Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-11
THE DAY IN THE SOUTH,
Festival of st. Valentine is Enjoyed
by Everyone.


There is nothing notable in the celebra-
ton of st. Valentines day in the south
Many valentines, both comic and senti-
mental, are exchanged between the young
people. This is done through the mails No
love-sick young man would think of allow
ing the day to pass without sending to his
best girl pretty valentine containing an
abundance Of tender words in poetical form.
He sends it without anything to identify it
as coming from him, but she is expecting
1t and has little trouble in guessing whom
1t is from. If she also likes the young man
ne likewise gets token of her affection in
the shape of a valentine These senti-
mental tokens of the day are kept for many
years.
Many times they result in matches, and
later in marriage. The Iove-sick young peo-
pie always understand that what is sent
on st. Valentines day is in earnest, and
lacks all suspicion of fickleness or fiattery
This assurance, Of course, gives seriousness
to what passes between sweethearts and
naturally soon leads to a more perfect and
blissful understanding.
southern young people have lots of fun
with the cheap comic valentines. All old
scores and bitterness are paid off with
these missives. The matter is not always
taken In good nature or meant that way
Ihe youngster who receives a gorgeousy
grOteSque valentine, picturing him in the
worst possible light Immediately surmises
that 1t comes from one of his enemies. The
falling out may have been about some
sweet maiden or about a game of marbles
or base ball most anything else The
recipient of the valentine tries in many
ways to discover the sender and there is
not lnfrequently an attempt to settle the
score in way more physical than the
sending of valentines. If, however, the
young man has received valentine which
he suspects to have come from some girl
ne mas been trying to make love to he at
once knows that his hopes are dashed to
the earth. He is Inundated and angered
ana forever atterward is the enemy of that
girl. He nevermore tries to say soft things
TO her when they meet and there is moth
ing but contempt in his expression when
he passes her on the street or their owes
meet at school
There is no record that the HatieId-Mc-
Coy and other noted feuds of the south
grew out of the sending of comic yalen-
til?es, out many less serious feud has or
lslnated III the south from this practice
AS these feuds are between Juveniles, they
may not result in bloodshed, but they do
result in much hatred.
Aunt Sallie," for instance is one of the
SHINING lights of the Swamp Creek Colored
Baptist Church. She incurs the enmitv of
some sister of the church. The enmity is
concealed for a long time. Just before St
valentines day the woman who wants to
mortify Aunt Saliie goes to the white
folks she knows and says: Il wants ter
git chen wild dat niger named Sallie. Can't
yer CIV me naSty-looking ballentine and
fix it up fer me to send her She's cuttenly
one of the most stuck-up uiggers in dis
naborhood.' The white folks want to have
some fun and they get a valentine portray
ing some colored woman as the ugliest and
most Notwithstanding creature imaginable
1t Is duly put in an envelope and mated. On
the appointed day Aunt Saliie gets the mis-
siVe. She takes one glance at it, and then
all the anger in her black system rises to
the bursting point. She Suppresses 1t long
enough to mediate for a few minutes. Then
she says: Il jess kno' who sent dis. 1t WIS
dat hateful Becky. l wouldn't pint her
on de committee to wait on de cake table
at de last festival, and she hes never liked
me. Won't I settle wild her, thought" A
bitter feud results, and the next time Aunt
Sallie meets Becky in a crowded place she
snubs her in the most wicked manner pos
sible. Soon other members of the church
are involved. and in the course of time the
congregation splits, the seeding members
going to some other church or putting up a
church of their own.
Thus ST. Valentines day, in addition to
cementing love matches brings trouble AT
least that is the way it results in the south