Omaha daily bee., 1894-02-11
TOUGH AND TENDER MISSIvES
Such as Will Break the Monotony of Mid
winter Life.
RscoLLEcTloNS or ST. VALENTINES DAY
a Custom outgrown' Its Usefulness, Though
stlli of Interest to the Young-A
Few Remarks for the
Occasion.

Few Remarks for the
Occasion.
The appearance OF an infinite variety of
valentines in n few show windows is a re-
mlnder that st. Valentines has not entirely
passed IintJ oblivion. The day observed
from time immemorlal occurs on Wedncs-
day. 1t will doubtless be observed to a
limited extent by young and old-by the
former for customs sake and by the latter
on account of the memories 1t revives.
st. Valentines day is an ancient festival
which has almost entirely passed out of
observance. Mission, a learned traveller of
the early part of the last century, gives
probably 4 correct account of the principal
ceremonial of the day. ION the eve of st.
Valentines day" he says, the young folks
In England and Scotland. by a very ancient
custom, celebrate a little festival. An equal
number of maids and bachelors get to-
gether; each write their true or some
feigned name upon separate billets, which
they roll up and draw by way Of lots, the
maids taking the mems billets and the
men the maids, so that each of the young
men lights upon a girl that he calls his
valentine, and each Of the girls upon a
young man, whom she calls hers. by
this means each has two Valentines, but
! the man sticks faster to the valentine that
has fallen to him, than to the valentine to
whom he has fallen. Fortune having thus
divided the company into so many couples,
the valentines give balls and treats to their
mistresses, wear their billets several days
upon the blossoms or sleeves, and this little
sport often ends in love"
Valentines day is little observed in Eng
land and Scotland now, and is confined al
most entirely to the humble class, which
consists in sending a ~jocular anonymous
letter, on the first page of which is seen
some ridiculous, Colored caricature of the
male or female figure, with a few burlesque
verses below. Sometimes a pair are pre-
scented as standing before Hymen's altar,
while Cupid 1utters above the hearts trans
fixed with darts decorate the corners. Another
way in which the day is observed over there
is in sending cheap prints or valentines
through the mail, as is done in this coun-
try by certain portions of the community.
But a commendable practice exists in
America, which obtains very widely, and the
young lady who is the peculiar favorite of
young men will rise on the morning of st.
Valentines day and await the coming of the
postman with as much interest as a child
does Christmas morning. When she hears
his welcome ring at the door her heart will
beat faster as she hastens herself to open 1t.
She knows she has been remembered and is
OllN ntilAlcu I navy nv ltlilg lllit
in her possession. Then she will speak
lovingly of the boys after she has opened
the boxes or parcels that contain delicious
roses, beautiful, sweet smelling flowers, or
cards that are inimitable specimens of the
artists workmanship. DShe will show them
to her friends in her own ~ecstatic manner,
and, perhaps, she will whisper the names of
the dear boys who have not forgotten her
on SO important a day. j.
But st. Valentines day is not always one
of lnmiXpd Measure to those who receive
reminders of it. 1t is the day when the wag
and the joker delight to exemplify them
selves. The old maid is their peculiar
quarry, and, to use their own phraseology,
they ''lay for her" OH st. Valentines day.
They send her a cheap print of a female,
somewhat advanced in years, with long ours,
a scrawny, cantankerous looking face, a
red nose, large feet and slatternly attire.
And at the bottom appears a verse or two
of sarcastic doggerel, setting forth her
charms to the taste of the person who
sends it. Or, perhaps, he has been Tilted,
and, feeling sore over 1t, the only way he
can think of to soothe his injured pride is
to send a valentine, which is supposed to
apply to one of her tickle mind. Or he
has a grudge against one of his own sex,
and, like Tan O'Shanter's wife, he nurses
his wrath to keep 1t warm until squared
so, at least, the injured person thinks.
Others send the same class of prints to
friends and acquaintance, simply for the
amusement they get out of 1t, but many
regard the day as one on which to pay OF
their grudges.
It is a little rasping to your conceit to
have a valentine sent you of a rejected lover
on his knees, looking like a calf. All the
more rasping because you have just begun
to feel what a fool you must have looked,
and you are sure no one but Miss X. could
have sent it, so you will forget to look at
her next time you meet her. But you
shouldn't be too hasty; first take notice of
how that little red-headed brother of hers
looks at you on the 10th, and IL you are n
mind reader you may change your opinion
as to who sent the valentine. You are prob
ably not the only one he has remembered.
Don't imagine that he has forgotten to send
his sister a picture of an old maid, his aunt
a representation of a scold with a long red
tongue, or his father a specimen of q man
who beats his wife.
What fun it used to be to receive the
dainty bits of decorated paper, with the
silly verses, the picture of two impossible
little Dickie birds kissing each other, and
the mysterious initials in the corner. or
course, we could never imagine who sent 1t,
but usually had a beaming smile for Jack
Brown when he put in a bashful appearance
at recess, looking as If he had committed a
crime. Perhaps we went so far as to offer
him a bite of our apple, which had been
going the rounds of the spelling class. For
those initials did look suspiciously like u.
b. scrawled in Jacks own inimitable style
with n slate pencil dipped in backing. After
he grew up, his eXecrable writing showed so
plainly he was destined for something great,
that IL secured him the position of judge.
After the sheriff turned a few murderers
loose that he intended should be hung, and
hung two innocent men, and the lawyers
read his decisions to suit themselves, he not
being able to prove by his writing that they
didn't read right, he learned to send q type
written copy with everything he wrote.
--
iRE THE BONDS IEGII2