Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-14
Cupid,s Mail Bag.

sam Is postmen. Not that such people
have not just as good an opportunity on
every day of the year, for there is no
law contrabanding sentimental mail mat
ter, but next Thursday has for years and
years been set aside by general consent
as the day on which signing SWANS and
modest maidens can give anonymous
hints OF their undying affection
So well founded has this custom
become that science, art and ingenuity
have ali lent their aid to make the send
ing and receiving of valentines an episode
worthy of the occasion. But there seems
to be popular opinion that the valentine
custom is dying out, and that the prosaic
world is demanding something a little
more substantial in the way of love
tokens than bit of painted pasteboard.
Each year this opinion prevails, and,
according to the length of time that has
elapsed since its first appearance, the
custom should, by this time, have en-
tirely disappeared.
THE CUSTOM STILL POPULAR.
Yet the replies that were given by a
number of local stationers the other day
TO this question when asked by Star re-
porter, would not seem to indicate that
valentines were to be buried as being out
of date In fact, judging from the num-
Der and variety of valentines he saw on
his rounds the reporter has arrived at
the conclusion that the valentine. has
come to stay, notwithstanding the en-
croaches of the Christmas and Easter
cards. The tendency in valentines, as
well as in almost everything else, is
toward the odd. Novelties in valen-
tines abound this season on the counters
of the stationers, new ideas that are sure
80 a% of Of ha fos
tidious buyers, and to please the most
capricious recipient.
NOVELTIES.
Little downy owllets, made of a COM
bination of cotton and imagination, perch
themselves in all possible positions and
places Some are driving a pair of but
terfiies over a celluloid field that curls up
on one end to keep the tiny things from
dashing over the edge; others blink their
unwinking eyes from the top of tree
of about the same height as themselves;
others are perched under umbrellas.
The whole line of owlishness is very
pretty and unique. Another pretty style
of valentine, new this year, is a tiny
tambourine, the head being of boiling
cloth, on which bird is painted in glow
ing tints, and around the edges hang
small bells at the ends of vari-colored
ribbons. the whole comes IN DoX at 81.
UNIQUE BOOKLETS.
Another novelty is in the form of a
booklet. BY the way, booklets are
crOwding out the cards, both in valen-
tines and Christmas and Easter souve-
mrs; they are much more pretty and
vastly more popular. This particular
booklet consists of from five to fifteen
leaves each, one bearing a flower or
ID ool--
mountains, neatly mounted. The speci-
mems are actual growths and are care
fully selected with reference to the har-
mony of tints in each volume. The
whole is bound in heavy paper covers,
tied with pretty ribbons, These cost
from 70 cents up to 50, according to the
number of leaves. There are some
others manufactured that are an inch or
so thick, costing as high as So.
CELLULoID is USED
to a surprising extent and forms an excel
lent background for some of the shades
in the valentines. One unique valentine
is a veritable love message. A large
square envelope conceals its true nature,
but when opened il is found to be a tele-
gram over the Cupid IS union line, send
ing love blessing to the fair one at the
other end. An extra blank is to be
found inside in case the fair one wishes
to reply.
THE OLD-FASHIONED AIIsSIvE.
Yet with all the novelties the old-fash-
toned valentine, with its profusion of
silver and gold tinsel, open-work frames
set upon springs, and concealed love-
token, holds its own. There are just as
many, if not more, of these than of the
new sort, owls to the contrary notwith-
standings They are just as high and
puffy in their architecture as ever, but
they cost much less. A tinsel valentine
that two years ago would cost swain a
two-dollar bill may now be bought for |
one-fourth that sum. Perhaps this is
the secret of It's continued popularity, |
but at any rate the Star reporter was
informed by one dealer there is a great |
demand for Old-fashioned styles. Little |
cupids, in attire i'll suited to the season, |
hearts and other portions of the human |
anatomy, arrows and kindred weapons of |
destruction, and neat little verses with
wonderful rhymes for "love,'' find just |
as good a market to-day as they did ten |
years ago. But the owls and the floral |
specimens and bolting-c cloth tambourines, |
with their modified sentiments, are going
to press the spiral-spring styles pretty |
hard this year.
CHANGES OF SENTIMENT.
There are tricks in every trade, and
just as many in the valentine business as
in any other. For instance-this was told
by dealer in a whisper-all these pretty
love messages that are not sold are very
likely TO turn up on the counters again
next Easter, disguised by an appropriate
label, but the same, nevertheless. Then,
if they don t sell at Easter, they return
to light next Christmas, once more trans
formed beyond recognition by means of
a new sentiment tied on to the right
place Thus the valentines do duty all
the year around. Christmas and Easter
cards also do triple duty.
LOVE AND HATE.
It is odd that the valentine should be
used as means of expressing the two
extreme ideas-love and hate To salts
fly the latter passion the weirdest minds
produce the most extraYagant insanities
possible to Imagination in the shape of
comic valentines There is no deformity
Of person or mind, no popularity of habit
or custom, no individuality of trade or
profession that is not portrayed and car
featured for the benefit of the sender of
the comic valentine. Poesy, too, is tor
tured into the widest of rhymes and me-
tres. Description runs riot and there is
n Of A 0f 10 /