, 1859-02-18
NO.I3.

tations than an opera hat What author
ity have we in history or mythology for
placing the headquarters and metropolis Of
god Cupid in this anatomical seat rather
than in any other, is very clear; but We
have got it, and it will serve as well as any
other. Else we might easily imagine, upon
some other system which might have pre-
vailed, for anything which our pathology
knows TO the contrary, u. lover addressing
bis mistress, in perfect simplicity of feeling,
MADAM, my Erer and fortune are entirely
at your dsposal;" or putting delicate
question, amanda, have you midTiG to
.bestowW But custom has settled these
things, and awarded the seat Of sentiment
to the aforesaid triangle, while its less for
tnnate neighbors wait at animal and ana
tomical distance. n
Not many sounds in life, and include all
unban and rural sounds, exceed in interest
q knock al The door. 1t gives q very echo
to the throne where hope is seated" But
its issues seldom answer to this oracle with
in. 1t is so seldom that just the person We
want to see comes. But of all the clamor-
GUS visitations, the welcomest in expecta-
tion is the sound that ushers in, or seems to
usher in, Valentine. As the raVan him.
self was hoarse that announced the fatal
entrance Of Duncan, so the knock Of the
postman is light, airy, confident, and befit-
ting one, that bringeth good tidings. Itis
less mechanical than on other days; you
will say, THAT is not the post, ! am sure"
Visions of Love, Of Cupids, of Hymensl
eternal common-places, which
"having been will always be-" which no
nor school.man Gun write away;
having your irreVersible throne in the fancy
and affections-what are your transports,
when the happy maiden, opening with care
fol finger, careful not to break the emble-
matte seal, bursts upon the sight Of some
well designed alegory, some type, some
youthful fancy, not without verses a
Lovers al,
A madigaip @
or some such device, not over abundant Id
sense-young Love disclaims it--and not
quite silIy-something between wind and
water, chorus where the sheep might al
most join the shepherd, as they did, or as I 2
they did, in Arcadia. p CAerlsT
Lamb.
E0rA correspondent enquiries Of Us the
origin Of St. Valentines Day. Mr.. Douce,
whose attainments include more erndition
concerning the origin and progress Of Eng
lish customs than any other Antiquarian
possesses, must be referred to upon this oc-
casion. He observes, IN bis illustrations.
Of Shakespeare" concerning 81. Valentines
day, that cit was the practice IA ancient
Rome, during great part Of the month Of
February, to celebrate the LupercaIia,
which were feasts in honor Of Pan and
Juno, whence the latter deity was named
Februata, Febrnalis, and Februlla. On
this occasion, amidst a variety Of cefemo-
nies, the names Of young women we're put :
into box, from which they were drawn By Z
the men as chance directed. The pastors
Of the early Christian church, who BY eve
ry possible means endeaVored to eradicate
the vestiges Of pagan superstitions, and
chiefly by some combinations oftheir forms.
in The present instance, The
names Of particular saints instead Of those
Of the women, aud as the festival Of tho
Lupereala had commenced about the mid;
die Of February, they appear to have cho-
sth Dts aicultnt . uaAl ivl ItitutulluN tuN
new feast, because itoceurred nearly at the
same time This is, in part, the opinion,
Of learned and rational compiler Of The
Lives Of the Saints; the Rev, Alban But
ler 1t should seem, however, that t was
utterly impossible to extirpate altogether
any ceremony to which the common people
had been much accustomed: a fact which
it were easy to prove 10 tracing the origin
Of various other popular superstitions.--
And accordingly the outline Of the ancient
ceremonies was preserved, but modified BY
some adaptation to the Christian system.
Itis reasonable 10 suppose that the above
practice Of choosing mates would gradually
become reciprocal 10 the sexes; and that al
persons so chosen would be called Valen-
tines, from the day on which the ceremony
took place. - EretaHge
II