Gunnison news-champion., 1920-02-13
DAY SACRED 70
Love MISS!yES

'" nm ~ yo8sA8 8sss
Who 0Ese captured he vaisotins
trade for America. Her name vas
Esther Howiand After sFaeuat-
Ing from Mount Holyoke seminary she
resided with her father. Who vas Q
statiooer in Worcester. Mass. In lS1o
she received from England Q manufac-
tured valentine. the arst she had ever
she decided TO see whether she could
make some OF these valentines and
ind q sale for them.
She collected some lace paper. some
printed verses and sentimental pic
lures. died up Q few valentines and
gave them TO her brother. who was q
travelling salesman for q grocery store.
To her amazement her brother re-
turned with orders for 5000 worth
Of valentines, Her establishment knew
no bounds- She quickly got together
some girl friends. taught them what
she knew about vaientines and CON-
menced Q prosperous trade that was
to reach the one hundred thousand
dollar marx
ttrUS 1--we Wtooevo9
II was q Frenchman who 6rst con.
ceived the idea Of composing valen-
tines In vsrse. Charles. Duke Of Or
leans. was taken prisoner BY the Eng
lish At the battle OF Agincvurt. In l415.
He was consigned to the Tower Of
London. where he spent the next TWEEN.
ty-five years of his life. But the cold
walls Of his dungeon could not COM
pletely dampen his sentimental ma
ture. and from his gloomy vault came
sunny little verses to the number Of
sixty. which are stu to be seen among
the royal papers In the staid old Brit
ish museum. One of them reads:
Wilt thou be mine' Dear love. reply.
Sweetiy consent or else deny.
Whisper softly. none shall know
wilt thou be mine. iove1 Aye or nor
Spite of fortune we may be
Happy by one word from thea
Life fies swiftly. Ere II EoS
wilt thou be mine. love AYE or nor
England a, once adopted the fad
which Its royal prisoner had set. and
Valentines day found the coaches
more than usually laden with poetic
outpourings Of lovers. friends and
even slight acquaIntances.
Old Romance Recalled.
One Of the most romantic histories
Of Valentine children is that Of Lady
Sarah LennOx. born on February II.
l745. In fact. she apparently inherited
romantic temperament. for her own
story is usually prefnced with . sketch
Of her parents romance-by way Of
driving home the story's adm0nition,
perhaps.
Her fathers marriage was no more
nor less than . bargain to cancel q
gambling debt between the couples
parents. The young duke. then Lord
March. was brought home from col
lege to wed the plain little girl.bride
Just out Of nursery. At the conclusion
OF the ceremony the indignant BRIDE
groom fied to the continent with
tutor In tow. where he spent three
years. On his return to London he
carefully avoided going home. where
he fancied q wrathful young woman
was waiting to swoon at his arrival.
Instead. he went straight to the
theatre and saw there very hand.
some lady. He cursed his luck. but had
breath left 70 ask who she might be.
Lady March. the toast Of the season."
informed his friends. to his utter A.
fonishment. Then be blessed his luck.
claimed his bride and. a. It turned out,
wAs very happy to the end. Her love
was 20 great. too. that she died q
grief for him after . year Of widow.
hood.
Continent and 0uslnoea.
Samuel Pepys has somsthing to cay
In his famous diary about most Of
Joys and disturbances, CREST and small,
with which human nature IL acquaint-
"a. Consequently one does not nesd 70
search very far to 6nd allusions TO
valentine's day and the customary
pranks that II involved In the England
Of the seventeenth century.
On February II. 1881. the following
entry Il made In the diary:
This morning came up to my wife's
bedside Il being up dressing myself,
little VIII Aercsr to be her yalen-
tine. and brought her name written
upon blue paper in gold letters. done
by himself. very pretty; and We were
both well pleased with II But I am
also this year my wife's valentine,
and It will cost me ave pounds; but
that I must have laid II out u ws
had not been valentine2"
Amsriea's Noted Valentine.
Americas most noted valentine was
General Winfield Scott Hancock, born
February n. 1924. The witching IN.
nuence Of the saints festival hover
ing about him manifested itself in IL
elimination Of his romance. In her
"Reminiscences" written In old age,
Mrs. Hancock (who was Miss Almira
RusseiO tells Of her strsnee wedding