Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-02-04
The bird Of life is singing in the sun;

The bird Of life is singing in the sun;
Snort is his song, nor only just begun
A GALA thrill, a rapture, then-so soon!
"A silence, and the song is done-is done"
Phyllis has no need to go without a
love token from Corydon, this four
teenth Of February ammo Domini eight
cen hundred and ninety-eight. for if
money is no object to him, he can spend,
a small fortune in his remembrance of
her. or, IL his purse be not well filled
with filthy lucre,' he can be extreme
ly economical, and only pay one cent
at the same time gladdenlnS her heart
and proving the truth of the old adage
that economy is wealth."
The custom of observing the four
teenth of February is of very ancient
origin. In fact, it is supposedly pagan
Chaucer makes mention of it, and
Shakspere also tells of the fancy that
OBTAINED credence in early times, that
the birds chose their mates upon this
DAY. 1t was, and even at this present
is, the habit in some parts of the old
world, for the youth to select the maid
en- to whom he shall pay his court the
coming year, upon St. Valentines day.
me custom is, therefore. very old; and
SO long as there are children and low
ers IN the world, it will never die out
The prettiest valentine which can be
bestowed is natural flowers, especially
those carrying some special meaning
But, failing knowledge of the flower
language, let him invest a handsome
sum in. bouquet of roses or the more
fashionable violet, or the administration
flower the scarlet carnation and, pro-
viding the bouquet is large and expen-
siVe enough, Phyllis will be sure to en-
thuSe when next he sees her. If mis-
sive be lurking within the bouquet so
much the better; it IS romance.
After flowers come those valentines
which are so- ornate with satin and
hand painting and sprinkled with those
delightful little celluloid Cupids. On go
ing through the large local mandatory
one sees many pretty and novel designs
for this year
A design which pleased greatly was a
large lavender silk heart-shaped ban
ner, hand painted with purple and gold
heartsease. This banner was truly an
artistic affair, made of celluloid and
delicate lace paper, with blue, lavender
or pink backgrounds delicately showing
through. But the chief novelty Tthe
season is that of the embossed celluloid
effect. One valentine, the prices of
which fingered in the neighborhood of
$40, was heart in the midst of which
three doves of the embossed celluloid
hovered. All was delicate white and
lavender Violets formed a frame, as
1t were, outlining the heart. Delicate
leaves of the embossed celluloid were
thickly interspersed wherever possible.
Some of these valentines are deco
rated with Autographs so perfect that
only the experienced eye is able to dis
cover the fact that not hand painting,
but the photographer is responsible for
the beauty of tine work of art, for really
| some Of these things might be called
works of art.
The observance of st. Valentines day
is not going out of date, if the word of
leading valentine manufacturer is to
be taken as a criterion. Indeed he in
| sists that it is improving with every
| year.
1t is probable that so long as children
and lover exist, the valentine will in
some form or other continue to give
pleasure
| There is one thought, however, that
comes to one in looking at these pretty
things, why can't some good verse be
sometimes printed with these? Some
bits of Herrick, for instance. But to
send delicately rose-tinted cupid out
in the world with this appended to him:
1.-THE flowers are sweet as the sunshine
and dew,
But fairer than them is my memory of
you"
is simply atrocious.
With the increase of the artistic
quality of the work expended in these
remembrances, let us hope for a little
better grade of verse. Next year the
manufacturers are promising a larger
variety of novelties one in particular of
a colored lace paper, in which the flow
ers and birds shall be delicately color
ed and true to nature as well. The de-
signer is already thinking about it
and experimenting