Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-09
CUPID'S MAIL BAG.
The Sentimental Missives Which Will
be Circulated Next Thursday.

The Sentimental Missives Which Will
be Circulated Next Thursday.
THIS YEARS VALENTINE MARKETS. THE CUSTOM
ON THE wANE?-wHAr LOCAL DEALERS Say
NOVELTIES FOR THIS sEAsoN-THE TRADE IN
COMIC vALENTINEs
Next Thursday the bashful wooer will have
an opportunity to tell his tale Of love and de-
votion by means of Uncle Sans postmen. Not
that such people have not just as good an OPP
portunity on every day of the year, for there
is no law contrabanding sentimental mail
matter, but next Thursday has for years and
years been set aside by general consent as the
day on which signing swains and modest maid
ems can give anonymous hints of their indy
ing affection. So well founded has this custom
become that science, art and ingenuity have all
lent their aid to make the sending and receiv-
ing Of valentines an episode worthy of the &C.
casion. But there seems to be popular opin-
ion that the valentine custom is dying out. and
that the prosaic world is demanding something
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 entirely disappeared.
THE CUSTOM STILL POPULAR.
Yet the replies that were given by number
of local stationers the other day to this ques-
ton when asked by a STAR reporter, would not
seem to indicate that valentines were to be
buried as being out of date In fact. Judging
from the number 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 encroaches of the
Christmas and Easter cards. The tendency in
valentines, as we'll as in almost everything else.
is toward the odd. Novelties in valentines
abound this season on the counters of the sta
TONERS, new ideas that are sure to attract the
attention of the most fastidious buyers, and to
please the most capricious recipient.
NOVELTIES
Little downy owllets, made of combination
of cotton and Imagination, perch themselves
in all possible positions and places. Some are
driving a pair of butterflies over 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 tiny tambourine, the head
being of boiling cloth, on which a bird is
painted in glowing tints, and around the edges
hang small bells at the ends of vari-colored
ribbons. The whole comes in box at dollar.
UNIQUE BOOKLETS.
Another novelty is in the form of a booklet.
By-the-way, booklets are crowding out the
cards, both in valentines and Christmas and
Easter souvenirs; they are much more pretty
and vastly more popular. This particular book
let consists of from five to fifteen leaves each
one bearing flower or twig or leaf from the
fora of the Rocky mountains neatly mounted.
The specimens are actual growths and are
carefully 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 IS cents up to So
according to the number of leaves. There are
some others manufactured that are an inch or
so thick, costing as high as IS.
cELLuLoID Is USED
to surprising extent and forms an excellent
background for some of the shades in the val
entines One unique valentine is veritable
love message. A large square envelope con-
ceals its true nature, but when opened it is
found to be a telegram over the Cupids Union
line, sending 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 oLp-FAsHIoNED MssrvEs.
Yet with all the novelties the old-fashioned
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, il not more of these than of the
new sort. owls to the contrary Notwithstanding
They are just as high and puffy in their archi-
lecture ever. but they cost much less A
tinsel valentine that two years ago would cost
a swain a two-dollar bill may now be bought for
one-fourth that sum. Perhaps this is
the secret of its continued popularity,
but at any rate The STAR reporter
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. ar
rows and kindred weapons Of destruction, and
neat little verses with wonderful rhymes for
..love find Just as good market to-day as thew
did ten years ago. But the owls and the floral
specimens and bolting-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 inst as
many in the valentine business as in any other.
For instance-this was told by a dealer in a
whsper-ali these pretty love messages that
are not sold are very likely to turn up on the
counters again next Easter disguised by an APP
propriate label. but the same, nevertheless
Then, if they don't sell at Easter they return
to light next Christmas, once more transformed
beyond recognition by means of a new senti-
ment tied on to the right place. Thus the
valentines do duty all the year around Christ
mas and Easter cards also do triple duty.
= LOVE AND HATE.
1t is odd that the valentine should be used as
means of expressing the two extreme ideas
love and hate. To satisfy the latter passion the
weirdest minds produce the most extrayagant
insanities possible to Imagination in the shape
of comic valentines. There il no deformity of
person or mind, no peculiarly of
habit or custom, no individuality of
trade or profession that is not
portrayed and caricatured for the benefit of
the sender of the comic valentine Poesy, too.
is tortured into the widest of rhymes and me-
tres. Description runs riot and there is a fan
tasy Of spite. "A maker of comic valentines
must be genius-in his way. He is, TO A GER
tain extent, good Judge Of humanity, but his
rhymes are frightful.
THE SALE OF COMIC VALENTINES
il confined, to . very large extent, to children.
who derive great amusement from the PLAYING
of their little jokes with o two-cent stamp and
Q sheet of colored paper. The opinions of
dealers differ as to whether or not the sale of
comic valentines il on the decrease, but Il e
probable that it il holding its ground with the
other kind.
There win be many Q valentine bought be-
tween now and next Thursday, and there win
also be . great many Of last years tokens un-
earthed and made to do duty over again
Homemade valentines win abound, the product
of the amateur artist. and the postman win
"a L. 81 -