At what age does love begin?
might be written under the dainty portrait of some winsome wee thing; or,
My love is like a red, red rose,
might be added to the picture of a flaming red cabbage rose.
When the valentines are finished they should be numbered, each painter retaining his number on a slip of paper. This done, gather the valentines and submit them to the judgment of three people to decide as to their merit. The painter of the best valentine should receive a prize.
Then jumble together slips of paper on which are written numbers corresponding to the numbers of the valentines. Let each guest draw a slip, and present him or her with the corresponding valentine, which may be retained as a souvenir.
The Court of the King of Hearts.
Decide who will be king. He may get his costume from a costumer’s or wear a home-made robe of gold color, decorated all over with hearts cut out of crimson velvet, six inches long and in correct proportion. He should wear a gold crown ornamented with Rhine stones, and carry a sceptre. There should be a throne, which may be a large chair placed on a raised platform. The throne and platform should be covered with gold paper, sprinkled with diamond dust.
All the decorations should suggest St. Valentine’s evening. Therefore, pink or rose should be the color effect, and such devices as Cupid’s arrows, hearts, valentines should appear. Ask the young ladies to gown themselves to represent roses. Therefore some would wear pink; others, white, etc. The gowns might further suggest the scheme by being trimmed with roses. The young gentlemen should wear rose boutonnières.