Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-02-16

| Of Dan Cupid in this first year OF the
| twentieth century is doing just what
! other young people have done through
| other centuries. But the kind of valen-
tine varies with the years, and one sends
| pOSeS and boxes Of sweets and dainty
| jewels as messages in these days. when
| in Pepys' time the gifts were of Il more
| practical nature. and in the days of u
| generation ago We're not gifts at all hut
amatOry messages, printed or written by
| hand on the most ornamental paper with
doves and cupidS and languiShing women
and love-orn swains. all calculated to
touch the susceptible hearts of the re-
celycrs.
In addition to the pictured valentines
with their marvellous bits of poetry tlpon
them, the statinnerS used to lay in Il
large stock Of fine paper with lace edges
quite like that used now TO finish con
fectiCnCry boxes. only of nicer grade
This was eagerly bought by the lover
who wanted to write his own poetry or
make his own selection-usually from
Tom Mo0rc's poems-althOugh the poets
corner of the weekly newspaper fur
niShes its quota.
One Of the fayorirc poetical bits 10
which valentine SenderS were specially
partial was one of which the words were
set 10 music, forming one of the fayaritp
songs Of the period. 1t was extremely
sentimental and decidedly lachrymose-~
rs was much Of the poetry of the time.
1t began checrfully:
Has sorrow thy young days shaded.
mother favorite of the time vas the
poem beginning.
Come rest in my BOSOM my own stricken
deer.
As this was just rs likely as not to i,
sent to a giggling. round-chceked ggrI.
who. never had grief in her 'life. its
special appropriateness might III, uueS-
G,n GfH IL
tlful poetry, and the girl who had il SEM
to her was very proud, and looked down
upon her mates who had some less touch
ing stanZaS simply avowing affection bur
making no promises of weeping or diving
ur suffering in any way
This was the time when the heroinpS
Of stories wept their way through books
or died early Of lung trouble brought or
~prrSumahly-uy the thin shoes which
were the vogue, although the novelists
limited mySterlouSly of hidden griefs and
the poetry had to be up to the stories. :.
If young woman had triHed with tho
directions of lover he just took il ort
Of her at valentine time. and Tom Noorn
helped hlm a. well as the hoDpfuT lov,1
lie took Il satrical strain. and wrote bis
valentine in this fashion:
The light that lies in woman's ewes
Has been my hearts undoing
They were funny. these valentines ~
mali Il century ago, as one sees when .bn
comes across one OF them tied M in q
yellow In the chest in tn, ala a+t;.
What queer Spidcry writing. how I;ffan
emf from everything Of today Rut tbe,.
were treasured aS carefully. and -.
garded as tendcrly as are the morn ct,st
~ valentines of the present day. or the
gifts which are made To take the nlan,
OF the valentine proper perhans nve,
more So. for gifts or rcmembrpncpS 80
amy KIND were not 50 common aS tbo,.
are today, and the written bit Of nontry
ON the lacc-cdgcd paper carried moro
ftaI SerI"uS intention with it than does
me Don OF ROSES ar candies. which mr.,
often sent merely ~ Il commitments ar :,
return for a piece of hospitality. and
winch are only the expression of friend.
ship or gratitude.
In the older day the man who Won't
ured To senst the slightest cxpr,,ssion nf
@rithdShlp tG woHfau. committed him
SOU as IrFeN"cahN as If he proposed TO
her' 1t WAS serious natter to show
anything hkc attention 10 Il girl unless
one wanted 10 marry her. and that il
why the valentines were sent only H..
genuine LAYERS and were - cherished nv
ne recipients. 'incy were the ,yarmest
,"V" letters nan ever permitted himself
~, WIZ" am thty maSqucradcd under
thr signature Of 81. Valentine.
lhorc WAS 4 time when thu. valentine,
sending grew somewhat in diSfivor be-
| cause II VAS made the occasion of pay
me of old STORES, and even of insulting
some one who had incurred the sender's
'H5"'H. 10 tie sure, only vulgar souls /
and Young people who erred out OF
| la"uShtleSSncS> and ignorance ever sent
lhem. hut the practice brought liSreput,.
on AT valentine sending. and it is only
recently that the custom has been re-
NWtd in new form. aud made an added
OCCASION OF remembering a friend or a
sweetheart with some pretty and annro.
pirate gift.
And - the dear old saint ha, come 10
be - we'll beloved in this generation aS
IN an! Of the generations that are past
ami gone forever leaving behind them
only the fragrance of beautiful memories
ana IN" tradition of pretty customs.