The following is the description of a pretty party for children to be given from four to six on the afternoon of Valentine's Day. The invitations were written on the backs of heart-shaped valentines enclosed in the regulation lacepaper envelopes so dear to childish hearts. When the guests had arrived there was a search for hidden candy hearts, which were found in all sorts of places, each child having a heartshaped bag of silk in which to put the spoils. When time was called, each child counted the number of hearts, the boy having the most being crowned King, and the little girl with the most to her credit being the Queen. These two then chose the games to be played. At five the grand march was formed to go into the dining-room.

The centrepiece was a large heart-shaped box, from which a ribbon led to each place, where it was fastened to a valentine of lace paper, gold Cupids, and blue forget-me-nots. The supper was simple, but dainty and wholesome. Chicken sandwiches of white bread, brown-bread sandwiches with raisin filling, both cut heart-shape with a cookie-cutter; delicious cocoa with whipped cream; an apple and nut salad, sprinkled over with red beet hearts cut with a vegetable-cutter, and a plain dressing with whipped cream stirred through it. Last of all, pink hearts of ice cream, small cakes iced in pink with a wee sugar Cupid on top. When the feast was over, the ribbons were pulled, and out came on each a heart-shaped box filled with little heart-shaped peppermints.

This party is easily adaptable to grown people by substituting heart puzzles for the heart hunt, and adding a programme of love ballads.

If one does not wish the expense, or cannot obtain the individual heart-shaped moulds of ice cream, buy the ordinary brick cream, cut it in slices, and then cut each slice with a tin heart cookie-cutter; the result will be all that is desired.

At the shops candy Cupids may be obtained, also gilt arrows and many accessories for the table, appropriate to the day.

A Valentine Party for Children

HAVE a letter box in the hall and provide plenty of lacepaper envelopes. On the invitations, which are decorated with gilt hearts, write this verse:

Cupid will distribute letters

Ôn St. Valentine’s night;

Love has bound you in his fetters,

Come and loose the seal that night.

It might be interesting to tell the young guests that a lady in Massachusetts introduced the valentine into America in 1850. Her business attained enormous proportions, and now the making of valentines gives employment to many people. Previous to this time we had depended upon Germany for our supply of these dainty trifles.

For amusement have a supply of bits of colored and lace papers, water colors, pictures, and all sorts of material from which to construct valentines. After the guests have been paired by means of duplicate candy hearts, place them at tables provided with library paste, scissors, and gilt paint. Allow an hour for the preparation of Cupid's missives and then put the finished products on exhibition; take a vote, and award prizes for the best and poorest work.

Have a box or basket filled with valentines, blindfold each one in turn and have a missive drawn out. Pass envelopes and pencils, the children addressing and dropping them into the letter box. Just before going home open the box and have the mail distributed.

A Pretty Valentine Party

NEARLY every country has its own Valentine legends and customs. To carry out a party à la Denmark makes it interesting and full of novelty to Americans. In Denmark the little snowdrop has from time immemorial been sacred to St. Valentine, and the sentimental Dane sends his ladylove a bouquet

verse.

of these dainty blossoms, with a card bearing an appropriate On the card are as many pin pricks as there are letters in his name. If the lady fair is able to guess the name, she is in duty bound to give the sender some colored eggs at Easter, which are considered to be in the nature of a forfeit. But to return to our party. Pink is the color for decorations, with hearts, bowknots, horseshoes, and wishbones used wherever opportunity offers. Portieres of pink hearts, cut from a light quality of cardboard and strung on ribbons, are very effective; festoons from the grills, doorways, and arches and draped over lace curtains give the rooms a gay and festive air. On this one night at least, every one must look through rose-colored glasses, so the more pink used in decorating the better.

If cards are to be played, Hearts is the game for the occasion. Have heart-shaped score cards with candy hearts to keep the score, fasten them to the cards with pink ribbons through holes bored in the hearts and holes punched in the cards. The mottoes inscribed on the old-fashioned candies will afford much merriment. After the cards, present each lady with an arrow tied with a ribbon, the gentleman with a bow decorated in the same manner. The colors are matched, and partners thus secured for the supper table. With very little trouble a heart-shaped target of white muslin may be prepared, with a heart painted in green on the outside, the next one of black, the third of yellow, fourth blue, fifth red. This will have the appearance of a series of hearts. Fasten the target against the wall and give each guest a "fate" card. When the arrows are shot the color upon which they hit determines the fate of the shooter.

Love and riches wait, I ween,
Him or her who hits the green.

Should your arrow pierce the blue,
Love is on the wing for you.

She who passes colors all
Has lovers many at her call.

Loveless, weeping little maid,
Red her eyes, as red the shade.

Into the black,

Nary a smack.

He who passes one and all,

His chance to wed is very small.

A Valentine dining-room is a thing of beauty, with the walls hung with green vines and pink hearts. In the centre of the table have a heart of snowdrops with a pink ribbon running to each plate which is also marked with a heart place card ornamented with hand-painted snowdrops.

Serve oysters in heart-shaped pastry shells, tomato aspic salad moulded in hearts. The tomato used to be called the "love apple," so it is most appropriate for this feast; cheese straws, heart-shaped chicken sandwiches; cherry ice in pink heart cases, with individual heart cakes ornamented with bowknots in white.

A Valentine Thimble Party

TINY hearts enclosed in envelopes, bearing the hour and date, with "Thimbles" in one corner, invited twelve guests to spend the hours between two and five with a hostess noted for her many and varied entertainments. After an hour with a fortune-teller who foretold the best of futures, with every maiden wedded to the man of her fondest dreams, the hostess gave each one a white Swiss heart-shaped apron with instructions to see who was the swiftest sewer, offering a prize to the one who finished first. This reward was a large heart-shaped box filled with chocolate heart peppermints.

Delicious chocolate was passed at four o'clock, with a "fortune" cake which contained a ring, a coin, a horseshoe, and a thimble. It is a novel idea to announce an engagement at a party of this kind. The postman could deliver a letter bearing the news, signed by Cupid.

A Valentine Dinner Party

ON good old St. Valentine's Day, a young hostess gave a most charming dinner. The invitations were issued two weeks in advance and one, for example, was worded as follows: "Romeo and Juliet request your presence at dinner on the night of February 14, at the hour of seven. Please come attired as Jack. Jill will meet you at our residence." The other guests asked were Darby and Joan, Paul and Virginia, Robbie Burns and Highland Mary, Dante and Beatrice, Cinderella and the Prince, Punch and Judy, etc. The dinner was served at small tables, each holding four. In the centre there was a candle with a heart outlined in carnations, a different color at each table. After each course the men changed places, each taking his own tumbler and napkin. The place cards were hearts tied with true-lovers' knots, each having a love quotation written in gold ink.

When the repast was finished the guests retired to the various cosy corners, and each lover wrote a formal proposal to his "ladye faire," to which she was privileged to write a refusal or an acceptance. The paper provided by the hostess was decorated with hearts, and fancy envelopes were given in which to enclose the precious missives.

To the lady who was voted to have written the best note a necklace of candy motto hearts strung on a pink ribbon was awarded; to the man whose effusion received the vote was given a dear little pie of chicken hearts baked in a ramakin. Old-fashioned square dances finished the evening; the favors for each dance were hearts, wishbones, knots of blue ribbon, Cupids, tiny slippers, four-leaved clovers, and fairies.

A Social for Valentine Night

SEND the invitations on Valentine postals, either the printed ones or of home manufacture. Amateur photography has been a great aid to entertainers in giving just the desired touch