured by bales
TO be sold to persons whose bumps OF NAL
ice, envy and vindictiveness are sbnor-
mslly developed, an through an infnity of
grades to the beautiful creation OF satin,
silk and delicately- tinted and perfamed ps-
per and cardboard, which the bland and
oblieing salesman tells you come at FIVE
dollars, Sir" The demand this year has
been very good, especially for the fine kinds,
dealers reporting many Gales OF the best
class of goods, at prices between one dol
lar and two and a halt, and as a conse-
uuence the postofics has been doing q
rushing business for the past twenty.four
hours, and the carriers will find their loads
tomorrow considerably increased above
the average.
In the course of talk with a dealer last
night he said:
DEALER TALKS.
The old familiar comic print ia still
with us, but the inquiry for them is falling
of year by year, a TACT which speaks vol,
umes for the good taste of the youth Of
Wheeling. We only keep them to meet
the requirements Of q certain class OF trade.
On the contrary, tie demand for fine
goods is increasing, and this year our line
Is more complete than ever before. Some
Of our high priced goods ore msrvels OF
delicacy and beauty, and make ornaments
of which any one would beproud. artists
and designers of the highest ability are
now turning their attention to the produc-
ton of valentines, and the result you see
before You.'
HISTORY OF The DAY.
The connection u the custom Of send
ing comic or sentimental missives with St.
Valentine is purely accidental. In the
legends ofthe different sniuts Of that name
no trace of the practice peculiar to the 18th
of February is found. II has been suggest
ed that the custom may have descended to
us from the ancient Romans, who, during
the Lupercakia, celebrated in the month Of
February, were wont, among other things,
to put the names OF young women into a
box. from which they were drawn cut by the
young men, and that the Christian clergy,
finding it difficult or impossible to eXtir,
pate this pagan practice, gave 1t at least a
religious aspect by substituting the names
of particular saints 10. those OF women;
and it is certainly q usage more or less eN.
tended in the Catholic church, to select,
either on ST. Valentines day or some other,
q patron saint for the year.
Or PAGAN ORIGIN.
But it is far more probable that the Gus.
tom of choosing valentines is q relic ofthe
most primitive torms Of religion, and that
it apraug from a recognition Of tine pecu-
lisritv of the season. Hence the
explanation given By n writer, that
about this time OF the year the birds
choose their mates, and thence probably
came the custom OF the young meu and
maidens choosing valentines, or special
Loving friends, on that day
In various parts OF Europe, and to some
extent in this country, St. Valentines eve
is the occasion Of social gatherings, par.
lies, dances, &C., at which the young peo.
pie enjoy themselves until midnight, bat
here the custom has never found a foot,
hold