CHOICE EXTRACTS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 255, 15 February 1877, Page 2

CHOICE EXTRACTS.

VALENTINES.

A GOOD SWALLOW.

There is at present confined in the Gundagai Gaol, New South Wales, (relates the Southern Argus) an individual who renoiccs in the euphonious name of Charles Le Grande Redmayne. He is serving a sentence of one month for stealing a ring under peculiar circumstances from James Forde, of Gundagai, in May last. From the evidence given when the prisoner was charged with the crime before the Police Court, it appeared that he was arrested in Yass, on 18th December last, and remanded to Gundagai. In reply to the charge, prisoner said he was an j and earned his living by travelling from town to town giving performances, which partly consisted in swallowing any article the audience might desire. Forde gave him the ring, and he had swallowed it, but could not get it up again, and therefore, of course, could not return it to the owner. He further asserted that he could swallow a bagful if he got them. He is at present being treated by Dr. M'Killop, visiting surgeon at Gundagai Gaol, with the view of making him disgorge a large steel albert chain and a common brass ring. The chain can be distinctly felt at the bottom of the stomach, and he says it is now nine months since he swallowed it, and it is the only one he has had any difficulty about. He says he has had two pounds weight of jewellery in his stomach, and that he has had watches in his stomach as long as twenty-four hours. Mr. Benton, the gaoler, has a collection of steel and brass albert chains, pen-knives, brass rings, &c., which he said he had succeeded in making the patient vomit by means of powerful emetics. A link of one of the steel chains had been broken by the action of the stomach. Pedmayne is an intelligent young man, 23 years of age, and he gave a graphic and amusing account of his exploits. Dr. M'Killop entertains fears that it will not be possible to remove the chain that still remains in his body, and that it will eventually cause inflammation and death."

Formerly, an elaborate white satin pancake, -with a lace frill, and a counterpiece of hearts and darts, bordering some inanimate pink and white effigies at a parish church, was the highest effort of the art to be bought for money, as appropriate to the 14th February. Twenty pounds was, in 1863, considered a fair week's receipt for valentines at a first-rate West-end London shop. Five hundred pounds taken over the counter is now held to be a fair but not extraordinary business in the seven days preceding and including the 14th. Mr. Samual Slick used to ask permission to leave one of his clocks in charge of a farmer's wife ; and haying once created a want, left the rest to "soft sawder " and "human natur." Mr. Benjamin Disraeli boasts of educating his party until they swallow eagerly whatever he chooses to provide. The great valentine purveyors combine botli principles. They have spent five years in creating a new and expensive want, and in educating the patrons up to purchasing point. Their teaching has been patient, unremitting, and progressive. Year by year, valentines have increased in costliness and taste. One of the first novelties contained real flowers artificially scented, and grouped so as to convey tender nothings to the receiver. Then came one by one trifling presents, all symbolical of the day, and all forming part of the valentine. The customer anxious to be merely wasteful cannot spend more than a couple of guineas on his fancy, and for this will obtain a fairly executed little painting on white silk or satin, or a stuffed hummingbird, or two with love-knots in their mouths, or a basket of artificial flowers, or what is called a " rich Watteau painting." One of the prettiest of this class costs but one guinea, and consists of a real humming-bird on full wing towards the opening of the letter, flying through a bower of artificial roses with Ms message of love. From this class you step at once into extravagance literally unlimited. A ring, the value of course dependent upon the donor's generosity and length of purse, nestles among flowers speaking in their own language the sender's sentiments. Jewelled smelling bottles ; fans, pearlhandled, bejewelled, and with expensively painted sides ; glove-saches, embroidered and ornamented ; brooches, bracelets, studs, pin, and ear-rings are all cunningly introduced beneath a full-blown heart, or a true lover's knot, so as to give a distinctly valuable meaning to an expression of good will. The musical valentines are among the greatest triumphs of ingenuity, and are comparatively cheap, ranging from one guinea to five. There are boxes which are wound up before posting, and begin to play directly their lid is lifted. " Come where thy Love lies Dreaming,'' or " Sweet Spirit, hear my Prayer," will will greet many a maiden, or—leap-year being considered—many a swain, on Valentine's morning, on opening the bulky packet the postman has brought in.