The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1910-02-09


Charles H.. enters in his
diary on Valentines day,
$3.50 1867: This morning came
!: !. !. !: ! !. !.
u a.: little Will Meiser to be
Ina my wife's valentine. and
AkXi1u brought her name written
Aa upon blue PAPER in gold
~EE letters, done by himself
~ Very pretty. we were both
| 9HM@zasS well pleased With Il But
! am also this year my
/ wife's valentine. and il will cost me
/ five pounds; but that mus. have laid
/ out IL sc Lad Tot been Valentines
Two days later Pepys says: Il ind
that Mrs Picrce's little girl is my val
! cntine. she having drawn me. which |
/ am sorry for. il easing ne OF some
thing more that 7 must have given 10
/ others. But | do first observe the
! fashion OF drawing notices as we'll
/ as names. so that Pierce, who drew
( my wife. did also draw 2 motto. and
/ his girl drew another for me. What
mine was. ! forget. but my wife's was
| Most courteous ard most fair which.
as il may be used as an engagement
upon each name. might be very pref
*"
Eat fully as interesting and much
more strange were the s.. Valentines
customs among the co:lmCn people
( Many Of The obSerVanccS were singu-
larly like these Of Halloween. They
were not 50 grcTSOmc. but the resem-
blanCe is unmiSiakablc. For instance,
a pert miss. who lir.d in the 1150's.
writes: Last Friday was Valentines
day ard the n:Sht before got five
bay leaves and pinned four OF them to
the four corners of my pillow and the
I fifth to the middle. and then il |
! dreamt If my sweetheart. Betty said.
we should lie married before the year
, was out But TO make il more sure
| boiled All egg hard ard took out the
yOlk and filed il with salt and ate II
! shelf 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 20 be our valentine"
There have been endless devices for
. valentines. but perhaps the queerest
on record is that described in the fol-
! lowing little story. One St Ealen-
! tines morning an English gentleman
remarked To his pretty daughter that
on that day zoe OGO more letters 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 n bachelor friend
| Of the family came in and learning the
: subject OF their talk. drew a small
package from his pocket
f, Here's my valentine" he exclaimed,
and presented it TO the young woman.
1t contained n small rib. carved OF
ivory and covered with white satin
ana ornamented with true lovers
! knots. There were also some verses.
! CT which this is one:
; Till Adam had n PARTNER given.
. Much fair Edon bl"orrd Lac Heaven,
! Ills bliss was incomplete.
, No 50, ial friend thos" joys 10 share
. Gave the gay scene vacant air.
She came-'twas all replete.
Well. row. call that capital"
! cried the lively lass. After such a
Valentine you must take the hint, nv
a.. dear sir. Its settled. you must get
married"
Will you marry me-" 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
them?"
He had to be contented with this
sorry consolation. though he deserved
a better fate for the ingenuity Of his
valentine.
ST. Valentines day has always been
! a favorise with the poets. 1t is men
toned by Chaucer. Shakespeare. Goe-
the, Dome. Gay. LydSate and others.
: and many first-claSS Versifiers have
written valentines. OF these none Is
more remarkable than Macaulay. That
renowned scholar and historian never
missed giving a st. Valentines tribute
to his favorite nieces and his valen-
tine to the Countess Beauchamp.
daughter of the earl Of Stanhope.
ranks with the most admirable Of his
compositions.
i; 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 to
il the charm. the romance. the poetry
Of other times.
Happily. in the last few years the
comic valentines have been more hui
:noroUs and less vulgar-The Sunday
Magazine.
Mr.. CROUCH SURPRISED.