Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-02-10


vife's valentine. and 70 VIII cost me
I've pounds; but that mus; have laid
out 10 We had not been Valentines
Two days later Pepys says: 7 ind
that Mrs. Pierce's little girl Is my val
eutine. she having drawn me. which
am sorry for. Il easing me OF some
Ting more that must have given TO
others. But do nrst observe the
fashion Of drawing notices as weIl
as names. so that Pierce. who drew
my wife. did also draw a motto. and
his girl drew another for me. What
mine was. ! forget. but my wife's was
Most courteous and most fair which.
as Il may be used as an engagement
upon each name. might be very pref
ty."
But fully as interesting and much
more strange were the st. Valentines
customs among the common people
Many Of the observances were sinxu-
larry Ike those OF Halloween. They
were not so grewsome. but the resem-
olanee Is unmistakable. For instance.
a pert miss. who lived In the i75o's.
writes: Last Friday was Valentines
day and the night before I got Ave
bay leaves and pinned four of them to
the four corners Of my pillow and the
fifth 10 the middle. and then IL
dreamt OF my sweetheart. Betty said.
ne should be married before the year
was out But to make It more sure
boiled an egg hard and took out the
yolk and filed II with salt and ate II
shell and all without speaking or
drinking after IT, We also wrote our
lovers names upon bits OF paper and
rolled them up In clay and put them
into water and the first that same to
the surface was to be our valentine
There have been endless devices for
valentines. but perhaps the queeress
on record Is that described in the fol-
lowing little story. One 81. yaIen-
tines morning an English gentleman
remarked to his pretty daughter that
on that day 100000 more letter, than
the average passed through the Lon
don twopenny post
Why. papa replied the girl. that's
Just the number Of young folks that
must be in love with each other
that's the way to reckon
At that moment a bachelor fr,ers
OF the family came in and learning the
subject OF their talk. drew a small
package from his pocket.
Here's my valentine" he exclaimed
and presented II to the young woman
II contained a small rib. carvea n,
ivorT and covered with white satin
and ornamented with trus lover.
knots. There were also some yer.ss
Of which this Is one:
TIL Adam had a partner given.
Much as fair Eden bloomed Ike Heaven.
His bliss was Incomplete
No social friend those Joys to .hsr~
Gave the gay scene a vacant air.
She came-'tvas all replete
We'll. now. call that capital
cried the lively lass. After such a
valentine you must take the hint. INV
dear sir. It's settled. you must get
married"
VIII you marry mel" he asked.
Il marry you. No. You are too
old But there are many women of
your age. Why don't you ask one of
them7"
He had to be contented with this
sorry consolation. though he deserved
better fate for the ingenuity of his
valentine.
st. Valentines day has always been
favorite with the poets. It is men
toned by Chaucer. Shakespeare, Goe-
the. Dome. Gay. Lydgate and Others.
and many frst-cIass versifers have
written valentines. OF these none 4,
more remarkable than Macaulay. That
renowned scholar and historian never
missed giving St. Valentines tribute
to his favorite nieces and his valen-
tine Tn the Countess Beauchamp.
daughter of the earl Of Stauhope
ranks with the most admirable of his
compositions.
1t is a pity that the fine old festival
Of ST. Valentines day Is not made
more OF by this generation. Some
thing should be done to bring back 10
II the charm, the romance, the postry
Of other times
Happily. in the last few years the
comic valentines have been more hu-
morous and less vulga-.-The Sunday
Ma1aziua