St. Valentine’s Day

John Gordon Thomson (1841-1911)

Fun 57-58 (15 February 1893): 47

Source: Hathi Digital Library Trust web version of a copy in the University of Minnesota library.

See below for the poem that accompanies this editorial cartoon: (52).

The editorial cartoon’s subtitle — “The Pillar of the State” — is a pun on the pillar box, which here forms Gladstone’s body. A pillar box is what Britons call a post box and Americans a mailbox. [continued below]

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the Hathi Digital Library Trust and the University of Minnesota library and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. — George P. Landow]

The arriving envelopes are addressed to “William the Conqueror” “the GOM [Grand Old Man],” “To the People’s William [from] J[ohn] Bull,” and more hostilely “To the Home Rule Demon,” “To an Awful cad,” and “To the Separatist.” The poem that accompanies the cartoon and which follows several pages later appears below.

St. Valentine's Day

At his post, at his post on St. Valentine’s Day,     Just the same as on dates of less notable sort, Does our grand old Prime Minister, frisky though grey,     Stick to work much as if ‘twere the pleasantest sport. While his younger admirers, who'd aid him with zest, May appear now and then to be glad of some rest, You are certain to find him-our pride and our boast —                 At his post. Through the post, through the post this particular time     Brings an influx of missives of singular make. Which the people who dwell in our nice British clime     Have the fancy to send for acquaintance’s sake: They are charmingly flattering, or the reverse, Some are better than others some palpably worse And the party aforesaid of these gets a host                 Through the post. At his post, at his post does he stand bolt-upright,     Like an open-mouthed pillar-box usefully trim, And receives all the Valentines, heavy and light,     Which the Cupids or stupids deliver to him; And he swallows the lot with remarkable ease, For he’s equal to anything still, if you please, And he shines in no end of departments — but most                 At his post.

Related material William E. Gladstone (homepage) The Victorian revolution in letter writing Victorian post boxes

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Last modified 4 February 2016