Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1913 — CUPID’S ESPECIAL DAY IS THAT OF GOOD ST. VALENTINE. [ARTICLE]

CUPID’S ESPECIAL DAY IS THAT OF GOOD ST. VALENTINE.

CUSTOM, more potent any other authority known to <p» B , ban decreed that on SL Valentine’s day those of opposite sex shall exchange missives and epistles, either comic or sentimental, in which the foibles Of the receiver or the love, of the sender are set forth in prose, in verse and in emblematic picture. Now there is no eustom without a reason, but the reason for this cannot be found in the life of the good saint who is made to indorse this custom with his nalne. - “He wrote-no love soagl “No one rises to accuse him of casting sheep’s eyes on any Roman maiden. He was a bishop or pope of Rome who stood steadfast to the faith during the Claudian persecutions, and for that faith was cast into Jail, where he cured his keeper’s daughter of blindness. Honi soit qui mal y pense! It is the pleasure of Cupid, blind himself, to bring upon his votaries a similar blindness, not to cure it.

“Nor was there anything comic or sentimental in the fate of St. Valentine when the miracle 'was made known to the authorities. They first beat him with clubs and then beheaded him. What was left of him is preserved in the Church of St. Praxedes at Rome, where a gate, now known as the Porta del Popolo, was formerly named in his honor Porta Valentini, or Saint Valentine’s gate,” says William S. Walsh In his "Curiosities of Popular Customs.” Bailey’s English Dictionary (1721), under the subject of Valentines, says: “About this cime of the year—February—the. birds choose their mates, and probably thence came the custom of the young men and maidens choosing valentines for special loving friends on that day." Francis Douce (1807), discussing the same subject, says: “It was customary to put the names of young women into a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed and the Christian clergy, finding it difficult or impossible to extirpate, the pagan practice, gave it at least a religious aspect by substituting the names of particular saints for those of the women.” “But see how strong Is the old Adam in the hekrts of the unregenerate/’ comments Mr. Walsh. "Wanton youth was not satisfied to imitate these holy fathers and ballot for ’«• ghostly—'partner in. heaven. It longed for tangible flesh and blood here on earth —flesh and blood of that

delightful variety whieh has a spice of the devil in it and is known as woman. “In the latter part of the sixteenth century" (according to Rev. Albain Butler) “the church, in the person of SL Francis de Sales, once more stepped in to sanctify the rites of St. Valentine’s day. St Francis severely forbade the custom of valentines or giving boys in writing the name of girls to be admired and attended on by them, and to abolish it he dhanged it into giving billets with the names of certain Balnts for them to honor and imitate in a particular manner." But in the end the boys and the girls triumphed fiver the saint. Nay, the girls triumphed als|> over the boys, wresting from them their exclusive privilege of choosing mates. Last year an irate old, maid who had been the recipient of a comic valentine which had stung her to the quick repaired to the factory, where It was made, with a rawhide and a limb of the law.' She demanded the name of the person who had sent her the objectionable missive. In vain she was assured that the factory was the last place in the world to learn the name of the sender. When told that the factory sold comics by the hundred gross to jobbers who, In turn, sold to wholesalers, and then supplied the retailer dealer who vended to individual customers, she swore roundly. Many clever young people in society with artistic and literary ability write, paint and otherwise decorate the valentines they send to favored ones. In some instances a part of the decoration consists of jewels, diamonds, pearls or other gems, and the Intrinsic value of the banble is thus enhanced. Valentine parties are still In popular favor, and .those who have not the ability to write love-sonnets or design sentimental valentines frequently go to artist friends, and even to professional artists, and have private valentines made. At these parties each person exchanges valentines. French imported valentines run as high as S2OO and SBOO, according to the richness of the lace and other trimmings, but these eipenslve missives are rarely kept In stock.