Evening star., 1896-02-13
ST. VALENTINES DAY
How the Old Custom. Will Be Observed
Tomorrow.
Changing Tastes in Regard to the
RemembranceS-Nove to
Be Seen in the Stores.

Tomorrow will be St. Valentines day, and
the celebration Of this annual festival will
bring JOY to thousands of infantile hearts.
10 the older ones the day has long since
lost It's meaning, but to the children there
Is immeasurable happiness when it comes
to opening those mysterious envelopes
coming from no one knows where and
containing-what?
The origin of the celebration is rather
hazy. Some say that it used to be ST.
Gallantin's day, and was chosen for the
use of lovers because of the appropriate
ness of the name. Several saints by the
name Of Valentine We're venerated on Feb
ruary Ia, but the 'observances with which
we are familiar today seem to be connected
ratner with the spring time than with the
SAINTS whose name is thus taken in vain.
rms is the day on which, in England and
Scotland In former times, each young
Dacheior and maid received by lot one of
the opposite sex as valentine" for the
year 1t was a kind of mock betrothal, and
was marked by the giving Of presents. The
usage Is supposed to have grown out of
the old notion alluded to by Chaucer and
Shakespeare, that on this day birds first
chocse their mates. The observance of the
day finally degenerated into the usage of
youths and maids sending each other
prints of a sentimental kind.
Changes In Taste.
Within the past few years the observ-
ances in connection with st. Valentines s
day have changed materially. 1t used to be
that everything was lace paper, with
CIpid's darts and pierced hearts, or else
1t went to the other extreme and was all
comic. The lace valentine was all senti-
nent and weak poetry. Today one sees
scarcely a remnant OF either style. The
lace valentine as it was a few years ago
has disappeared almost as completely as
the dodo, while the vivid comics have
been relegated to the suburbs.
Some Novelties.
There are plenty of novelties in the
stores this year showing what change
there has been in the valentine taste. For
the mt st part the missives are of mock
sentimental character rather than of a
genuinely poetic sort. For instance, one
card has the words There is no match for
you;' the second word being designated by
a genuine sulphur match pasted on. This
style, with variations, seems to be par
ticularly popular. One shows young man
with his coat exposed showing heart as
big as chest protector, and under it are
the words, "HoW my heart is throbbing for
you" There are all sorts of made-up val
eEtines, so bulky that they would have to
be sent in box. little mouse is seated
c1 raft made Of toothpicks, and on the
card on which the shipwrecked rodent is
mounted are the words, "Adrift without a
nate." Many of the valentines contain
puns, for the most part rather poor, as
puns are apt to be. These are but few
of the ideas presented, for it would seem
as though the designers of valentines must
have exhausted their ingenuity this year
in originating quaint and curious articles.
If one were asked the question direct he
ould probably say that fewer people send
valentines now than was the case three
or four years ago. The booksellers how
ever, say that they have noticed no falling
off in sales. and Assistant Superintendent
Bergman of the city delivery division of
the post Office told a Star reporter this
morning that so far as he knew st. VAL
entine's day would make as much extra
work for the lette" carriers today and to-
morrow as in any year gone by.