The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-15
Change FOR THE BETTER
Use Of the Alleged Comic Valentine
Growing in Disfayor.
MORE OF PRETTY ONES USED
Mail Carriers Had to Carry Large Con.
signmcnts Of them Yesterday to All
Parts of the City-The Al tistic
Trifles Eagerly Accepted.

The legs of the faithful letter carrier
| and the expectations of many an anX-
ious maiden We're equally taxed yester-
day. 1t was st. Valentines day, and
with all its romance, disappointment
| and humor was not much different
from similar days in years gone by.
Out on Washington avenue pretty
miss of 10 summers and winters
tripped to the front door as she heard
the familiar whistle of the postman.
She stepped out on the porch as he
hurried up the steps and eagerly
reached for the two letters handed her
one letter was from her cousin and the
other contained Il bill for coal
"Oh, Mr.. Postman," she tried to say
with composure as the letter man
| passed out of the gate, hasn't there
been a mistake?"
Guess not; aren't those letters
right"
why. yes. Only ! just thought,
you know, maybe you had overlooked
very important letter | expected this
morning"
Nope. That's all I've got for
No. -"
That astute letter carrier had been
too long in the business carrying love
letters, mourning letters. dunning let
ters, good letters, bad letters, awful
letters and sub rosa letters, to be
bluffed by pretty miss of 10 sum
mers. He knew she was longing for
valentine, but he was model
postman. And he didn't even smile.
Expected Let tcrCamc.
He met her again at the top of the
steps at o'clock, and again the pretty
miss of 10 summers and winters
blushed and said something about
queer mistake lawfully provoking"
And the postman didn't smile.
At o'clock he delivered into her hand
a big square envelope with II cents
worth of cancelled stamps on the corner
of it, She blushed slightly said thank
you,' and hurried back into the house.
And the postman smiled.
SO it went all the day. Some We're
| disappointed, but many were not. as
| shown by the 1000 valentines which
passed through the Scranton postoiiice
yesterday to "be delivered within the
city limits.
1t was all very nice for the lovelorn
men and maidens, but the post
men didn't like it even a little bit.
Those 1900 precious valentines We're
of all shapes and sizes and would per-
sist in mixing themselves up or getting
bent or dropping on the snow. Some
real bad words were said by the letter
carriers and postoilice clerks.
hot ,....a -,
horrors the mails brought to public
officials and men of prominence does
not appear. OF course there We're hun
dreds of them. but nobody is saying
anything about it.
Dccadcnce of the Fad.
The horrid, ugly and malicious val
entine was very much i'm evidence, and
a large number of them found their
way through the mails, but the officials
at the postofIice are authority for the
statement that not near so many OF
the cheap valentines are mailed as of
yore.
Superintendent of Carriers w. u.
Roche said yesterday that there is each
year an increased number used of the
| pretty triiles of lace paper and flowers
that are labeled valentines, and there
is corresponding decrease in the num-
Der of carcatures that pass through
the mailman's hands.
1t is the object of the real valentine
| to make some one brighton ard h"n"i"r
and for that reason, II no other, de-
serves to be known as a work of art.
The alleged comic valentine has n far
different mission. 1t is born of n per-
verted mind and its sole object is to
wound the feelings of some fellow trav-
eler along the thorny road of life; to
ridicule his pet hobby or burlesque the
thing he holds most sacred in life. The
comic valentine should go, and 1t is a
hopeful sign of the times that its use
is each year growing less.