Evening star., 1899-02-11
Some Novelties for the Approaching
Festival.
DELICATE AFFAIRS With DAINTY VERSE
Many Comic Designs With Sar-
castle Get-Evenness.
SOME SAMPLE STANZAS

the DO0k SnOpS nii1d with nOVettleS IN all
lines of the appropriate tokens of the sea-
son. The custom of sending ones best girl
an elaborately fancy affair." cardboard
wrought and painted in the most delicate
fashion, and containing in printed verse the
sentiments of the sender, still prevails to a
large extent, especially among the younger
classes of society. The comic valentine,
with its wealth of sarcasm and "get-even-
ness" is also much in evidence, and for the
next few days, or until Tuesday, the mails
will be laden with these missives, both good
and bad.
Each year brings out new ideas in valen-
tines. This must necessarily be the case,
for those who believe in the custom and
follow it out would not be content to send
the same verse year after year. trip
through the book stores and department
houses carrying line of the pretty and
comic tokens of love and reminders of fol-
bles reveals the new things of the present
season.
one Pennsylvania avenue house has
line of novelties in the way of vari-colered
caros, in the corners of which are attached
difterent objects of minute proportions For
instance, a card, with a tiny brown jug at
tacned TO the northwest corner has the fol-
lowing verse:
early to ryes and late to bed
VIII make your nose a cardinal red"
Evidently intended for the old toner
Lhese valentines are comic but entirely
diferent in character from the old styIe
cheaply printed Gffairs, much in vogue
a number of years ago, and still to be had
at the rate of two for a cent The new
style comic missives retail at from five
cents upward.
AN attractive valentine is made into
pretty picture frame, elaborate in gilt and
embossed flowers. A verse is printed on
a card. which can be removed after the
clGse or the season, the frame remaining a
VaIuapie addition to the bric-a-brac of my
iadys chamber. The valentines are all new
IN design and conception OF course, the
heart still predominates in the general
scheme but it is worked up in different
stsie, ;.,i, entlfeIy out of the ordinary in most
instances. The poets have fairly outdone
themselves in constructing verse for the
valentines, including in their effusions ali
tne flattery and sentiment the most love
SICK swain could wish for. Poster-like val
attention. i"e'
A Ballot Novelty.
A novelty entirely new and never seen
before IN this city, is a valentine made in
the fashion of the blanket ballot used in
the Australian system of balloting 1t is
MADE up of four tickets, namely love,
friendship, independent and marble heart
anu IS expected to be returned to the send
er IL he or she can be guessed. When fold
ed Ihe outside designation is as follows:
trlct, first ward, borough of Admiration.
city of Love, February Il, 1899 Cupid, pres
ldent board of police commissioners"
A slate has the following verse written
upon lt-a verse so dear to many:
II you love me like l love you no knife
can cut our love into" The knife is drawn
instead of written, however.
10 return to the little cards with their
suggestive articles. One with an artificial
violet in the corner is decorated with the
following:
Roses are red, violets are blue:
sugar is sweet and SO are you
So please accept this small bouquet
That have picked for you today"
Another variety, with green frog very
much in evidence, had a verse running like
this:
This little frog would a-wooing a go,
Whether his mother would let him or no.
You see his case is the same as mine,
And | want you to be my valentine.
m your match; find me if you can" is
on another card. piece of sulphurated
timber is used instead of the word match"
however.
The card containing number of needles
and pins has the following adaptation of
an old nursery rhyme:
Needles and pins, needles and pins;
hen you get married your trouble begins
With g. house full of children and your
bank account nil.
L think I'll stay single a year or so still
A card with tenpins and bowling balls on
the outside cover has the following inside:
At knocking down pins
fOu think you're star:
But at knocking down loans
You're better by far.
You don't spare your trends
But strike whom you can.
From you no one is safe,
Either woman or man.