The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-12
ST. VALENTINE.
-Four Tonnes Did OF Re-
fuse Him."
Origin and Customs of The
Celebration on Friday.
Something About the New Designs
Displayed This Year.
"Four tonnes did Oh refuse him,
When Pathrick came 10 woo:
But me heart KEEP go!u' PITY Pat

hntH A ~ Ntilt " NO1H
But me heart KEEP Ro.n' Pity Pat
So what else was Oh to dot"
Where the application of the above
comes, in connection with the intents
and purposes Of the customs of 81. Nalen-
tines day, which is due here next Friday,
it is hard to imagine.
Nevertheless, che of the most attractive
of the newest valentines out is thus label
cd. The origin of the custom of choos-
ing valentines is a little obscure, but
none the less interesting, althoxgh latter
cav celebrations OF Feb. IA exhibit a de-
cided degenerateness. The makers OF en-
cyclopedias have evidently agreed TO dis
agree ON the subject. With some st. Val
entine was a bishop or p~rtsbyter, who
vas beheaded at Rome curing the reign
of Claudius (270 A.. D. and who vas
famous for his love and charity, and the
custom of choosing valentines upon his
festal arose from thence. Others declare
that the connection between the custom
and the saint was purely accidental, and
that the OBJ ervance was derived from the
customary belief hat birds choose their
mates on this day.
Another version is that the custom
arose from a practice prevalent In ancient
Rome at the festival of the Lu p~trcalla on
Feb. 10, when, during other ceremonies,
names OF young women were put In a box
and drawn out, 'one each, by Young men,
as chance directed. The custom celebrated
in England, Scotland and parts OF the
Continent. especially in Lorraine ana
Maine, France, several centuries ago,
was almost identical. On the eve of 81.
Valentines day the names Of a select
number OF one sex were put into some
ves,e ell by an equal number OF the other
sex and thereupon every one drew a
name, which for the time being was his
or her valentine. Many OF tn Sc imagin-
airy engagements led 10 real ones.
Presents of gloves, carriers and jewelry
were common as valentines In We good
olde days, and it used to be customary for
|. both sexes to make presents, but now,
where this custom prevails at all, II Is
only In part the young men play the
gallant role.
This year, OF course, being leap year,
1t will be perfectly proper for any young
lady to give her hearts choice a gold
watch, or anything of equal value 1t Is
easy to trace the course of contempt with
which many an old timer regards the de-
parture of the graceful symbolic meaning
OF the ancient observance so appropriate
to the spring season., and the heralding
of the approach OF st. Valentines day by
the appearance in the stationer's windows
of cheap, ridiculously colored cards am
w VI -
timental view OF a Wedding before
Hymen's altar, with Cupid futtering
above the "happy" couple and hearts
transfixed with darts decorating the COR
ners. In this connection comes the an
nouncement that valentines are manufac-
tured | ess extensively than formerly. Be
that as it may, one Providence %stationer
stated yesterday that he expected to sell
1000 or 5000 this week.
With this hint it is not difficult to es-
innate that altogether a great many
thousand valentines will change hands
in this city during the same reriod, not
to mention the hundreds which were
saved IRON former years To do duty again.
All young people do that. A pretty val
entine' received from Aunt Mary last year
Is Just as good to sen to Grace Jones
this year. Another thing that young
people do Is to form gangs (they call
them parties) and race through the neigh
borhood delivering comic valentines,
tying strings to doors bells. chalking
valentines on the steps and then rushing
of into darknes and paroxysms OF de-
light at the same time.
Speaking of comic valentines the pro-
prietor of a large store where the fiendish
things are kept and sold says that SO far
there has not been a heavy demand for
~fapcies. but the comics ave gone like
hot cakes. This indicates that II the
Goo Coos, new woman, and ''sich'' may
expected to be "~insulted. ~ IL is needless
10 add, perhaps, that comic valentines
are the same today as yesterday or a half
century ago, vet some people canno re-
ceive them with any degree OF equani-
nifty.
There are a great many pretty valen-
tines in the shop windows, as well as
! some novelties. The latter are not dIstinc-
lively new perhaps, most OF them. APP
pearing last year but they have some new
W. - L.. AAIL III
holder, resembling glass, surrounding
a decorated cardboard heart. 1t is filed
with tooth picks and deferred with gold
bronze, ''Thou art my pick" There Is a
deep seated suggestiveress about such
a valentine.
Cellulcid has been brought into use more
than usual and is employed in every con
ceivable design. IL sets OF a satin covered
dollar cffusion in great shape, n popular
idea being to elevate hand-painted daisies
at each corner. IL also serves TO represent
musical instruments, handsomely decorat-
ed and mounted on satin. The maiden
opens the head OF a banjo and beholds a
painted landscape, or cooling lovers, or
doves, and a sweet, pretty quatrain from
the one she loves.
Another sweet titbit, Of n more u%tilita-
rian character, perhaps, is q lumo OF loaf
sugar tied with n pretty pit k ribbon 10 n
delicately tinted card. This H. introduced
With the timeworn announcement that
"sugar is sweet and so are you" follow
ed by four lines of compliment or cndear-
ment. Clothes-rins are also worked into
valentines, as we'll as common, everyday
pins. A row OF the latt r would natural
ly need some explanation and are surely
queer enough vehicles for the conveyance
OF a lovers fondness for his inamorata.
The explanation runs: ~ send you this
row OF pins, to show you how true love
begins.p
Somebody has conceived the idea OF
skstching burltsque figures i'm black ana
white and red, and there are a number OF
very Frenchy designs, among the most
prominent OF which Is a new woman OF
doubtful anatomy astEide a bike. In
some way the connection IA trought
al out bctw cen the subject and the season.,
but it seems rather far fetched. Then
there ATE the usual combinations result
ing In doublc-decked, a~ccordcon-like
affairs, which when properly SET, present
n very tine stage view with Roman gar
ders. silvcry fouuatins, ETC., etc. galore.
As heretofore, valentines may be obtained
in all sizes and nj all prices, and no doubt
50. Valentines day, 1920, vi be as gen.
ArafIr~ Z. .r-.ss.4.t.. .A4 49, a..