In days gone by, a lady had the privilege of asking for ‘her’ man’s hand in marriage
throughout the Leap Year or, according to some, in February in a Leap Year, or on February 14 in a Leap Year or on February 29 in a Leap Year
The notecard has 3 characters: a woman called Mabel; a man called John and a dog without name.
This is the story on this note card, sent in May 1908 to a real Miss Mabel Blackburn by someone – I take it a woman – with the initials ‘RS.’
Story Time
In the story of this notecard, the notecard Mabel wants to propose to the fictional John.
He makes as if to get away from such a proposal.
He does not want her to entangle his hands and his life.Â
The notecard dog sympathizes with him.
The real Mabel Blackburn lived in Quoge City, Long Island, NY.
RS is inciting Mabel Blackburn to propose to ‘her’ man, whose name in real life is Lu Nichols (?Nicholas. The dog knows his name but may be garbling it).Â
How naughty is the real RS?
She knows that the real Lu Nichols does not want to marry Mabel Blackburn or she would have picked a Leap Year Valentine card with a different message to send her.
Maybe RS wants to marry Lu Nichols herself and is giving the real Mabel the hint: it is not you that he wants, Mabel: he wants me!
RS could have been courageous (foolhardy) and addressed the real Lu Nichols herself with a relatively sedate card like this:
N. American Valentine’s Day card, c. 1920
or more risqué?
N. American Valentine’s card, c. 1920
And for her girl friend, the real Mabel, a Pledge of Friendship while attempting to lure Lu Nichols away.
N. American Friendship card c. 1920
And if she, RS, had been successful in capturing the real Lu Nichols, here is a card she could send her betrayed friend. After a ‘sensitive’ pause …
N. American notecard, c. 1920
And the betrayed one herself, Mabel, after more years had passed, could consider this for Lu Nichols:
a reminder that he may have made the wrong choice:
N. American note card, c. 1920
We will never know what happened in reality between the real Mabel and the real Lu Nichols. We know only that these quadrennial shenanigans have gone.Â
I remember Leap Year valentines.
I am an old woman. The quiet and the peace are good now. Without rodents…
N. American note card, c. 1920
What a tour de force, clever lady! The linked postcards carry a delightful sequence of events, if a bit tinged by sadness. Thank you for sewing them together.
It’s all in the cards, Susannah!
What a clever post, dear Sarah
The postcards and your comments weave a beautiful and perhaps a little melancholy story of Valentine’s Day, between hopeful lovers and reticent partners 🌹
Thank you, Luisa, for commenting.
Melancholy because I have had recent catastrophic news in the marriages of two separate friends, men. Catastrophes of the heart, mind, bank balances and hoped-for futures.
Dear Sarah, life is a see-saw between ups and downs
Unfortunately, however, sometimes it seems to attack some people with atrocious cruelty