Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 February 1875 — Valentine's Morning. [ARTICLE]

Valentine's Morning.

all, old and young, rush to see what toe letter-carrier has brought, while on every other day in toe year there is no such eagerness? It so St. Valentine’s morning, and the youngsters, and some not so young, are expecting a valentine. Twenty-five years ago a similar scene might have taken place in almost any city house, and in the country where there are no letter-carriers the interest would be shown in some other way. Even now, when the custom of sending valentines so much less common than it was, the business of the Poetoffioe is greatly increased on the 14to of February, and in some parts of the country the day is much more observed than in cities. Still, young people of the present time can have little idea of how their parents and grand-parents regarded the day* and it is likely that before many years Valentine’s Day will be lost sight of altogether. Perhape you -would like to know something about the day and how it was formerly observed. There was once a very good man, who, in the time when people were made to suffer for their religious belief, was beheaded because be thought differently from other people. Then, after he was dead, hfo goodness was remembered, and Ire was called St. Valentine. All this happened in Rome, some 1,600 years ago, when they did very strange things. One of the customs of that time was to put the names of all the girita or as we should say now, young ladies, in a box, and for the boys, or young gentlemen, to draw out toe names—a sort of social lottery you will see. Well, it was expected that each young man would be very polite and attentive to the young lady whose number he drew for a whole year, when another drawing took place. As this ceremony was held on the birthday of Bt. Valentine, or St. Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, the girl was the young man’s “ Valentine,” and the youth was the young lady’s “Valentine.” It was harmless amusement, and was probably one of the few ways young people had in those old times of having a bit of fun. In later times toe custom of choosing Valentines by lot was revived in France and England, and included married as well as single people, and those who were tons chosen as Valentines were expected to make oostly presents to one another, and sometimes great fun was made by having a little girl drawn as the Valentine of one old enough to be her grandfather. One very learned man wrote in his diary some 300 years ago that he was glad that he had that year drawn his own wife as bis Valentine, and he should not be put to a heavy expense for presents. At length the custom changed, and young ladies wrote pretty little verses and sent them, with no other signature than “ Your Valentine,” to the* young men, who, if they were lucky enough to find out the writer, would send a present. Then toe letters were ornamented with drawings of hearts, Cupids, usd all such designs, and tills ornamentation increased to gilt and other papers cut in very handsome manner. When this was the work of the young lady who sent it it was all very pretty and proper, but after a while val-entine-making became a trade; the pretty verses and the flowers and Cupids were were printed, and the handsome ornaments were cat by machinery. To such a length was this carried that some of the valentines cost S2O or more, and did not show toe taste and skill so much as the length of the purse of the At length young men as well as girls sent valentines, and at last very coarse things were made and sold for valentines, with which a low-minded person enfold convey an insult to another without being known. So, like many another innocent and pleasing thing, the sending of valentines

whs put to wrong uses, and many good persons thought it would be better to give up the custom, and comparatively few valentines are sent. It is one of those very old customs that we would not like to see die out, any more than we wonld that of the visits of St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus as we call him, and if treated in a proper and innocent spirit is capable of affording a- great deal of amusement and giving pleasure to others. But no right-minded boy or girl will ever take advantage of the day to make sport of the infirmities or in any way wound the feelings of others. Bather than this should be done to one sensitive person the day had better be as dead as the “ saint” whose name it keeps alive. Before ending this valentine talk, already too long, we must tell you of one of the superstitions of the time When they had the valentine drawing in Rome. They thought that on the 14th of February the birds all met to choose their mates, and it was thought nothing strange if those who were brought together by the lottery should continue to be valentines through life. The Puritan fathers had a . very different view of the day, for they regarded it as the middle of the long New England winter, and had the couplet; February fourteenth day, Half your corn sad half your hay. Not much poetry nor that, is tberef— American Agrieultitriet. —Thirteen million dollars is paid annually to file Postmasters mid clerks of our beloved country; and if we could receive our first love-letter again we shouldn’t hesitate to remark that their services were worth twice the money.— Rochester Democrat.