The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-02-09

brought her name written upon blue paper in
gold letters done by himself, very pretty; and
we were both we'll pleased with it. But am
also this year my wife's Valentine, and it will
cost me f5, but that must have laid out If we
had not been Valentines" Alluding further
on to the Duchess of Richmond, he says: .Ihe
Duke of York being once her Valentine, dld
give her a jewel of about $780, and my Lord
Vaudeville. her Valentine this year, ring Of
about $780,"
From the above it appears that married and
single people alike were eligible as Valentines,
and that the ladies were accustomed to receiv-
ing valuable presents.
This was all very well. but the truly halcyon
days of Cupid's festival were yet to come, when
romance and sentiment were to exercise excia-
sive sway Ger all hearts, and surcharged feel
ings would seek relief in poetical effusons.
Here is a jeu d esprit of the close of the l1th
century addressed to Dorinda:
Look how, my dear. the feathered kind
BY mutual caress Is joynd,
Bill AND seem TO leach us two,
What we to love and custom owe.
"a Shall only you and forbear
To meet and make happy pair?
Shall we alone delay 10 lirep
This day age Of bliss may give
60 But all when the pro!Ter make,
Still coyly you refuse To- take;
My heart dedicate i'll vain
The too meal, present you dsdan.
Yet hence the solemn time allows
To choose the object OF our vows,
Boldly ] dare profess my flame,
Prond to be yours by any name.
Hone in his Book of Days gives an amusing
account of an old bachelor who called on him
one st. Valentines Day in a most perpexed
state. Some impertinont maiden had sent him
rib bone of some small animal done up in Il
dainty package with these suggestive lines:
co,dan,pIate this loveTy
Haste thee away to Rcnson's shrine.
And listen To her voice;
No more ilIusive shades pursue,
To l,apriness this gives the clue.
Make but prudent cpicc.
IT'LL Adam had partner given,
Much as fair Eden bloo,n'd like Heaven,
His bliss Incomplete
No social friend these joys TO share
Gave The gay scene vacant air.
She caIne--'twas all repiete."
thousand pties it is that original ssnti-
ment on st. Valentines Day should no longer
| have any vogue. Our grandfathers knew some
thing of it. What delicious pleasure it must
have been for the enamOred youth The
burning verses carefully pcnned in a dis
gused hand over fanciful signature; or
sometimes it was simple prose, but luminous
with meaning, as in the case of Sam Weiiers
| immortal essay, even though it was signed
/" yonr lovesick Pickwck.' The fair recipient
never failed to detect the real author.
The present century has witnessed the rise
and decline of the tswdry lace work produc-
tions, more or less heavily laden with frills and
cheap sentiment. according 10 the price.
Shortly after the penny post was established
in London, some 30 years ago, the average de-
livery of such missives in the metropolis alone
amounted to about 100000 year. aud in 1868
the figures had risen to 100000, while the
manufacture of valentines had become an i'm
portaat industry.
Interest i'll the gorgeous store productions.
however. has languished sadly Of late. both in
England and in this country. In these times
the only visible sign of the advent of this most
fitting fete day is in the annual appearance of
those vulgar and nauscous pictorial atrocities
known rs penny valentines.
Oh, worthy and venerated Saint, to what base
uses. indeed has the day of thy martyrdom
come at last :,
Verify. It's enough to make thy relics, scat
tered though they be, burst from their tonIbs
and unite in ghostly semblance of thy living
self to offer a mute protest against the modern
observance of st. Valentines Day.