mantle, number seven the lady's pink bonnet,
while it probably remains for other nymphs to
clothe the fields with verdure, and indicate the
smiling morn by tipping the hills with gold.
Thus a highly-coloured valentine passes through
at least half a dozen hands in the process of
colouring, or pooning, as it is technically called.
The pooning cards, perforated with all sorts of
irregular holes, and daubed with various colours,
have a very odd appearance, lying together in a
heap on a bench. A stranger to these mysteries
could not possibly guess the use of such queer
things. He would probably arrive at the conclusion
that they were the efforts, not of methodical
genius, but of most unmethodical madness.

When our valentine has passed through this
room, it is, for all ordinary purposes, complete,
and, with a lace border and highly-coloured
illustration, may be sold at prices varying from
sixpence to half-a-crown; but if it aspire to
value itself at five shillings or half a guinea, it
must yield to further adornment in another
department. Again, a long room occupied by
nymphs, each one having at her elbow a pot,
not of colour this time, but of glue. Strewed
before each girl in apparent confusion, but
really in regularly-assorted heaps, lie hearts and
darts and doves and bows and arrows, and rose-
buds and true lovers' knots, and torches of
Hymen, and every variety of emblem appertaining
to love and matrimony. These ornaments
are cut out of every kind of material by means
of punches. Some are paper, some are silk and
velvet, some tinsel and gold-leaf. The business
of the girls here is to stick these ornaments
upon the valentines, so as perhaps to enclose
the picture in a posie of flowers and emblems.
Our lady and gentleman are now under
treatment. You will observe that there is an
unadorned space between the border and the
picture. This is about to be filled up, and the
basis of the operation is a series of paper springs.
Cupid, who is in close attendance, explaining
everything in the most obliging manner, says to
the nymph, "Show the gentleman how you
make paper springs." It is done in a moment.
A strip of writing-paper is doubled lengthways
alternately backwards and forwards three times
– in the form of a pipe-light – and then cut into
lengths of about half an inch. The lower ends
of these springs are fastened to the valentine
with glue, and then upon the upper surfaces are
fixed strips of plain flat paper. Upon these
strips the nymph, according to a design which
lies before her, arranges flowers and love-knots
and all kinds of devices. Immediately over the
church she glues on a gilt Cupid; at the corners
she places birds'-nests with eggs; down the
sides, festoons of flowers, relieved here and
there with united hearts and crossed darts and
lyres and flying doves. This decoration forms a
pretty bas-relief frame to the picture, and the
paper springs which support it permit the frame
to be pressed flat for the convenience of packing.
Each of the girls in this department is at
work upon a different design, some of which are
exceedingly pretty and tasteful. Some, too, are
very expensive. Here, for example, is one
containing in the centre a really well-executed
picture, in the ivory miniature style, of Cupid,
surrounded by a rich ornamental border studded
with pearls. The price of this elegant article,
enclosed in an enamelled box neatly tied up with
white satin ribbon, is two guineas. I am
naturally curious to know if many of these are sold.
The answer to my query is, " A good many." I
am informed, however, that the most expensive
chiefly go to the colonies. I could imagine a gold-
digger buying this valentine with the pearls,
and paying for it with a nugget. It seems very
absurd to give two guineas tor a valentine, but
the one under notice really appears to be worth
the money. It is a most elaborate affair, and,
as a piece of delicate workman and workwomanship,
looks to be better worth the price than
many fancy articles of more intrinsic value which
we see in the windows of the jewellers. The
brightly-coloured varnished flowers that are used
in this department have hitherto been made
almost exclusively in Germany, but Cupid
informs me, with great satisfaction, that he will
shortly be in a position to compete with the
Germans on their own ground, and dispense
with foreign aid altogether.

Our lady and gentleman are now proceeding
to church under every imaginable circumstance
of glory. Cupid keeps watch over them with
more than a cherub's personality, doves flutter
round them, flowers bloom at their feet, while
the air is laden with a rich perfume, emanating,
I am bound to state, from a pinch of Jockey
Club artfully inserted in a piece of cotton wool,
and stowed away under the exalted seat of
Cupid. Still our lady and gentleman have to
pass through another ordeal. They must step
into the next room and be examined. Nymphs
again are the examiners, and there are six of
them. They sit here permanently, as a
committee of taste. If there be anything wrong,
a dove flying with its feet in the air, a Cupid
standing on his head, or a rose violating the laws
of nature by growing downward, the lady and
gentleman are sent back to have their glorious
surroundings put to rights; if not, they receive
the imprimatur of approval, and are placed in
cardboard boxes to be delivered to the trade.

In following the progress of our valentine
from the embossing-room to the finishing
department, we have passed in review about sixty
hands, nearly forty of these being girls, the rest
men and boys. In all the departments the work
struck me as being of a healthy and cheerful
kind. The rooms are well lighted and airy,
and the girls exhibit none of the languor and
weariness which are painfully apparent in the
workrooms of the milliner and dressmaker.
They are very neatly dressed, and some of them
are very pretty, and these appearances, together
with a briskness of manner and a cheerfulness
of expression, convinced me that if the Song
of the Valentine were written, it would form a
happy contrast to the Song of the Shirt. The
girls work from eight o'clock in the morning
till seven o'clock at night, with intervals for