St. Valentine's Day.

ST . VALENTINE'S DAY .

Though I am getting an oldish boy , I have still a " wee bit" of sentiment left in this withered and worn anatomy of mine , and I do not resemble , certainly thai ; most interesting man , who Avhen lie was asked by a confiding

female " where his feelings were ?" replied as confidingly , "in my pocket . " No , like Mr . Tracy Tupman , of eververdant memory and sentimental tendencies , I still have a weak point , if you likeabout meand that is St .

, , Valentine ' s Day . Yes , St . Valentine ' s Day is to me , always , a " tender pint , " as Air . Samuel Weller would put it ; and that , I think , is something in these " poeo curaute days , " when , as a younglady said once in my hearing , "the

young men evidently think more of "Sherry and Bitters , " and "B . audS . /' than they do of us poor little creatures . " The speaker wis , however , well able to take care of herself , as most of our girls happily are for themselves at the

present hour , and when her " Strephon " does turn up , I would recommend him to mind his P ' s and Q's , or she will certainly want to know "the reason why !" And so this last Valentine ' s Day , as it seemed to me quite useless , and indeed

hopeless , for one whose locks were grey , and whose knees were neuralgic , ( that is the proper word ) , and who had long out-lived the time and the mates , " Sub Regno Borne Linarre , " to affect to besentimenfcal , or to iiiditea Valentine to , " Some Laura Amelia ,

Who no one e ' er saw or may see , Some youthful Jemima or Celia , Some developed Anna Marie , " I thought . I would go back to my Valentines of the past , and he once more young , hopeful , believing , and happy !

What creatures of delusion Ave all are ! Well , it is a pleasant thing to write a Valentine , or to send one . Not that your own Sophia cares much for " Cupid ' s Dart , " or the " Lonely Heart , " not she , she prefers a sharp galop with the T . P . C ., but she likes you , Iter own dear " Peter , " not to forget her sweet

self ., I don't myself , believe , as a general rule , that some young ladies think much of Valentines at all , and I fully expect that many a British matron who reads these lines will say , grandly , " Henry Trip tolemus never sent me a Valentine .

No , lie was far too proper , and I am , I hope , above such customs , which I believe are still practised in some classes of society . " Well , my dear madam , let Valentines be as you think , a vulgar , or as the Germans would say , a "

Gemein" custom ; why should not Billy write to Sally , or Jacky to Molly , or Philander to Dinah ? I can't help thinking that some good may come out of a Valentine , and that many an honest boy , and many a true-hearted girl ,

severed through long weary months , may be revived by the genial message of St . Valentine ' s Day . I am free to confess , that none of my Valentines ever did me any good at all . There is that beautiful one I sent to Artimisia , she turned up her nose at it , and is married , happily , to Diamonds , Down Street and Dirt . Nor did I fare better

-with Melionora . She is , as everybody well knows , the happy partner of the hopes and expectations of that rising man , Sir Theophilus Stokes , M . P ., and is blessed with a numerous progeny of chubby little Stokes ' s . Nor did my

touching Valentine avail witli sentimental Laura , who has been contented with an old country house , and a very good position iu the county . Nor did my well-chosen missive take even with that poetic being , ' Cassandrawho I saw

, driving a smart pair of cobs , most charmingly and decisively , the other day . No , I cannot feel that Valentines have done me any good , but then my young friend Anthoiry , for whose especial benefit I write these pathetic

lines , they may do you ! So Anthony , do not feel ashamed that yon sent that beautiful Valentine , with a little house , and a little nest , aud two billing wood-peckers , to Pamela—who can tell what effect it may have had on her " obderrate buzzum ? , " We are living , Anthony , my young and