<h2>A</h2>
<p>A, the first letter, placed
by Cupid at the head
of his Alphabet, because
it stands for Amour,
Ardor, Art, Affinity,
Affection, Adoration,
Affability, Angel, etc.;
also A is the easiest
word to spell, with the exception of I.</p>
<p>The origin of the form of our capital
letter A is supposed to have been an
Egyptian symbol (see illustration) representing
two people engaged in the ancient
pastime called Kyssin, which survives
even at the present day. A, by many supposed
to be the oldest
of the alphabet and
constituting, as it does,
the initial of Adam’s
name, was doubtless
the only letter in existence
at the time Adam
learned to write.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-a.jpg" width-obs="200" height-obs="180" alt="A, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>The words Ark, Antediluvian, Ancestry,
Archæology, and Antiquity all support
the above theory.</p>
<p>Girls like Adelaide, Agatha, Agnes, Alice,
Althea, Amanda, Amy, Angelina, and
Arabella, whose initials fall in this letter
will be Attractive, Amiable, Artless, and in
the opposite sex most attracted by those of
Ardent, Ambitious, and Affable disposition.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Absence.</span> The sixth sense, arrived at by
the exclusion of the other five. A powerful
stimulant to love. See <i>longing</i>.
When combined with <i>distance</i> lends
enchantment to the other five senses.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Adamant</span>, <i>m.</i> A very hard word. See
<i>father</i>.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Admiration.</span> From <i>admi</i>, the Persian
word meaning <i>love</i>, and <i>ration</i>, food;
<i>love-food</i> or <i>food of love</i>.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Affinity</span>, <i>f.</i> Ad, at; finis, boundary;
at the boundary. The one one meets
around the corner.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Alimony.</span> The fine for speeding in the
joy-ride of Matrimony.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Altar.</span> The forge where hearts are
fused. From the word <i>halter</i>, to hitch.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Amount.</span> A foreign measure of Love.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Anchor.</span> The symbol of Hope. See
English word <i>hanker</i>, to long for.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Angel.</span> See HER.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Appendix.</span> See last page.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Arm.</span> The arm is a muscular string
connecting the hand with the shoulder.
A man can give his
arm without giving his
hand. Coat-of-Arms
(Cupid’s), Heart-shaped
shield—Gules, pierced by
an Arrow—Argent. Crest,
on an olive branch, a
Dove <em>Proper</em> ringed
d’or, flappant.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/arms.jpg" width-obs="125" height-obs="200" alt="A coat of arms, motto FORGET ME NOT" /></div>
<p><span class="smcap">Ashes.</span> Fashionable Lenten head-dress.
Especially effective when combined
with sackcloth.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Avowal.</span> A show-down in the Game of
Love.</p>
</div>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/cupid3.jpg" width-obs="200" height-obs="175" alt="Cupid in an easy-chair, smoking a pipe" /></div>
<hr />
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/fp1.jpg" width-obs="475" height-obs="600" alt="" /> <p class="caption">THE BATHING GIRL</p>
<p class="caption-j">FOUND ALONG THE SEASHORE IN GREAT NUMBERS DURING THE SUMMER
MONTHS. THEY CAN HARDLY BE CALLED AQUATIC, AS THEY RARELY GO INTO
THE WATER MORE THAN ENOUGH TO WET THE FEET. WITH THEIR BEAUTIFULLY
TANNED ARMS AND NECKS AND THEIR SHAPELY, GRACEFUL LEGS THEY PRESENT
A REFRESHING PICTURE TO THE TIRED-EYED, OFFICE-FAGGED WEEK-ENDER</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>B</h2>
<p>B is supposed to take its
shape from the popular
and industrious insect
known as the Bee (see
illustration). Others
claim that its form is
copied from the curves
of Cupid’s Bow. In
either case its chief characteristic is
Busy-ness.</p>
<p>B is a letter beloved of all. Bashful,
Bouncing, Beautiful, and Bonny, all of
which pleasing attributes are the natural
inheritance of the girls to whose lot
the initial B shall
fall. See Betty, Bella,
Bertha, Bridget, and
Belinda.</p>
<p>The most congenial
qualities of the
opposite sex will be
Bravery, Brawn, Briskness,
and Brains.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-b.jpg" width-obs="200" height-obs="200" alt="B, as described in this passage" /></div>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Baby.</span> A small thing somewhat resembling
a cupid without wings.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Bachelor</span>, <i>n.</i> An immune.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Balcony.</span> Cupid’s fire escape.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Beauty</span>, <i>f.</i> An affection of the skin;
taking but not contagious. Most popular
American export.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Best.</span> Best girl—see Her.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Bill.</span> See coo.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Bird.</span> See hat.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Blush.</span> A weakness of youth and an
accomplishment of experience. The
pink of impropriety.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Bond.</span> There are two kinds. The
United States bonds and Cupid’s bonds
of the united state.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Bravery.</span> A quality looked for in man,
found in woman. The personal adornment
of a woman and the mental adornment
of a man.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Breach</span>, Breach of promise suit. A suit
made to fit the devil, but sometimes
worn by Cupid.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Break</span>, to break hearts. Popular pastime
of the American girl.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Brute</span>, <i>n.</i> A husband.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>C</h2>
<p>C is the curliest of all the
letters. It takes its
shape from the first
golden curl, given as a
Love Token by Cupid
to Psyche, when he
found her again, after
their first quarrel, thus
originating the Society of Psychical Research
and the Engagement Ring.</p>
<p>C, being the initial of Cupid, has many
of his charming graces, being Careless,
Coquettish, Capricious, Clandestine,
Clinging, and Curious.</p>
<p>These charms will also be found in the
maids who follow the
curly initial C.</p>
<p>Among the C girls are
the following: Chloe,
Clorinda, Clarice, Clara,
Clementine, Catherine,
Constance, Cynthia, and
Carol.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-c.jpg" width-obs="200" height-obs="200" alt="C, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>The attractive qualities of their affinities
are Candor, Coolness, Cynicism,
Cleverness, and Cash.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Cake</span>, Wedding Cake. A saccharine
monument to the memory of Love.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Care.</span> The Mother of Thrift and the
Child of Extravagance. If you do not
take it before marriage it will overtake
you after.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Caress.</span> A sort of dope; very enjoyable.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Cash.</span> A sort of window fastener to keep
Love from flying out.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Cad</span>, <i>m.</i> The other man.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Cat</span>, <i>f.</i> The other woman.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Chair.</span> A small ingeniously constructed
seat for two people. Called after Cheops,
the inventor. The first chair was
presented to Cassiopeia and now appears
in the constellation of that name.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Cheese.</span> Part of Cupid’s Menu (Bread
and Cheese and Kisses).</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Clock.</span> A paradoxical chaperon who is
least in the way when it doesn’t go.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Company.</span> 2.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Consent.</span> See Papa.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Coo.</span> See bill.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Courtship.</span> A picturesque gateway to
a commonplace estate.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Crowd.</span> 3.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Cure</span>, of Love. Marriage.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Curiosity.</span> The taper which lights the
flame of Love.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Curl</span>, <i>f.</i> A man trap. <i>v.</i> to curl. The
dog curls up to sleep, the cat curls up to
sleep, even my lady curls up to sleep.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Cynic.</span> One who has been stung.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>D</h2>
<p>D The letter D dates from
about 967 B. C.</p>
<p>Hipopotamia, one of
Solomon’s many wives,
having been blessed
with no children, had
a little pet animal, presumably
much like the
modern <em>lap dog</em>, of which she was very
fond and was forever exclaiming of it,
“Isn’t it Dear!” or “Isn’t it a Darling!”
Solomon would invariably reply, “No,
Dog gone it!” and sometimes even, “No,
D—— it!” Then Hipopotamia would
smile, disclosing two very lovely Dimples.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-d.jpg" width-obs="200" height-obs="200" alt="D, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>Realizing the usefulness
of such words,
Solomon created the
letter D, in order to be
able to spell them. In
the hieroglyphics of the
times it was written as
this fragment will show,
the form being taken from Hipopotamia’s
little pet dog, Hydrophobia.</p>
<p>D has turned out to be one of the most
useful letters in Cupid’s Alphabet, beginning
as it does, Dearie, Ducky, Dreams,
Delight, Determination, and Desire. But
it has an unhappy side in Don’t, Disappointment,
and Despair.</p>
<p>The girls under this letter are all Darlings.
See any one of them.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Darling.</span> From Dearling, a little Dear—sometimes
excessively dear.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dear.</span> Beloved—also expensive.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dawn.</span> A term for early morning, used
by people who don’t have to get up.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Defects.</span> What a woman loves a man
for.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Delusion.</span> Hope’s dressmaker.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Desire.</span> Love’s partner.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dimple</span>, <i>f.</i> A pitfall in a garden of Blush
Roses.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Doggerel.</span> Rhyme without reason, generally
written by puppies.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dough.</span> That which is kneaded. A
slang word for money.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dove.</span> A tender fowl, popular both in
poetry and cookery books. When too
old to roast or broil, may be served up
in verse as the emblem of conjugal love.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dream.</span> <i>Fem.</i> Term used by a woman
describing a hat.</p>
<p><i>Mas.</i> Term describing the woman
used by the man who is destined to buy
the hat.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Duel.</span> The highest compliment two men
can pay one woman.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Duty.</span> A millstone sometimes mistaken
by Cupid for a heart. What we expect
in others.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/fp2.jpg" width-obs="475" height-obs="600" alt="" /> <p class="caption">THE TYPIST</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>E</h2>
<p>E The letter E takes its
shape from the Elephant,
in whose symbolical
anatomy it plays
the most important
part.</p>
<p>It is the belief of scientists
that no animal
has been responsible for more exclamations
expressive of amazement than the
Elephant, the presence of “E” in E jaculation,
E xtraordinary, E gad, E normous,
is directly traceable to the close relation
of the letter to that popular pachyderm.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-e.jpg" width-obs="160" height-obs="200" alt="E, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>The girls under E, for
instance, Edith, Eleanor,
Elizabeth, Elsie, Emily,
Emma, Esther, Eunice,
Evangeline, and Evelina,
are distinguished for
Ease, Elegance, Excitability,
and Economy,
and will be most
attracted in the opposite sex by Extravagance,
Eccentricity, and Earlyrising.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Escape.</span> Divorce.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Eternity.</span> “I’ll be down in a minute.”</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Evil.</span> A wile of the devil.</p>
<p>“<span class="smcap">Ever and for Ever.</span>” The devil of a
while.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Excuse.</span> Self accusation.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Experience.</span> An expensive tutor.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Eyebrow.</span> A mustache worn over the
eye. An incentive to sonnets.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>F</h2>
<p>F The form of the letter
F was first discovered
on an ancient fragment
of pottery by a German
archæologist, in the
shape of a sandal on
what is supposed to be
the foot of Achilles. As
will be seen in the accompanying cut the
heel of the sandal and the part covering
what is known as the “tendon of Achilles”
is peculiarly designed for the protection
of that part of the foot which was the
only vulnerable spot in Achilles’s foot.
This can at best be accepted only as an
ingenious conjecture.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-f.jpg" width-obs="175" height-obs="200" alt="F, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>F girls will be Frank,
Fragile, and Fastidious,
and those named
Fanny, Felicia, Flora,
Fidelia, Florence, Frances,
or Flo will find their
affinities in those of the
opposite sex who are Fearless, Fickle,
and Fantastic.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Fainting.</span> (Obsolete.) A feminine
manœuvre.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Fashion.</span> <i>Fem.</i> The sum of
all the virtues.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/fig1.jpg" width-obs="100" height-obs="150" alt="A fig leaf" /> <p class="caption">FIG 1</p> </div>
<p><span class="smcap">Fig</span>, Fig Leaf. A Fall Fashion
of a false modiste. See Fig. 1.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">First.</span> First Love. An appetiser. First
Kiss. Much has been written about
the exquisite joy of this, still it is
unsatisfying, hence the Second, the
Third, etc., <i lang="la">ad lib.</i></p>
<p><span class="smcap">Flirtation.</span> A way for two people, who
are not married to each other, to pass
the time. As a matter of fact a flirtation
isn’t anything, it’s a thing to do
and is really easier to do than to describe.
There are many sorts of Flirtation.
The Every-day or Sidewalk Flirtation
is the commonest kind. Other
very popular forms are the Eye, the
Eyebrow, the Fan, the Glove, the
Handkerchief, and the Foot Flirtation.</p>
<p>A natural attribute to woman, but an
easily acquired accomplishment in man.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Forever.</span> Love’s promissory note (subject
to discount).</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>G</h2>
<p>G The present form of the
letter G is derived from
the ancient Babylonian
symbol <i>Gee</i>. The letter
in its present shape is
composed of only half
of the Babylonian
symbol, which is
properly written GG or Gee Gee (<i>see cut</i>).</p>
<p>When we consider that without this
letter there could be no girls in the
world, we should be thankful for G; in
fact <em>we</em> are in favor of its being made
the National Thanksgiving Letter.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-g.jpg" width-obs="175" height-obs="200" alt="G, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>Gertrude, Georgiana,
Grace, and all the girls
of this letter will be Glorious
with their Generosity,
Gentleness, Grace,
and Gaiety, and cannot
be won by Gold or
Gems. He who would win
one of these must be Guileless and
Go-ahead.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Garter.</span> (See knee.) A species of serpent.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Gas</span>, Gas-light. A light often too weak
for one and generally too strong for two.
“The fainter the gas the braver the
beau.”—<cite>Shakespeare.</cite></p>
<p><span class="smcap">Girl.</span> The beginning of trouble. An
apple blossom in the Garden of Love.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Gooseberry.</span> An unbidden fruit.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Gossip.</span> Nothing to speak of.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Grass Widow.</span> A Grass Widow is a
Widow which makes hay.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/fp3.jpg" width-obs="475" height-obs="600" alt="" /> <p class="caption">TYPE FOUND PRETTY MUCH ALL OVER NORTH AMERICA</p>
<p class="caption-j">NOTE THE HEAD-DRESS OR WAR-BONNET OF FEATHERS. THEY
HAVE ALSO VARIOUS COLORED SUBSTANCES KNOWN AS
“WAR-PAINT,” WHICH THEY SMEAR ON THEIR FACES, GIVING A
GHASTLY AND UNNATURAL APPEARANCE. THIS PRACTICE IS
QUITE COMMON. SOME OF THIS TYPE, HOWEVER, ARE MOST
ATTRACTIVE, ESPECIALLY THOSE FOUND IN THE UN-UNITED STATE</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>H</h2>
<p>H, the eighth letter of
Cupid’s Alphabet, takes
its form from the Hittite
symbol meaning, “An
Heir has been born to
his House.” The symbol
as shown in the
cut represents two
Hittite gentlemen shaking hands. The
gladder looking one is the proud father,
and is being congratulated upon the birth
of his first son. (Girls did not count for
so much then as now.) In later symbolic
writing this symbol came to stand
for a pleasant or good-natured greeting,
as shown in such words as,
Howdhy (Hittite), How
(North American Indian),
Howdedo (New England),
Hello (Telephonic), and
Hail.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-h.jpg" width-obs="160" height-obs="200" alt="H, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>It would be hard to reckon
the immense amount of
good this letter has done, for without Hell
and Headache how many of us would be
good? And O the joys of life! For without
H where would Happiness and the
Honeymoon be? And where Heart,
Hope, Health, and Harmony?</p>
<p>Girls under this sign will be Handsome,
Honest, and Home-loving, but those
named Helen, Harriet, Henrietta, and
Hannah seem to be easily Hypnotized by
Hollow, Hypocritical Humbugs of the
opposite sex.</p>
<p class="center"><em>Hooray!</em></p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Happiness.</span> The mainspring of the good-time
piece.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Heaven.</span> “All in her eye.”</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Heart.</span> The ticker in the Bourse of
Love.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Hearticulture.</span> See Cupid’s Almanac.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Hell!</span> An expression of petulance.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Hesitation.</span> The thief of good times.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Honesty.</span> A bunker in the game of
Love.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Honeymoon.</span> The sugar on the bread
of matrimony.</p>
<div class="poetry">
<div class="verse"><span class="smcap">Hope.</span> “… the child of Care,</div>
<div class="verse">And pretty sister of Despair.”</div>
</div></div>
<hr />
<h2>I</h2>
<p>I The letter I spells by
itself the most popular
word in our language,
though, under Cupid’s
spell, the word “U” is
more thought of, “You
and I” being often the
most happy of Cupid’s
combinations. I is the most Attenuated
letter of the Alphabet.</p>
<p>By some the letter I is supposed to have
possessed originally a well-rounded and
ornate figure, having been worn to its
present thread-like shape by constant use
in speech and writing.</p>
<p>When not acting in its popular
capacity of First Personal Pronoun,
I is anything but popular as a letter,
standing as it does for Indifference,
Irksomeness, Insignificance, Industry,
and other uncongenial things.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-i.jpg" width-obs="95" height-obs="200" alt="I, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>I has a leaning to the cold and
classic in its choice of females,
some of its favorites being, Iphigenia,
Irene, Imogen, Ivias, and Iolanthe. To
these ladies the most appealing masculine
qualities will be Irony, Idleness, Independence,
and Impecuniosity.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">I.</span> The most popular letter in the
alphabet.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">If.</span> The drawbridge to the Castle of
Hope.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Illusion.</span> Love’s tailor and Art’s
servant.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Ink.</span> The stuff that Bills, Books, and
Billet-doux are made of.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Innocence.</span> A moral vacuum.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>J</h2>
<p>J, we are confident, takes
its shape from one of
Venus’s doves. We
don’t know which one,
but we think it is the
Dove of Peace or possibly
the Turtle Dove;
we are quite sure it is
not from the Ring Dove. To strengthen
our theory we present herewith a cut of
a fragment of a loving cup presented to
Cupid at a dinner given in his honor by
the Ancient and Honorable Society of
Psychic Research, just when we cannot
tell, for unfortunately the date is only
left in part, but it must have been long,
long ago when Love was
very young.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-j.jpg" width-obs="175" height-obs="200" alt="J, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>There has been much
controversy over this fragment,
some claiming it to
represent a Jay Bird, others
a Duck, some an Owl
because of the moon in its eye, but <em>we</em> are
sure it’s a <em>love of a Dove</em>! Why? Because
a Jay Bird is blue, a Duck has
webbed feet, and an Owl a hooked bill.</p>
<p>It is a jolly letter and has been the beginning
of much Joy and foolish Jealousy.
The worst thing it ever did was when it
started the word Jilt.</p>
<p>The men most attractive to such Jolly
girls as Jane, Julia, Josephine, Jemima,
Juliet, and Juliana are those of Just but
Jovial disposition.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Jealousy.</span> Cupid’s shadow.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Jest.</span> See life.</p>
<div class="poetry">
<div class="stanza">
<div class="verse">“Life is a jest</div>
<div class="verse indent1">And all things show it;</div>
<div class="verse">I thought so once—</div>
<div class="verse indent1">But now I know it.”</div>
</div>
<div class="stanza">
<div class="verse indent1">—<cite>Gay’s Epitaph.</cite></div>
</div></div>
<p><span class="smcap">Jilt.</span> An angel unawares. Originally
<i>Jolt</i>, <i>i. e.</i>, a jolt on the path of True Love
which never runs smooth. Schopenhauer
in his great work on Dutch Treats
spells it <i>chilt</i>, and gives it as an obsolete
past tense of the verb <i>to chill</i>.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Joy.</span> The Libretto of Laughter.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">June.</span> The time to make hay.</p>
</div>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/cupid4.jpg" width-obs="110" height-obs="200" alt="Cupid reading a book titled WISDOM" /></div>
<hr />
<h2>K</h2>
<p>K The form of the letter
K we trace to the Assyrian
Cherubis Figure of
Karubi, “the mighty,”
who stood at the Gateway
of Earthly Happiness
and guarded the
Pathway of True Love.
It is strange that these composite boy-bird
figures were also known as Shedi.
The nearest word we have to which
is the Hebrew <i>shedim</i> (devils). Unquestionably
it is from the word Karubi
that we get our word Kubid or Cupid.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-k.jpg" width-obs="130" height-obs="200" alt="K, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>The girls under this sign
are usually named Katherine
(meaning Pure) or one
of its diminutives—Kitty or
Kate. They are always Kind
and extremely Kissable, while
the men are apt to be Keen,
Knowledge-seeking, and
Knightly.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Khef.</span> (Pronounced <i>keff</i>.) Arabic slang,
to loaf happily, to invite one’s soul.
The action of doing nothing.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Kindness.</span> The larger half of the other
boy’s apple.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">King.</span> The card that takes the Queen.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Kismate.</span> A young lady one is on kissing
terms with.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Kismet.</span> Originally <i>kiss met</i>, meaning
Good Luck.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Kiss.</span> A course of procedure, cunningly
devised, for the mutual stoppage of
speech at a moment when words are
superfluous.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Kissing.</span> See under mustache. A pastime
of the unmarried.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Knee.</span> An adjustable, animated settee
designed for the use of ladies.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Knowledge.</span> Dame Nature’s lover.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Knot.</span> An entanglement.</p>
</div>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/knots.jpg" width-obs="500" height-obs="215" alt="Three knots" /> <p class="caption">TRUE LOVER’S KNOT</p> <p class="caption">HALF HITCH OR ENGAGEMENT KNOT</p> <p class="caption">MARRIAGE OR SLIP NOT</p>
</div>
<hr />
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/fp4.jpg" width-obs="475" height-obs="600" alt="" /> <p class="caption">THE WESTERN TYPE</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>L</h2>
<p>Long, long ago, the
God of Love was supposed
to dwell in the
Moon and was called
Lameck (the Moon
God). From the sometimes
startling effect
moonlight had upon the
sentimental, it was believed that the moon-beams
were the arrows of the God of Love
(Cupid’s Arrows). Hence this symbol (see
cut) came to mean affection, and from it
came the letter L, ranking very high in
Cupid’s Alphabet, beginning, as it does,
the most important word in the history of
the world, Love. This
symbol was usually
found, as in Cupid’s
Alphabet, following the
symbol of Kubid, and
meaning that Love
follows in the path of
Cupid.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-l.jpg" width-obs="200" height-obs="200" alt="L, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>The neo-Babylonian characters are the
most sentimental ever known, as they are
made up almost entirely of arrangements
of this symbol slightly conventionalized.</p>
<p>Lois, Laura, Leonora, Lucy, Lydia,
Lucretia, Louise, and Lucinda, the
women under this sign, are Languid,
Luscious, Lackadaisical, and Loving;
while the men are usually named Lionel
and are Light-hearted, and Lazy.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Note</span>:—It is interesting to note the
Chinese use of the same symbol surrounded
by tears <ANTIMG src="images/sim.jpg" width-obs="45" height-obs="40" alt="Chinese symbol" />, pronounced sim,
meaning Heart.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Lap.</span> A pillow. See Gray.</p>
<div class="poetry">
<div class="verse">“Here rests his head upon the lap of earth.”</div>
</div>
<p><span class="smcap">Lips.</span> The two edges or borders of the
mouth; the two fleshy or muscular
parts composing the opening of the
mouth. Generally used for kissing,
cussing, and conversation.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Loneliness.</span> An instigation. The married
man’s meat, the single man’s
poison.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Lottery.</span> From <i>lot</i>, state; <i>awry</i>, askew.
A cynical definition of marriage.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Love.</span> A transitory derangement of all
the five senses. The chemistry of attraction.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Lure.</span> Cupid’s signposts, not always
safe to follow. They may be found in
many and fantastic shapes, such as a
bow of ribbon, a stray ringlet, a side-long
glance, a sigh, or a breath of heliotrope.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>M</h2>
<p>M is so ancient that no
one really knows where
it came from. However,
because of the
fragment of the jar
shown here (see cut),
found just outside the
Garden of Eden and
representing two outsiders bargaining, the
origin of this letter has been credited to
the Hebrews, and is interesting in showing
the politeness of these early people.
Money, Moses, and Mercantile all
strengthen this theory.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-m.jpg" width-obs="200" height-obs="180" alt="M, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>Girls of this letter
will be Modest and
will have Merry and
Magnetic dispositions,
and will be most happy
when married to
Masterful, Manly
men of Means.</p>
<p>The one thing to mar this letter is its
connection with the word <i>Mitten</i>.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Marriage.</span> The conventional ending of
a love affair. A lonesome state.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Memory.</span> A thing to forget with.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Mirror</span> (her mirror). Cupid’s cook
stove.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Misery.</span> Lover of Company.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Modesty.</span> Conscious purity.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Mole.</span> The exception that proves the
rule.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Money.</span> See Uncle.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Monogamy.</span> Sometimes spelling <i>monotony</i>.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Moon.</span> A planetary old maid who busies
herself about other people’s love affairs
and the recipient of love confidences.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Mrs.</span> The O. K. of respectability.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Mustache.</span> As Kipling says: “Kissing
a man without a mustache is like eating
an egg without salt.” (?) The question
was recently put before the Ten
Million subscribers of <cite>The Perfectlady’s
Home Journal</cite>, every one of whom,
without a single exception, replied that
she did not know—never having eaten
an egg without salt.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">A Masculine Note</span>:—If SHE is an M
girl you will be lucky if HER name is
Malinda or Miriam or Mabel or
Miranda or Melicent or Maud or
Mehetabel or Magdalene or Maria or
Minerva or Marion or Minna or Margaret
or Matilda or Marcia or Marianne
or Melissa or Martha or Mary.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/fp5.jpg" width-obs="475" height-obs="600" alt="" /> <p class="caption">TYPE FOUND AT FIFTH AVENUE AND 34th STREET
ABOUT 4 O’CLOCK</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>N</h2>
<p>N is the sign of the negative,
and is found first
in the form of an eel on
an ancient Egyptian
tablet from a lady refusing
her hand in marriage
and slipping out
of it in a nice and
graceful manner. Evidently the symbol
of polite refusal.</p>
<p>N girls, like Nora and Nancy and Nell
will be Nice and Naïve and sometimes
Naughty. It is not a popular letter with
men because of its association with Nervous,
No, Never, and Numb.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-n.jpg" width-obs="200" height-obs="180" alt="N, as described in this passage" /></div>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Nature.</span> Dame Nature.
The mistress
of the House of
Life, in which
Love is ever the
favored guest.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Neglect.</span> A breakfast food of Love.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Never!</span> A feminine sign of yielding.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">No.</span> Feminine for <i>Yes</i>.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Nothing.</span> The boundaries of the Universe
and of Love.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Number.</span> (Cupid’s Lucky Number) 2.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>O</h2>
<p>O has its origin in the
Wedding Ring and is
the symbol of Eternity.
It seems to have been
used by all the peoples
of the Earth, as we find
it in the Babylonian,
Archaic, Old Aramæan,
Cypriote, and practically in all writings of
all times.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-o.jpg" width-obs="180" height-obs="200" alt="O, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>From its very shape it means happiness
and content.</p>
<p>O girls will be Orderly, and in olden
times were fond of Osculation. The men
are often Odd, Ostentatious, and Overbearing.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Oceans.</span> A minute
measure of Love.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Oh!</span> An exclamation
meaning “this is so
sudden.”</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Onions.</span> Should never be eaten alone.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Opportunity.</span> An invitation of Fate.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Osculation.</span> A game of chance.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Own.</span> To possess. From <i>onus</i>, a burden.</p>
</div>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/cupid5.jpg" width-obs="175" height-obs="200" alt="Cupid, seated on a rock by a flower, reading a paper" /></div>
<hr />
<h2>P</h2>
<p>P in its primitive form
was the symbol of pairing,
being, as the cut
shows, a combination
of U and I. The sort
of thing a bashful lover
would carve on a tree
or stone or scratch in
the sand when taking a walk with his
adored one.</p>
<p>It seems natural that it should stand for
Perfume, Poetry, Pastime, Pleasure, Passion,
Panacea, Paradise, and Peace.</p>
<p>In Cupid’s Alphabet, to prevent the
slightest breath of scandal, it is always
placed after the symbol of
the wedding ring.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-p.jpg" width-obs="130" height-obs="200" alt="P, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>The girls who come within
the pale of this letter (see
Phyllis, Prudence, Pearl,
Penelope, Pauline, Philippa,
Phœbe, or Priscilla), will be
Petite and Pretty and will
have perfect Poise. While the men will
be Polite and Polished, great Posers and
Poker Players, but Pliable in the hands
of woman.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Passion.</span> The father of Tenderness.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Purity.</span> The mother of Tenderness.
Unconscious modesty. (See Modesty.)</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Past.</span> Something to be forgotten.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Patience.</span> The tip Time gives to the
waiter.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Pity.</span> Love’s half brother.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Pleasure.</span> True Love’s shadow.</p>
<div class="poetry">
<div class="verse"><span class="smcap">Prudence.</span> “Said Love: ‘How strange we never met before;</div>
<div class="verse indent1">But now we’ve met, I hope we’ll meet no more!’”</div>
</div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Q</h2>
<p>Q, as shown by this ancient
bit of sculpture,
in its original hieroglyphical
form represented
a lover’s quarrel,
and, from the cast of
features, presumably an
Amorite. This proves
it of very ancient origin, as in the early
times the Amorites were the dominant
race of Syria and Canaan, which are
named on the oldest Babylonian monuments
“the land of the Amorites.” (See
map of Amouria.) There are plenty of
Amourites in the world to-day, but they
show not the slightest
desire to congregate,
but, quite to the contrary,
can be found
wandering off in pairs
at the slightest pretext.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-q.jpg" width-obs="200" height-obs="200" alt="Q, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>Such words as Quibble,
Quirk, Quiz, Quip,
and Querulous seem to strengthen the
unpleasant features of this letter.</p>
<p>Fortunately there are no Q girls; they
would be very Queer if there were.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Question.</span> Woman.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/fp6.jpg" width-obs="475" height-obs="600" alt="" /> <p class="caption">TYPE (A WIDOW) FOUND THE WORLD OVER
VERY DANGEROUS TO MAN</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>R</h2>
<p>R This form we find first
used as the symbol on
the seal of Rabsaris,
chief of the eunuchs,
in the reign of Sennacherib,
King of Assyria.
The symbol evidently
represents Rabsaris at
his daily task of watching the ladies of
the Royal Harem to see that they did not
indulge too freely in sweetmeats. Some
wit of the day twisted <i>Rabsaris</i> into
<i>Rabari</i>, in Assyrian, to stretch, to Rubber,
and so a new symbol in the writing
of the times was born and <em>we</em> have the
letter R.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-r.jpg" width-obs="145" height-obs="200" alt="R, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>Not the most cheerful
letter in Cupid’s Alphabet,
bringing with it as it does,
Refusal, Regret, Remorse,
Revenge, “Please Remit,”
and that great hindrance to
Lovers, Reason.</p>
<p>Girls under this sign combine the sweetness
of the Rose with the fire and depth
of the Ruby, and will be most attracted
to those in the opposite sex of Reckless
and Roving disposition.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Religion.</span> “In the religion of Love the
courtesan is a heretic; but the nun is
an atheist.”—<cite>Richard Garnett.</cite></p>
<p><span class="smcap">Ribbon.</span> A rope in disguise.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Rice.</span> The confetti of matrimony.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Ring.</span> Symbol of slavery.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Romance.</span> <em>Once</em> upon a time. Seldom
twice.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Rose.</span> The hardest working flower in
Love’s Garden.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Ruffle.</span> A frill on the outskirts of good
form.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Rule</span>, Golden Rule. “Do unto others,”
etc. Canonical extenuation of Osculation.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>S</h2>
<p>S The story of S is Sadness.</p>
<p><i>Monday</i> in the Garden
and a lovely day.
Just enough air stirring
to rustle the leaves
soothingly.</p>
<p><i>Tuesday</i>, another
such day.</p>
<p><i>Wednesday</i>, if anything better.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-s.jpg" width-obs="130" height-obs="200" alt="S, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p><i>Thursday</i>, a wonderful day, languorous
with the perfume of flowers. The
birds never sang so sweetly, the butterflies
never seemed so brilliant. The little
silver brook fell into the lake with so
soothing a sound and the
drowsy hum of the bee was
like a lullaby. Such a dreamy
contentment seemed to pervade
the whole Garden. Like
the breath of a rose a caressing
zephyr sighed overhead and
creaked ever so little the old
signboard nestled among the leaves. The
old signboard with this inscription in quaint
characters, “<i lang="la">Quamdiu se bene gesserit</i>.”
Adam looked up from where he lolled in
the soft grass and smiled as at an old
friend. He stretched and drew a deep
breath of content. The day seemed the
most wonderful he had known.</p>
<p><i>Friday</i>, Black Friday they called it
afterward, broke clear and bright, but on
the horizon great piles of black cloud and
far off the ominous muttering of thunder.
All nature seemed nervous and a-tremble.
The breeze was fitful and petulant and the
hush of some impending evil hung over
the Garden. The old signboard creaked
sharply. Poor Adam! (Poor Us!!!)
There confronting him was this word in
fresh bright paint,</p>
<p class="center">“SKYDDU”</p>
<p class="center smaller">(See Note)</p>
<p>That night it rained. Oh, how it
rained!</p>
<p>Because this symbol (see cut), pronounced
<em>es</em> like the hiss of a serpent, can
be traced back to the day the Adams
moved, and which stood for Sin, Scandal,
Shame, Sorrow, Scorn, Satire, Suspicion,
Scowl, and Selfishness, people have been
willing to accept Adam’s story, and the
poor old serpent has been made the scapegoat
in the whole affair.</p>
<p>We have gone very carefully into this
matter, and we find that Adam was a lazy
poet and dreamer and was put out of Eden
for not paying his rent.</p>
<p>The girls under S will be Stylish, Sentimental,
Sincere, and Simple in their
tastes, while the men will be Silver-tongued
and Smooth.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Note</span>:—This quaint form of Dispossess Notice we
find used all through the Stone and Iron Ages.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Secret.</span> A feminine invention for the
rapid dissemination of news.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Sense.</span> The safest fuel for the flame on
Love’s Altar.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Sensitiveness.</span> A symptom.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Sentiment.</span> Baedeker to the Land of
Love. Tells you what to admire.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Sigh.</span> The rustle of a caged cupid’s
wings.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Silence.</span> If silence gives consent, how
is it women marry?</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Sin.</span> A matter of opinion. What other
people do and we talk about.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Sofa.</span> A receptacle for spoons.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Spoon.</span> An arrangement for supplying
nourishment to the lovesick.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Suspicion.</span> A hair of the wrong color.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Sympathy.</span> Love’s sister.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>T</h2>
<p>T In Adam’s Autobiography
we find, toward
the end of the sojourn
in the Garden, this
symbol (see cut on
this page) often used
and always in this
sense, “And being an-hungered
we went to the <ANTIMG src="images/t-tree.jpg" width-obs="70" height-obs="80" alt="Tree-shaped symbol" />
and ate.” Poetic translators
of these lines have been
pleased to call this symbol
“The Tree of Life,” and weave a pretty
story around it which
fits in with Adam’s
folderol about the
snake.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-t.jpg" width-obs="175" height-obs="200" alt="T, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>We find, however, much
used in the Phœnician
hieroglyphics, the most
ancient of all languages,
this symbol, <ANTIMG src="images/t-pawn.jpg" width-obs="75" height-obs="80" alt="Tree-shaped symbol" /> the sign of
the usurer or pawn-shop.
This unquestionably establishes
our version of this garden
story. (<i>See S.</i>) The variation in
Adam’s way of writing the symbol is due
either to that extreme sense of delicacy
which would naturally make him wish
to disguise the unpleasant, or to sheer
laziness. He was such a poet.</p>
<p>Girls fortunate enough to come under
this letter will be Tender and True, and
will be most attracted by Tall, Talented,
Temperate men.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Telephone.</span> Love’s Telephone Number:—Two
Won, O Heaven!!</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Temptation.</span> Woman. Anything forbidden.
A challenge. An invitation
to don’t.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Tenderness.</span> Moonlight.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Three.</span> A crowd. Love’s unlucky number.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Time.</span> Woman’s worst enemy. A cure-all.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">True Love.</span> An old-fashioned sentiment.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Trust.</span> A love-preserver on the Ship of
Joy.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Truth.</span> A very painful irritant.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Two.</span> Company.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/fp7.jpg" width-obs="475" height-obs="600" alt="" /> <p class="caption">TYPE FOUND FRIVOLLING ON THE STAIRS
AND IN CONSERVATORIES</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>U</h2>
<p>U The old Assyrians,
needing men for their
many wars, did not believe
in Race Suicide.
The law therefore was
that all men arriving at
the age of twenty-three
and not married must
wear a yoke of wood about the neck until
such time as they should wed. (Old
bachelors were rare in Assyria.)</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-u.jpg" width-obs="175" height-obs="200" alt="U, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>It is natural then that the yoke should
have become the symbol of bachelorhood.
The cut herewith shows this symbol from
a tablet from the Epic of
Nimrod. U takes its form
from this yoke and its
sound from the Assyrian
<i>UN</i>, implying negation,
as shown in such words
as Unit, Until, Unsafe,
Unacceptable, Un-amiable,
Unblemished, Unbroken,
Uncalled, Undutiful, Unburied,
Unfashionable, Unfeeling, Unfruitful,
Unpoetic, Unmarried, and Unwise.</p>
<p>U girls are usually Unsophisticated and
Unaffected, and the men for them to
marry should be Useful, Upright, and
Urbane.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Un.</span> A cantankerous prefix which contradicts
every adjective it meets.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Union.</span> A combination of at least two
unmarried states.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Us.</span> The plural of U.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>V</h2>
<p>V originated from an
early representation of
Venus rising from the
sea.</p>
<p>This symbol was used
upon the “Ladies’ Entrance”
to all the public
baths of the ancients.</p>
<p>In Cupid’s Alphabet, in honor of his
mother, this symbol was the last and
stood for Veneration and Virtue, but as
customs changed it became necessary to
add the Wedding symbol.</p>
<p>From the fact that Venus had five
sweethearts, came the use of this symbol
to denote 5.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-v.jpg" width-obs="200" height-obs="200" alt="V, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>Valeria, Victoria, Virginia,
Vivian, Vera, and
Violet, the lucky girls
under this sign, will be
as sweet as the Verbena
and Versed in every art
to make the male heart
Vibrate Violently. The men will be
Vigorous but Visionary, and inclined to
be fond of the Vine.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Vanity.</span> Everything.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Variety.</span> Is the spice of Love.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Victim.</span> Bridegroom.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>W</h2>
<p>W comes from the very
sacred and beautiful
symbol of Wedlock.
One cannot realize, unless
quite familiar with
these ancient peoples,
with what reverence
they held this symbol.
What poetry and romance surged through
the mind of him who gazed upon it, what
fluttering of heart, what dizziness. Yes,
the ancients loved marriage. They adored
it! Some of them were so devoted to it
that they did it over and over again,
Solomon for instance. At times the rush
was so great that the
clerks in the Office
of Record would get
behind in their
work, and in their
haste would neglect
to make the hole
in the wedding ring, showing the Bridegroom’s
hand so <ANTIMG src="images/w-hand.jpg" width-obs="30" height-obs="40" alt="Symbol as described" /> in the symbol
and giving the opportunity for some
one to advance the theory that this
symbol did not mean marriage, but
represented the doctor offering a pill to
his patient, meaning sickness. This is
absurd!</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-w.jpg" width-obs="200" height-obs="130" alt="W, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>W girls will be Wholesome, Winning,
and Wise, and will be most happy when
Wedded to men of Wealth.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Waist.</span> The equator of Heaven.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Web.</span> A net. An entanglement. Doubtless
from the German <i>weib</i>, woman.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Wedding.</span> A necessary formality before
securing a divorce.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Widow.</span> The most dangerous variety of
unmarried female.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Wife.</span> A darning attachment for the domestic
machine.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Woman.</span> The last but not the least of all
created things, an afterthought.</p>
</div>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/cupid6.jpg" width-obs="200" height-obs="200" alt="Cupid sitting against a stack of books" /></div>
<hr />
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/fp8.jpg" width-obs="475" height-obs="600" alt="" /> <p class="caption">TYPE FOUND IN THE SOUTHERN STATES</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>X</h2>
<p>X comes from Cupid’s
own mark, used by him
in the days before writing
was invented and
every one had his or her
own particular mark
to sign checks, I. O. U’s,
and Love Letters.</p>
<p>We are indebted to the British Museum
for allowing us access to their
treasure chambers. There we find this
mark on many dainty billet-doux left upon
Psyche’s dressing table by Cupid.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-x.jpg" width-obs="200" height-obs="200" alt="X, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>The symbol, for many centuries, of
True Love, and many variations of it
were used; such as:</p>
<table summary="Arrow symbols and their explanations">
<tr>
<td><ANTIMG src="images/x-arrow1.jpg" width-obs="30" height-obs="50" alt="Arrow pointing up" /></td>
<td>I am overjoyed.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><ANTIMG src="images/x-arrow2.jpg" width-obs="30" height-obs="50" alt="Arrow pointing down" /></td>
<td>I have the blues.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><ANTIMG src="images/x-arrow3.jpg" width-obs="70" height-obs="40" alt="Two arrows pointing in the same direction" /></td>
<td>Fly with me.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><ANTIMG src="images/x-arrow4.jpg" width-obs="135" height-obs="25" alt="Two arrows pointing towards each other" /></td>
<td>Meet me.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><ANTIMG src="images/x-arrow5.jpg" width-obs="150" height-obs="30" alt="Two arrows pointing towards each other with a crescent moon in between" /></td>
<td>Meet me by moonlight.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><ANTIMG src="images/x-arrow6.jpg" width-obs="40" height-obs="45" alt="Two arrows crossed with a bow tied around them" /></td>
<td>Let us be married.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><ANTIMG src="images/x-arrow7.jpg" width-obs="90" height-obs="30" alt="A broken arrow" /></td>
<td>I love you not.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><ANTIMG src="images/x-arrow8.jpg" width-obs="75" height-obs="45" alt="Right-pointing, slightly bowed arrow, with a moneybag on top of it" /></td>
<td>Do you think you can support a wife?</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><ANTIMG src="images/x-arrow9.jpg" width-obs="80" height-obs="25" alt="Left-pointing arrow overlaid with a star" /></td>
<td>I will come to-night.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><ANTIMG src="images/x-arrow10.jpg" width-obs="90" height-obs="40" alt="Right-pointing arrow overlaid with a sun" /></td>
<td>I leave town to-morrow.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><ANTIMG src="images/x-arrow11.jpg" width-obs="90" height-obs="30" alt="Left-pointing arrow overlaid with a heart" /></td>
<td>Come back, I love you.</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>X girls are usually thought of with
great tenderness by a man, but they are
sometimes a considerable annoyance, as,
for example, Xanthippe.</p>
<hr />
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/fp9.jpg" width-obs="475" height-obs="600" alt="" /> <p class="caption">THE CHORUS GIRL</p>
<p class="caption-j">A MORE OR LESS NOCTURNAL TYPE. LIKE THE ENGLISH SPARROW, NOW
VERY PLENTIFUL ON MANHATTAN ISLAND WHILE AT THE TIME OF THE
SETTLING BY THE DUTCH THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY UNKNOWN TO THE
LOCALITY. THE MOST WONDERFUL TRAIT OF THIS TYPE IS ECONOMY</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>Y</h2>
<p>Y A derivative of Wise.</p>
<p>We show here the
central figure from a
decoration over the
entrance to the Temple
of Cupid, and naturally
supposed to represent
the High Priest
pronouncing the Wedding Blessing. With
this before us it is easy to understand
why Y is the parent of such words as
Yearn, Yea, Yielding, Yes, and Yoking.</p>
<p>Another poetic minded archæologist
has tried to persuade us to his theory
that the romantic ancients, who were forever
giving human form to
things, symbolized in this figure
the Waterfall. His theory
is without foundation.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-y.jpg" width-obs="150" height-obs="200" alt="Y, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>Y girls will be ever Youthful
and are rare as Yttrium.
They should be much
sought after by You men.</p>
<div class="blockquote">
<p><span class="smcap">Yes.</span> Cupid’s password.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Yesterday.</span> Regret.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">You.</span> Whoever you are.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Youth.</span> The time we wasted. Cupid’s
holiday season.</p>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>Z</h2>
<p>Z The symbol, shown
herewith, from an ancient
roller seal dating
back to the earliest days
of the Turkish race,
shows its owner worshipping
at the shrine
of Kupid. (Hence the
word Zealot.) The arrangement of his
hair shows him to be a bachelor, so presumably
he is beseeching Cupid’s aid in
some amour.</p>
<p>A very similar figure is used in later
symbolic writings, supposed to represent
Zeuxis kneeling before
one of his own paintings,
and stood for egotism
and conceit.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus-z.jpg" width-obs="180" height-obs="200" alt="Z, as described in this passage" /></div>
<p>We also have the same
form used so <ANTIMG src="images/z-symbol-1.jpg" width-obs="50" height-obs="40" alt="Z-shaped symbol" /> symbolizing
the Path
of True Love, originally
written <ANTIMG src="images/z-symbol-2.jpg" width-obs="45" height-obs="40" alt="Z-shaped symbol" />.</p>
<hr />
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