St Valentine's Day (1870)
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In this article from The Graphic, the author comments on St. Valentine's day.
We are not going to engage in any inquiry about the Saint who gives his name to the 14th of February, and under whose auspices a vast deal of love-making is transacted. The young ladies that occupy the foreground of our illustration, and are wholly absorbed in the prospect of receiving scented pictures, or touching verses, or imitation flowers, would not care to be told that St Valentine is more or less of an imposter...
The Postmaster General tells us in one of his reports that 542,000 valentines were posted in London during the year 1865... Mr. Rimmel's shop is St. Valentine's head quarters. From thence proceed those elaborate devices of all hues and scents, those doves, and hearts, and darts, and floral complications, which attract gazers to the window and perfume the whole street... What kind of valentines are likely to fall to the lot of the bevy of pretty girls in our illustration? If they are treated accordingly to their deserts, they will have some of the best Mr. Rimmel's shop can supply...
The Valentine period of life is an early one, and it bears the same relation to flirting as flirting does to love. Making a pure guess, we should say it ranged from the years of nine to sixteen. After that age, no doubt, Valentines are esteemed, and even courted; but the fresh enthusiasm connected with them is over.
Location: The Graphic (1870) Vol.1, p.250. Archives and Heritage BF052
