The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-14
st. Valentines Anniversary Is
Celebrated Today.
FAST FALLING OUT OF VOGUE.
Supposed Origin of the Custom OF
Giving Presents February IL
Different styles of Valentine
Cards Appeal to Different Glasses
of Humanity-A Few Things Seen
and Heard in Seattle stores.
p-HIS Is st. Valentines day-the day
when all lovers protest anew their


that the observation of this day,
like Halloween, is dropping out OF vogue
more and more every year. There was
time in the colonial days. in days even
earlier than that, when this Gay was
celebrated with all due reverence to St.
Valentine: but in these modern days II Is
rapidly dropping out of style.
In other days, between New Years ana
February il, II was the duty of all young
men and women to make favors for their
sweethearts. If lie good st. valentine
could compare his work then with the
majority of the presents given nowadays
he would presumably be much disappoint-
ed The holiday is still observed in gen
eral way. Young women entreat the mir
ror and the mystic bowl to reveal the
likeness OF their best beloved, as they
do on Halloween. The holly and miste-
toe reign supreme at all valentine enter
tainments. But now, when the art OF
printing, lithographing and manufactur-
ing ingenious devices has resolved itself
down to question of a little paper.
little senseless, vapid rhyme on paper.
and almost no expense on the part OF the
giver, 81. Valentines day Is scarcely con-
sidered In this city vendors of valentine
fsvors are reducing their stocks year by
year.
or. VALENTINE. as nearly as may be
- learned by the worlds historians, was
a bishop supposed to have been beheaded
at Rome in the Eeign of the Emperor
Claudius. II is said he was man fun OF
love and charity toward his fellows, and
that the custom OF choosing valentines
took its rise from his admirable virtues.
Other historians derive the feast Of st.
Valentine from the fact that number OF
birds select their mates this day. hence
the human race attempts to emulate the
example set by the feathered kingdom
Another authority says that ii arose from
the feast OF Lupercalia, in ancient Rome
in February. at which time the names of
young women were placed I'm a box and
selected by young men by chance Later
tho form was changed and an equal num-
Der of young women and young mems
names were placed In the box and chosen,
and the couples were called one another's
valentines Each drawer also made his
partner a small present OF some kind.
In later days, however, II became a
question OF love. A young man made his
sweetheart a present of laces. tcwelry or
garters, and IL he was fortunate enough
to stand highest In the young womsn's
affection. she also presented him with a
present OF similar nature. Still later the
custom developed into presents of one
anothers handiwork. In the colonial days
OF this country favors were made of paper
and ribbon, cunningly contrived into var
ious patterns by the giver, those OF hearts
present time the situation ~ little hard
to figure out Valentine presents signify
ing hate and malice well love and
reverence are common enough. Take a
few instances:
~ - "a
THERE ia the schooIboy or schoolgirl
aged say from 10 a. This piece OF
humanity naturally hates the teacher and
takes the greatest pleasure in sending
,rlb vii eli
Gus verse Inscribed beneath. School
teachers may consider themselves
lucky IL they are afflicted with less than
a dozen of these misdirected epistles. And
still IL IS only In keeping with the natural
hatred the youthful heart has for its super
Tors in authority. They send the strocious
missive and imagine they are doing some
thing clever thereby. They little know
that the teacher expects the cartcatures
and spends less time looking them over
than the senders do in preparing them.
No class OF humanity is so deluged with
such things at valentine time as the
school teacher.
To the youthful mind no time In the
year offers such an opportunity OF graf
flying malicious hatred. Ii may be com
panion. sister. brother, a relative. &
matters not. the hideous cards, valued al
cent each. are sent. There IS no way %
tell the sender except by the handwriting
and this is always carefully disguised.
Many a remembrance OK February u was
deposited in the postofhce at Seattle yes
terday and viii be today.
The 18th OF February. however. still
means more than this. The ordinary man
goes into a stationery store, looks over
the valentine cards, and expresses a great
contempt for them. but WILL IN great
many eases wander back later and buy
little card % some kind which ne. anony-
mouSly. sends 20 some young woman The
pretty cards are just much In evidence
as the slanderous caFicatares well
known Seattle dealer In such goods said
yesterday; Il ind that young people are
growing out OF the habit. which was so
prevalent a year or two ago. 81 sending
the cheap cards. They viii figure around
for awhile but VIII finally select some
shing really attractive. You have only 20
look over our stock 70 sec the attractive
cards PAPER. ceIluloid and ribbons are
used most extensively. one OF the pref
tiest I think We have Is the American
shield with crossed spears made Of rib
| hons and Hiik. another one Is Japanese
pattern delicaiely worked IN great many
| shades 90 SILK. Here - another. a Httia
cupid standing on a miniature Auctionser's
I block. with a hammer IN one hand and a
heart Ia tho ether. Tho words inscribed
| on the card are For sale. one good heart.
| terms q sale A smile on the sweetest
| face In The world We have sold a great
| many OF this design.
| ~ - ~
A sour spent IN the bookstores % ne
city shows a great many peculiar
/ phases % human nature. A y0ung man
l walks Nd 10 the counter. and ia a sub
/ dued. h8shfal voice asks 90 look az some
| valentines The clerk shows them 90 atm.
| He looks them ell over. carefully reads the
! little verse Attn each. and ponders iong
/ before making a selection He anally takes
| ore. tire clerk asks him whether Be viii
I have # seat aud be bushes painfully and
replies. "N-no thanks; I'll send liz myself %
| lie takes the precious package and VA hes
| until ne is SURE no ore sees hin. aen ne
| L.. 1. NJ. - ~ h.N Ia .nfa.n-, L. y L.