The evening times., 1896-02-12


However clouded with uncertainty may
be the history OF the good old Saint valcn
tine his memory is still cherished with
appropriate regard. The story or this an
Cient patron saint is wholly legendary, vet
the day Of his supposed birth continues to
interest the civilized world with a UNIQUE
| amusement. The custom OF sending greet.
inGs on st. Valentines Day is manifest on
iLe coming anniversary and shows no sign
! of ablIing.
In anticipation of the 4tb, Friday, local
novelty dealers have laid in a large supply
of all styles.
The valentine makers are ingenious peo.
| pie, and their various designs form an ill.,
tercsthS study. The cartoon maker has
a somewhat difficult task to invent much OF
| anything entirely original in the line of
! valentines. He begins early in the sea-
! son, as soon as the Christmas and New
Years cards are off his hands. and makes
| preparations for the 18th OF February.
| But the man who draws the funny pictures
| does not supply, by any means, the entire
| stock or the valentine trade. His con-
| tribution to the stock is even less than in
| former years.
! The call for sentimental valentines is in
| crcaSing every year, and those OF a half
| serious, haifComic nature seem 10 take
best with the public.
The designer OF these is obliged to keep
abreast with the times. and have his eagle
eye at all times open for new suggestions
and uI,-tC-datc ideas.
NEW DESIGNS ARE NUMEROUS.
Then. too, there are the fancy valentines,
in striking contrast TO the cheap aud ludi-
crous cartoons. One would scarce think
fIs..-
anniversary. There is no end OF varieties,
styles and kinds To be found on shop counters
and in show windows.
local dealer who handles the largest
stock in town, and generally supplies the
little grocery and notion stores with their
stock, estnat es that he has no less than 500
different types. These, OF course are in
tended TO please differing tastes, disposi.
tions and purposes.
For the bashful young lover, who is too
timid to unbosom his heart to the maiden
he may chance to admire. st. Valentines
Dav affords a rare opportunity. Antici-
pating this. the dealers. who were once
young themselves, arrange their stock ac-
cordingly.
There is no end OF appropriate and suggcs-
tive poetry for these. for there could not be
a better word than valentine to rhyme
with thine and mime"
Turtle doves carrying messages of love.
heart-shaped cards and cute little blind
Cupid, with his ever present dart, are IA
miliar designs in this line, and are about
the same which have been In use for ages, or
ever since the beginning of the observation
OF the day About now the stores are full
of youths spending their loose change for
these mementoeS.
one fact which is said to be injurng the
valentine business is that the young ladies'
Of late years are sending their beaux
D., IL 10 mot fba
that they object to in the readyInade ar
ticle. but the wish to present some of their
own handiwork. thinking Ii will be more
cherished and appreciated.
This, of course. doesn't lessen the interest
taken in the day We celebrate-if anything
ii Increases; but 1t does lessen the profits
of the novelty dealer. Those who have no
time TO make these, OF who are not expert
with the needle or brush, are forced 10 send
store valentines.
WOMEN DON'T BUY FOR WOMEN.
II is a singular fact, the salesman will tell
you. ladies seldom purchase valentines for
any of their own sex. Ladies, as a rule,
don't send them TO each other: they buy
them for their gentlemen friends.
For the man with a grudge against his |
Deighbor there is an endless assortment in
the comic cartoons. He will be sure to |
find something which fits the case of his |
enemy with a few lines of cruel verse be- |
heath. 4
Ill-proportioned pictures, with monstrcus |
features, made to ridicule the vain person, |
the hypocrite, the ladies' man, the fop, the |
dude, the musician. the man. woman, and |
every other familiar character, on the |
same old styles, are used from year to
year without change. This branch of the
trade Is growing gradually less each sea-
son, and the custom Of sending valentines |
Is seeking higher tone. A new feature this
q Ntvv... ss l.a it, hal
Some interesting features, in a seriO-
comic vein, which are to be found at all
the shops are very pleasing. A little negro
boy posting a letter In the mail box is la
beled "A Black Mailing Valentine"
Another in embossed work represents an |
old OK yoke, in one bow of which is writ
ten Taken and in the other ITO let"
SOME CLEVER NEW THINGS.
Still another, where the sender evidently |
does not seek to reveal his Identity, is
pretty card reading I'm your match "a
lucifer glued to the card); find me If you
can" Also a wreath of flowers around a
broken match mounted on a handsome card,
and with no inscription, is very suggestive.
Your tmatch) less beauty will bring you
many a tbeau)" is very clever.
A miniature spoon attached to a card,
and marked '.rm spoons on you," is
quite novel.
These are neatly gotten up and very at
tractive. Other designs are in cellulOid,
silk and satin, prettiiy ornameuted by the
artists brush, and in papier-niachc and
other fancy materials. Some of these lat
ter are made In the form of figures of
curious and funny little creatures.
The embossed flower patterns conceal
ng volumes of poetry, which would make
he immortal LonGferlOw weep, are a
little ancient, but stin In use to some
sXtept
Every tradcsman, no matter what his
wares may consist of, aims to have some
pecialty on sale as a valentine novelty.
I 10 amusing to observe in some show
windows goods, which before the holidays
we're billed Xmas novelties,'' then marked
New Years Specials" afterward Birth
lay Gifts" and now labeled ''vslentine
Greetings" but 1t all goes as tricks of the
rade.
The noble, Old Saint would no doubt
eel himself highly honored, not TO say
Iuite a littic flattcrcd, could fc but know
he things done in his name and In oommem-
,ration of his life.