The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-02-14
rhE Dali Y bisPA'rCH


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MkDHkDpAY MoalnSo FEBRUzRY Il lass.
ST. yALxsrlsk's DAY.-This Il the day
of tho good s.. Valentine, who suffered mar.
tyrdom In the reign. Of Claudius II, being
hehesded 4 Rome He was not Bishop,
A~kA Rssshytsss He -was- sninensly~ distin-.
Esished Tor his love and charity, and YVES
canonized for his virtues at an early day.
The manner IN which the interchanging Of
Valentines on his day became custom
among christians, ~ we learn from the best
anthcritieS. was as follows 4
Ia ancient Rome. during the Lupercalia,
which were feasts in honor of Pan and Juno,
il was the custom amidst variety Of cere-
monies to put the names of young women
In a box from which they were drawn by the
young men as chance directed. The pastors
ieof the early Christian Church, who exerted
themselves to eradicate every vestige Of pa
gan superstition, and often by communications
Of their forms, substituted the names of par
ticular Saints to be drawn instead of those Of
women land as the feast of the Lapercalia
began about the middle of February, they
appear to have chosen st. Valentines Day
for celebrating the new feast. But in time
the custom very naturally became modified !;
as it was impossible to abolish altogether a
. ceremony to which the common people had
been much accustomed especially where
g the parties were young people of both sexes.
The drawing of Saints was finally given up
and the drawing of mates under thepatrenage
of the good st. Valentine installed in its
place, and those 30 drawn were called Val
entines. Say what we may, there is very lit
tie doubt thSt young people much prefer the
drawing of sweetheart to Saint
Another idea is that as this is about the
season when birds choose their mates, hence
our bomely ancestors in the ardor of their
youth adopted practice which we still find
peculiar to season when nature bursts its
imprisonment for the coming pleasures of the
cheerful spring" The present season, how
ever, is rather unpropitious to the amours OF
the birds, and we much fear thatJenny Wren
will be compelled to sit in some cold barn to-
= day without proposition, while under the
shivering influences of snow and ice, Robin
Redbreast has hardly enough Of gallantry tor
common politeness.
The Improvement upon the ceremony Of
the Lupercalia is no doubt the true history
of the pleasant usage of this pleasant day
aa The custom prevails extensively in England,
and in London several hundred thousand
letters beyond the usual daily average pass
through the post Office. In this country it
is becoming more than ever popular, and in
all the large cities an immense number OF
Valentines are sent through the post Office
greatly increasing the revenue for the day,
The day has also been selected for indulg-
ing playful waggery, and the artists are
busily engaged for months beforehand In
preparing carcatures and satirlcal verses for
the use of those who wish to play them Oft
on acauaintances Some of them are very
good-some are abominably vulgar We
have heard of instances of heedlessness quite
cruel in the sending of these missives but
it is to be hoped they are rare, especially
with regard to the fair sex. Of the other we
need not have SO much care, particularly the
old bachelors, whom we readily consign to
the mercies of all, to be treated as seems best.
There is much very poor wit and worse
poetry perpetrated to. day. 1t is great out
rage on Cupid to palm off so many wretched
sonnets upon him and the good st. Valentine
would indeed be Mortified at some of the
miserable nonsense that is indited ostensbly
under his patronage. But there will be so
much that would gladden. his good heart !!
With Lamb, in his Ella we conclude
ar, 20 Vol
Ophelia and no better wish, but with bet
ter auspices, we wish to all faithful lovers,
who are not too wise to despise old legends
but are content to rank themselves humble
diocesans with old Bishop Valentine, in his
true church" ssaz sN1t
EXPLANATION OF THE DEMoRALIZATIoN OF
THE ENGLISH ARMY.-England sent to the
Crimea $4,000 of her brayest troops, of
which, as We have already stated, only $4,000
bayonets remain, and of these it is said only
about $4,000 are fit for field duty, and not
more than 1000 in a condition to fight This
most melancholy and astonishing state of
things, is the result of the grossest incOmpe.
tency and imbecility on the part of the gov
eminent of the officers in command. Within
seven miles of the British camp, where men
are dying at the rate Of hundred day for
the want of proper clothing, food and atten-
= ton, shiploads Of clothing, food and stores,
lie rotting on the wharves. Ships go from
Englandto the Crimea, with the very things
that are wanted, and come back again, be.
cause there is no one at Balakiava with au :
fhority to receive them. At the rate things
are now going on, it is believed the whole
British army viii be annihilated in couple
of months. e ~ sa's-t $50
Nothing less than this remarks the N
Y. Herald, "would have convinced Great
Britain of the utter folly and absurdity o.
the system on which the British army is con.
ducted. 1t has long been usual for officers
of the British infantry and cavalry 20 bay
their commissions. and to buy promotion
81 from grade to grade afterward. The artillery
and engineers pass a sort of examination.
IL :.