The state herald., 1910-02-11

AA n my Wllt NulcNllhCs Auu
NH brought her name written
upon blue paper in gold
letters done by himself.
Very pretty, we were both
0Mn well pleased with it. But
am also this year my
wife's valentine, and 1t will cost me
flve pounds; but that must have laid
out IL we had not been valentines"
Two days later Pepys says: II find
that Mrs. Pierces little girl is my val
entine, she having drawn me, which
am sorry for, 1t easing me Of some
thing more that / must have given to
others. But l do first observe the
fashion of drawing notices as well
as names. so that Pierce, who drew
my wife. did also draw motto. and
his girl drew another for me. What
mine was. l forget, but my wife's was
Most courteous and most fair which.
as 1t may be used as an engagement
upon each name. might be very pret-
ty."
Pepys has great deal to tell about
valentines. and what he says shows
that the day was observed in the high
est fashionable circles and that expen-
sive presents were given. He de-
scribes how the duke of York. being
the valentine Of Miss Stuart, ia
nous beauty, gave her jewel valued
at $500 and how Lord Vaudeville. an
other valentine of this lucky woman.
presented her with a ring worth G300.
A man had to have money to keep up
with st. Valentines procession in the
age of King Charles H.!
But fully as interesting and much
more strange were the st. Valentines
customs among the common people.
Many Of the observances were singu-
larly like those Of Halloween. They
were not SO grewsome, but the resem.
blance is unmistakable. For instance.
a pert miss, who lived In the 175O's,
writes: Last Friday was Valentines
day and the night before ! got five
bay leaves and pinned four of them to
the four corners of my pillow and the
dreamt of my sweetheart. Betty said
we should be married before the year
was out. But to make II more sure
l boiled an egg hard and took out the
yolk and filled II with salt and ate II
shell and all without speaking or
drinking after II. 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 lueerest
on record is that described in the fol.
lowing little story. One st. Valen.
tines morning an English gentleman
remarked to his pretty daughter that
on that day 200. 900 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 small
package from his pocket.
Here's my valentine" he exclaimed,
and presented II TO the young woman.
II contained n small rib. carved of
ivory and covered with white satin
and ornamented with true lovers
knots. There were also some verses.
OF which this ls one:
| TIL Adam had n partner given,
Much aH fair Eden bloomed like Heaven,
His bliss was incomplete.
No social friend those joys to share
Gave the gay scene n vacant air.
| She came-'twaH all rcpletc.
swell now. I call that capital"
cried the lively lass. After such n
valentine you must take the hint. my
dear sir, It's settled. you must get
married"
"Wili you marry mof" he asked.
II marry you7 No. You are too
old. But there are many women OF
your age. Why don't you ask one OF
thcm7"
lic had 10 be eontented with this
fpfIN 'bHbuihiloHt AHbhEH nv u'ftIffu
u better into for the ingenuity OF his
valentine.
St Valentines day has always been
n fayoriio with the poota. II IL men.
toned by cbaucor. Shakespeare. Goo.
the. Dome. Gay. Lydgato and others.
and many frstelnHs yeraifiors have
written valentines. or these none In
more remarkable than Maoaulny. That
renowned scholar and historian never
missed giving u St. Valentines tribute
TO his fayori,o nieoos and hia vaien.
tine 10 the Countess Denuchamp.
daughter OF the earl Of stanhope.
ranks with the most admirable OF his
compositions.
II ip n pity that the fine old festival
Of St Valentines dny Ia not made
more OF by thia generation. Some
thing should be done TO bring baok "a
II the charm, the romance, the poetr,