Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-02-12
ST. VALENTINES
DAY, TUESDAY
Will Be Appropriately Cele-
brated by the Youngsters.
HONOR THE BEHEADED SAINT.
The limo ~ season Where Alleged
Poets ana Iiumorists Get in "a
Grent Deaf OF Work amt The
Young pcopIc Think Thcy lsnvc
Fun by the narrcI- Legend OF Abe
Day.

/ gun DS inc Iarrci- Leg end OF !hc
Day.
Tuesday will he February the 14th.
alias 81 Valentines Day, alias II time
when alleged poets and humorists get
in Il great deal of work. and the young
people think they have fun by the bar
rel poking highly colored caricatures
under their neiCnbOrs doors. ringing
tho bell and running away. Blessed old
ST. Valentine. it Is possibly good thing
that lie suffered death by order OF the
Roman ClaUdius. for if lie had lived to
see the manner in which some people
have diverted the sacrcdncsS OF his
memory he would possibly feel like
jumping into the river or going OFF
somewhere and drowning his troubles
III the cup that cheers.
y VALENTINE a SWEETHEART.
According to the Universal diStion-
AIRY. valentine means "a sweetheart or
choice made on St. Valentines Day"
OF course. it is discouraging to the
sweet siStoencr who CuZcs upon the
Gludy colored pictures in the store Win
doWs labeled valentines" and then re-
members that Il valentine is Il sweet
heart. but she will forget this when she
receives on Tuesday morning the pretty
little utterly in fancy colored papers.
with Il sacherinc verse under each
wing.
field for the roetically inclined. and
even The great English bard. in his time,
fell into line.
Sir William got off tie following. and
II is then alleged went OF and got
drink:
To- morrow is st. Valentines Day,
All in the morning betime!
And | Il maid at your window
| To be your valentine.
| LEGEND OF ST. VALENTINE.
According TO the legend. St Nalen-
/ tine was bcheaded OH February IA. at
| Rome. under ClaudiuS. The old notion
/ was that birds began to mate on that
/ day, and hence arose the custom of
young persons Of both sexes choosing
each other as valentines" fer the en-
suing year by species of lottery, ana
| of sending love misSiVeS TO each other.
| Valentines have been described rs let
tors or other missvcs sent by young
| persons of both sexes to each other ON
Valentines Day; Il printed miSSiVc Of
an IlNatory or Satirical nature. general
~ sent by post anonymously. Some
| valentines are highly ornamental and
artistic. while others are caricatureS
designed TO reflect on the personal APP
pearance, habits, character, etc, of the
persons to whom they are addressed.
The practice of sending valentines APP
pears to be diminishing year by year.
Postal returns indicate n great falling
off in the number of valentines sent
during the past decade. one large office
showing n decrease from 117O0O to As. =
600 within five years.
The sending of caricaturoS has equal
~ decreased, and the yelled insults thus
frequently offered have been creditably
reduced The sending of valentines is n
harmless folly. which is fast dying out.
PRETTY LINES OF POETRY.
y writer in Munsey's Magazine. whose
name is not given. is responsible for the
following pretty lines:
Tho valentine | gave you first
Took all the pennies l could chase
An apoplectic heart immersed
In foamy seas OF paper lace,
with sentiments in coy retreat
Beneath flap. Twas rather neat.
The next sent was but q scroll
Containing lines of praise of Won.
y fond cffuslon of my soul.
With SMILES not strictly now
And hints that L had found my queen:
The thing one does at seventeen.
The next I sent was dollhouse bred.
With stems | purchased by the ward
y tissue sheath about the head,
Attended by u formal card
7 y e-sa---~--.+ass--ii- though my heart was
warm,
That sort of thing was beastly form.
Not gifts to-day, but hot demands,
You'll find beneath this seal of mine.
Dear love. l come with empty hands
To ask you for n valentine
For all these years n loyal fee,
Have YOU no valentine for me?"
GREAT VARIETY OF VALENTINES
Judging by the display of valentines
IN the windows of bookstores and news
stands old st. Valentine seems to be
getting new lease of life, and it is
highly probably that during tomorrow
good business will be done in this
line
The display is tile largest known for
years, both sentimental and comic The
love epistles set forth their sentiment in
every possible style of picture and
verse. There are Cupids in cages cap
tured by pretty girls; Cupids in viollns
singing love messages; Cupid quvers:
CupidS hidden III roses: Cupids in ham
mocks. swinging between two hearts:
there are strings of pansies carrying
4 message under their petals. parasols
! with love-leSends adjoining their COW
ernss. butterflies slipping sweets from
q valentine under their wings, fans full
Of ovelornity.'