Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-02-14
Valentines Day.

The 14lh Of February is Valentines day-a day
devoted, throughout Christendom, to the goridca-
ton Of Love. Why Cupid's jubilee should be called
Valentines day, is diiicultto explain, unless we use
the word, Valentine, in a somewhat poetcal sense.
Valentine means conqueror, and as Love in the
conqueror of hearts, the applicability Of the name
may be admitted in that relation.
Old Cronicles tell that Valenne presbyter
Of Rome-a good, kind, pious, loving soul, whose
heart was so full of happiness that 1t constantly
overlooked, and lighted up his face with heavenly
sunshine. When he walked abroad, the flowers
rose up and kissed his feet, and scattered dewy
pearls on them; the birds in the groves sang their
sweetest songs; the winds sighed softly through the
branches Of the stately uees; and the clouds buried
themselves in the ocean Of smiling sunlight Ma
lures fair daughters, Meadow, Grove, Sky, and
Sreamet, looked brighter, and more beautiful when
Valentine came along. If all that old Chronicles
say about him is true, it is not strange, alter ALL
that lovers &C lebrale Saint Valentines day now
But Valentine did not live amongst people who
appreciated his amiable graces. The Romans, in
the second century, during the reign fClaudius, did
not feel pleased with the Christian presbyter for
winning the homage ofall hearts, and they burned
him at the stake; but when the Pagan rites of
Rome were superseded by those of an accommodate
ting modification Of Christianity, the fate Of the
Saturnolia became Valentines day AT the Roman
Saturnaa, young men and young women used to
draw from the sacred urns, the names OF those whom
the gods indicated as their "sweet hearts " This
is somewhat coincdent with the practice among our
ancestors, on Valentines morning The first young
man upon whom maiden set her eyes, on the I4ih
of February, was her Valentine for year, and she,
of course, was his. 1t was mete nominal
condition, that Of Valentine, for it involved, on the
gentleman, part, a large amount of gaanry, pres
enIs of bonbJns, argesseS of fruit and flowers, and
attendance and protection TO tournaments, balls and
other ietes.
1t is not very likely that the young ladies of those
times met young gentlemen on Valentines morning,
whom they did not want TO meet
The practice of lovers giving presente, on vaen-
tines day. still prevails in France and other Catho-
lie nations; but where Professionalism predominates,
the observance Of the day is Of more sentimental
and equivocal character. Bllets-doux are the mes.
sengers Of love; aud 5Hets-unaigres are the messe-
gers of spite, hatred, envy, Spleen rage, dsappoint
ment and all the other forms Of angry passion. Poor
old Valentine would take pains in his eyes, if he
could look upon the herOglyphcs of Cupid-ity in
these later days.
We are decidedly in favor Valentines day, how
ever, notwithstanding the agonies that many among
must feel on that day. We pity the geese and
Of the human family, who receive their por-
traits through the penny post, and who agonize
the insult thus offered Them bat as we believe
that there is large amount Of good, wholesome
laughter produced by this time-honored institution,
we go for sustaining it. Ladies and gentemen'
pay the postage, and put through the Valentines.