Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-13
ST. VALENTINE.
Something OF the Merry Event which
Occurs Tomorrow.

Occurs Tomorrow.
Tomorrow will be ST. Valentines day, an
ntwhich is variously regarded by people
according to the circumstances surround
ing them. 1t is said that the date is fixed
by the birds choosing their mates at this
time of year, and it Is therefore consid-
cred no more than proper that men and
women should choose their lovers on this
day. AS a matter of fact IN Rock Island
as well as elsewhere, humanity is likely
TO form such combinations at most any
and all times of the year, and St. Valen-
tines day as promoter of,matrimony,
has about outlived its usefulness. Its
great age. however, will insure respectful
Treatments and so long as there are people
there will be valentines, much to the re-
greet of the postoffice peopls-unIess there
should happen to be some young ladies
employed therC-who would naturally
scrutnlze the valentines sent other Rock
Island maidens with careful interest,
Notwithstanding the fact that they would
receive a number themselves
Valentines day NAV be silly and fool
sh, but he who is without Stiffness and
foOlishness may cast the first stone. Sat-
urday reporter heard a man sneering at
the custom of sending valentines and
descanting volubly on the idiocy of it.
He was young man. too, not over thirty,
but he was married, and said he took no
interest whatever in the day He forgot
how, years and years ago he bought a
poor little lace valen Zine for the. to him,
prnceIy sum OF ten cents. including the
embossed envelope. He did not remem Der
how ordinarily it looked in the store, on
the same counter with some that cost as
high as seventy Ave cents, and how
much better it looked when he got it
home by itself He forgot now care.
fully he addressed it in his stiff, school
boy hand, and how after school he went
down town, stepped over the stone
door sill of the postoffiCe, worn almost
through by the contact of many feet, and
deposited his valentine among the many
others in the box. And the next day at
noon how all the boys and girls from the
schools hurried down to the postoffice and
received their precious missivcs. He
forgot all this, and well he might, for
time has changed many things since the
little girl, in the row of benches oppo-
site. carefully opened his valentine and
blushingly glanced at him. Yes, be had
forgotten that little episode of so many
years ago, but when the man who, as
boy. sat in the seat with him in that old
school room, and was the confident of
his childish joys and sorrows. mentioned
it, he remembered The little girl with
the beautiful eyes and the rich. brown
hair, which would tangle, who glanced
at him so shyly upon opening his valen-
tine, has been sleeping in Chippianock
this fifteen years but he remembered how
happy she was as they went home from
school together that evening. He re-
was something in Valentines day after
all.
To the younger generations, it is one
of the most joyous occasions of the year,
and it is harmless amusement, notwith-
standing that it is taken advantage of by
some to wound the feelings of others
more sensitive, by sending them comical
insinuating specimens, Under these cir-
cumstances the recipient may rightly
Judge the sender as coward, and treat
the missive accordingly.