The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1920-02-13
DAY SACRED TO
LOVE MISS|vES

trade for America. Her name was
Esther Rowland. After gradual
ing from Mount Holyoke seminary she
resided with her father, who was
stationer in Worcester, Mass. In 1919
she received from England manuIac-
tured valentine, the first she had ever
seen. 1t interested her so much that
she decided to see whether she coulo
make some of these valentines anu
find a sale for them.
She collected some lace paper, some
printed verses and sentimental pic
lures, fixed up a few valentines and
gave them to her brother, who was
travelling salesman for grocery store.
To her amazement her brother re-
turned with orders for $4,000 worth
Of valentines Her establishment knew
no bounds. She quickly got together
some girl friends, taught them what
she knew about valentines and COM
menced a prosperous trade that was
to reach the one hundred thousand
dollar mark.
First Love Mlsslves.
IT was a Frenchman who first con-
ceived the idea OF composing valen-
tines In verse. Charles, Duke Of Or
leans, was taken prisoner by the Eng
fish at the battle Of Agincourt, in 1415.
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
the royal papers in the staid old Brit
ish museum. One of them reads:
Wilt thou be mine? Dear love, reply.
Sweetly consent or else deny.
Whisper softly. none shall know
Wilt thou be mine, lover Aye or nor
Spite of fortune we may be
Happy by one word from thee.
Life flies swiftly. Ere it CO.
Wilt thou be mine. love Aye or nor
England at 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 acquaintance.
Old Romance Recalled.
One of the most romantic histories
of Valentine children Is that of Lady
Sarah Lennox, born on February IA,
l145. In fact, she apparently inherited
romantic temperament, for her own
story is usually prefaced with sketch
OF her parents romance-by way of
driving home the story's admonition,
perhaps.
Her fathers marriage was no more
nor less than a bargain to cancel a
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 fled 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 a wrathful young woman
was waiting to swoon at his arrival.
Instead, he went straight to the
theatre and saw there a very hand
some lady. He cursed his luck, but had
breath left to ask who she might be.
Lady March, the toast of the season"
informed his friends, to his utter as
constituent. Then he blessed mis- luck.
claimed his bride and, as 1t turned out
was very happy to the end. Her love
was so great, too, that she died of
grief for him after year Of widow.
hood.
Sentiment and Business.
Samuel Pepys has something to say
In his famous diary about most of
joys and disturbances, great and small.
with which human nature is acuuaint-
ed. Consequently one does not need to
search very far to find illusions to
valentines day and the customary
pranks that 1t involved In the England
OF the seventeenth century.
On February Ia, 1867, the following
entry Is made in the diary:
Ihis morning came up to my wife's
bedside Il being up dressing myself)
little VIII Mercer to be her yalen-
tine' and brought her name written
upon blue paper in gold letters, done
Dy himself, very pretty; and we were
Doth well pleased with 1t. But l am
also this year my wife's valentine,
ana 1t Will cost me five pounds; but
that l must have laid 1t out IL we
had not been valentines"