Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-13
Daily ksnnsbte Jonrnx
VALENTINES DAY.
Origin Of the Feast to be- Cele-
brated Tomorrow.
No Decrease in Number Of Novelties
Suited to the Season.
Great Variety Of Comic and Senti.
mental Valentines.

Tomorrow viii be st. Valentines day
! That it will be celebrated with as
much interest as ever is evident from
! the way charming novelties suited &c
the tender sentiment OF the season are
being sold. The dealers report as
brisk trade as last year for all kinds
of valentines, both comic and senti-
mental. The designs are 4 little diff
ferent. perhaps more elaborate than in
former years.
A unique idea that is finding favor Is
O. message on the familiar yellow sheet
and purporting to come from the
Matrimonial Union Telegraph Conn
pany," with .numberless offices in
America" and cable service TO the
world" Dan Cupid is president and
general manager. The message reads:
| My Sweetheart:
| I send my love to you by wire.
| Sweetheart, FOR sou my hearts on tire.
YOUR VALENTINE.
Another ana more attractive token
is heart shaped. In moonlit land
scape, wreathed with lilies OF the val
ley, two birds are cooling. and beneath
them are the words: How happy just
we two could be-"
Two hearts that beat as one" is il
Illustrated by innumerable designs, and
single hearts are surmounted with fair
heads of maids and nymphs. On 4
folding card one meets the query:
What is life?" and upon opening it is
confronted with: Without 4 wife," A
particularly pretty conceit is in the
form OF 4 chariot of violets drawn by
cupids. 1t bears the message. To my
sweetheart:
These flowers, so sweet and blue,
Are laden with my love for you.
On hook and eye design is the
declaration: These two always go to-
gether," and :: match across a heart
accompanies the query: VIII YOU
match me-"
are found among heads which are made
of clam shells and glued to cards. the
faces being traced in ink.
Even the jewellers have entered the
contest and are showing no end Of fas-
cinating brooches. lockets and pend
ants, all heart shaped. of course. and
the most costly incrusted with pearls
and diamonds. True lovers knots,
too, arc in favor. and so are flowers OF
may kinds, the latter made of enamel
or fresh water pearls. The flowers. in
deed. are much liked by the swain who
understands the language OF flowers
and who chooses with care the one
conveying best his particular message.
Flowers, as messengers OF st. Talen-
tine. will have an unwonted popularity
this year, ana florists books are al
ready well filled with orders for the
purpose. The old floral dictionaries. III
fact, studied diligently by young peo-
pie of We olden time, have been more
eagerly sought than usual this year by
youths and maidens.
The confectioners. not TO be behind,
are displaying great varieties of favors,
costly bonbonnieres and fancy confec-
lions.
a woman of ninety-two years. telling
of the valentines OF her girlhood. says
they were always homemade and cut
out of very line paper. into exquisite
lacelike designs. with the verses writ
ten on the unperforated sections Of the
many folded sheets. Many times a
Hover WAS placed in the valentine" she
says, and We thought they were rare
treasures, TOO! We didn't have so
many things in those days, and We en-
joyed them more; besides. people were
more sincere. and married for love and
worked for riches.
St. Valentine was u preSbyter OF the
Church, who suffered martyrdom UNI
der the Emperor ClaudiuS, about 80 4.
u. An ancient writer says: We have
searched the legend of st. Valentine.
but there Is no occurrence in his life
that could give rise to the custom prac-
Used on February H." Wheatley says:
ST. Valentine was 4 man OF most adj
mirable parts, and so famous for his
love and charity that the custom of
choosing valentines upon his festival
| took its rise from thence"
| Bourne, says: 1T is q ceremony
never omitted among the vulgar to
draw lots, which they term valentine.
on the eve before Valentine Day. The
| names of 4 select number of one sex
are chosen by an equal number OF the
other. put into some vessel. and. after
that, every one draws a name. which
for the present is called their valentine.
and is looked upon as 4 good omen for
their being man and wife afterward."
In li.6 the custom OF choosing valen-
! tines was sport practised In the
homes OF the gentry in England.
! In 1.-THE Connoisseur" Of l'76 is
found the following account of n curl
Gus species of divination as practised
OH Valentine Day or eve: Last Friday
was Valentine Day. and the night be-
fore got five bayleayes and pinned
four of them to the four corners OF
my pillow and the fifth TO the middle.
and then if dreamt of my sweetheart,
Betty said, We should be married before
the year was out. But TO make II more
sure. boiled an egg hard and took out
the yolk and filled II with salt, and
when went TO bed ate 1t, shell and all,
without speaking or Drinking after it.
We wrote our lovers names upon bits
of paper and rolled them up in clay and
iput them into water. and the first that
rose was to be our valentine. Would
you think it, Mr.. Blossom was my man.