Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-02-16
NEW CENTURY VALENTINES.
Fads and Fancies I'm Tokens and
afementos For the Annual Festival
Of Cupid's Patron saint.

Despite the efforts of his critics, st
Valentine retains his followers. and
even in this prosaic age we continue
to have one day devoted 10 sentiment
In fact. the fashion OF sending gifts on
this day has been ON the increase OF
late years. 1t Is row so arranged that
the man who wants to observe the
occasion by sending remembrance 70
his ladyloye can expend Just as little
or just as much as his fancy dictates
and his purse permits. The old fash
toned lace trimmed valentine comes as
a familiar friend, unchanged in form
or garb and with exactly the same
couplets il has always borne. IT may
be bought for from 3 cents to s., but
very few Of the latter are sold. This is
because il is only the children who
buy this kind nowadays or OCCASION
ally a foreigner who wants to send a
memento to the girl he left behind.
Quite the prettiest valentines on the
card order are the large artistically
arranged ones. bearing quotations on
love from Shakespeare, Tennyson or
some other well known poet, with
illustrations of the scene from which
the lines are taken. Some of these
are very beautiful. Others on the same
order and not so expensive are more
after the design of Christmas cards,
with a pretty though not necessarily
sentimental sentiment. Many Of these
can be bought for a penny, and there
is n large trade in them.
For time there We're indica-
lions that the day would cease to be a
time for love tokens and would be-
come, like the 1st of April. time for
Jokes Fortunately we escaped that.
and there are now fewer comic valen-
tines sold than formerly and more Of
the sentimental kind. No real lover
forgets his beloved on this occasion,
but his offering takes the form of flow
engaged, piece of jewelry In flowers
a pot or basket of growing violets is
the favorite Bonbons come put up in
the loveliest heart shaped boxes, flow
er decked, for this especial season.
Upon opening them the first thing that
meets the eye is candy Cupid, bow
and arrow in hand, nestled among the
bonbons. Big heart shaped baskets
also come for fruits. In the way of
jeWelry a diamond heart shaped locket
containing the picture of the sender is
the most appropriate. These diamond
hearts range in size from very small,
dainty ones to those that are as large
as a saucer. OF course these are only
sent where an engagement exists 9th
er little Einkets that are especially
suitable for the day are heart shaped
jewel cases. bonbopnieres. mirrors,
cushions and fancy baskets of all
kinds. Another desirable gift is love
poem copiously illustrated, THE Gar
den Song from Maud" being one of
the prettiest. Dealers say that many
copies of Kipling's vampire" are now
sold to be sent as valentines by disap-
pointed lovers.
A new fancy which might be called
selfsn-but then we know that love is
supposed to be selfish. and therefore
forgive--is a rosary of love thoughts.
1t is of pasteboard, like the unfolding
GultHldIs tdtH Dtdft IcDitStItiHS Il
day, and upon each is a love thought.
These paper beads slip easily upon n
narrow ribbon. and each day you are
supposed to give thought to the giver
as you move that day to make way for
the morrow. If you forget one day,
you are to leave that bead as break
In the chain. Between husband and
wife there is no prettier present than
the one in vogue in Pepys' time of Civ
ing ring, the ring being symbolic of
another year in the unbroken circle of
love.
Many odd fancies are found in cards
done in water colors. One of these
shows a maiden fencing with Cupid,
and on her foil is n row of hearts.
Below are ouly two words, ME too"
Some of Mrs. Brownings "Sonnets
From the Portuguese" exquisitely
bound, are also numbered among TWEEN
tieth century valentines, while an alb
sent one can give no more delicate
hint of his loneliness than by sending
box of note paper containing either
the monogram or the address of the
one to whom it is sent. Although a
woman is not expected to make any
present, there Is one which she may
give her affianced. and that is a picture
of herself in a jeweled frame. Quite
up to date is a music box of mechanical
attachment of some kind. and of course
all the music sent is love songs.
In fact, grown up people are running
more and more to holiday presents, and
considerable ingenuity is used to twist
them around and give them the proper
significance. In comic valentines there
are the same doggerel and the same
grotesque creatures, except that golf
comes in for a large share of the
caricaturing, and the poor wheelman is
left more in peace. There is growing
tendency to poke fun at sports of every
kind in the comics this year, and of
course the football crank is a fertile
theme. KATHLEEN GRAY NELSON.
ALOVER WITH AN ANCESTOR