Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1899-02-12

1 l Ii he really is unpopular.
 z The worst feature of the comic valen inc nuisance is that when a man is u ulted anonymously he suspects all of insStcquaintances and is mean to every his a.ed9 as to be sure and get his re- body, s Sg
 Yenge.
 There is a story'ea comic vaI 49r- chant who received 7asat entine informing him that he W z nief, hyp- ocrite, liar and cheat. HC~9as satisfied that one of his clerks sent it, because he had lately compelled his employees to work an hour later every evening. He couldn't determine which one of his clerks was guilty, so he discharged the lot. Three years later he learned that the valentine had been sent by busi- ness rival. The rival was on his death bed and was attempting to own up to all of the mean things he had done during his lifetime. He was ill only two weeks and had to leave the job unfin- ished
 For q maximum expenditure of three cents a person who is evilly disposed can get comic valentine and send it through the mail and cause some wealthy citizen thousand dollars worth of heartaehe. The estimabIe cit- izen never suspects the right person. Ia all probability the valentine has been sent by the boy who brings the milk and who is disappointed because he didn't receive Christmas present. But the estimable citizen thinks that his mother-in-law sent 1t.
 The comic valentine ought to be sup pressed by law. This is a cold time of year, and people have trouble enough watching the fires and doctoring the grippe, without being told that they are freaks and skates" and low-down, dis reputable characters.
 It's particularly hard season for the patient woman who teaches school. The bad boy sends eight different kinds to her and then brings her red apple the next day, so that she will be led to think that the good little boy sent them. Comic valentines are too cheap. The dealer ought to be compelled to put q i two-dollar revenue stamp on each one. Then it would cost some thing to have fun with people on St. Valentines day, and the jokers would quiet down and the world would be happier. In the de- partment stores in the large cities the cotored valentines may be purchased at the rate of dozen for two cents. Think of it! If the purchaser wishes to take the trouble of delivering them himself, at night, he can make 60 people sad at cost of only ten cents. As St. Valentines day is now ob- served it is libel on the good old saint. From what happens on the day set apart for his honor you might sup pose that he was addicted to writing anonymous letters abusing everyone he knew and making love 10 women right and left You could well im- agine him as q man who wore a big breastpin and was called "Yal" by the members of his lodge.
 As matter of fact. the original Val entine was a dexout and welI-behayed Christian worker who died a martyr to the trial of faith. It is not on rec ord that he wrote a single line of love poetry.
 Along in the sixth century, nearly 300 years after the death of Valen- tine, some one accidentally connected his name with the heather custom of sending affectionate verses to members of the opposite sex, and the name stuck. Possibly the whole thing was joke. and the next generation took 1t seri- ously As matter of fact, the 14th of February should be called "Juno's day" instead of "St. Valentines day." as the Romans worshiped this goddess during the month of February cen turies before Valentine was known and made this month the season for eourting and chariot-riding. They had no buggies or bicycles in those days, but the young men spent great deal of money on chariots. Chariot riding had it's disadvantages, however, as we learn from the ancient bas-reliefs that both the young man and his girl had to stand in the chariot instead of sitting, and he is always represented as using both hands in driving.
 There would have been some sense in y day. inasmuch as Juno was a remarlIa- bly beautiful divinity and was regarded as the protectress of marriage and the especial guardian of women. But "St. Valentines day" is observed. The Romans meant well, no doubt. They intended to do honor to a good man. Already they had put saints name to every church holiday in the year and they had saints to spare. Then some 3one said: Well, how about the 14th of February, the day on which every one breaks into poetry. We don't be- lieve in Juno any more, so we'll have 10 make that saints day, the same as all the others, The only question is. which saint?"
 Doubtless they put all the names in helmet and drew one out and it hap pened to be St. Valentine.
 By the observance of this holiday St. Valentine has achieved great pub licity, but it is not entirely compli- mentary to him. Too much publicity . I.