The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-02-14
81. VnIcntIne's Day.


A vast deal of unsupported paganism ur-
derlies modern Christian life. The Jesuit mis-
sionariss in China and Japan have been &C
credited with great ingenuity for having
affixed the sign of the cross, as 1t were, TO
many pagan customs Of those countries, all, OF
course, for the benefit Of their converts and
the glory of God. Even In Rome itself not
only have the temples Of the defunct gods
been conascated to Observation-Disclosures the
affairs erected in the Coliseum-but the very
statues Of those deities have been, as 1t were,
christened. For example, we need only
mention the statue Of Jupiter, which, at the
cathedral Of St. Peter, has for centuries been
venerated after having been transformed into
statue of the Jew Peter. Heinrich Heine
might have called translating Jupiter into Jew
Peter q statuesque pun.
But the paganism which has survived the In
PRODUCTION Of Christianity has been for the
most part solidly based upon what Sam Slick
used to call /" human natur," and which he
held to be essentially the same in all countries
and times and under all systems Of religion.
Thus love, that universal element Of human
nature, which inspired some of the most ex.
quisite gems of the minor Greek poets-the
original authors of what nowadays we call
"valentines"- always existed, exists still
and will always exist To-day, as OF
old, it inspires those tender mes
sages which, from remote antiquity,
fond lovers have been accustomed to inter-
change at this period Of the year, when birds
are supposed to mate. and when, 1t Is ina
gined, the human heart responds most readily
TO the promptings of nature awakening under
the influences of approaching springtime.
ST. Valentine, who fourished in the third
century and was beheaded in the reign Of the
Emperor Claudius-a blow from which, like
the WEIGH bard beheaded by order Of the cruel
Edward. he "nevcrentirely recovered"
took to extirpate the custom prevalent In
ancient Rome at the festival of the Lupercalia,
in the month Of February, of placing the
names Of young women in box, from which
they were taken by young men. But finding
his pious efforts unavailing he contented him
self with adopting, with notifications, ono of
the prettiest practices of paganism which still
survives, substituting, however, for names and
love messages excerpts from Scripture and
various religious notices. Perhaps the Young
Mems Christian Associations Of the present
day might profit by this example and celebrate
ST. Valentines by distributing an immense
edition Of Bible texts, far more readable and
profitable than tho greater part of the stupid
tracts which they waste so much money 10
printing and circulating. To these Scriptural
excerpts and religious notices, as well as to
the love-messages which soon recovered their
former vogue, the name Of the good saint "who
was famous for love and charity" was given,
and they have retained it to this day.
OF late, however, valentines have shared the
fate of many other social customs, and have,
so to speak, gradually gone down stairs from
the parlor to the kitchen. That is to say, the
highfown, complimentary and amatory strains
in which "polte society" used to indulge on
the fourteenth Of February, have been mainly
appropriated by beaus and sweethearts Of
lower degree, although not less susceptible TO
the all-subduing Influences fthe "tender pas
sion.n But in the middle and lower classes,
both of England and the United States, val
entines have continued to be fan institution"
And political economists wonld be surprised
at the statistics OF the valentines which pass
through the post offices of London and New
York, and Of the vast sums invested by print
dealers in the single branch Of manufacture to
which they have given birth.
This year, il is to be feared, valentines have
suffered from the vile influence Of tho re-
cent alarming development of sensuous art
! (delicately so called) inspired by pagan ex-
hibitions OF the "Black Crook" school. The rude
caricatures which for some time have formed
the staple productions Of the valentine depart
ment Of popular art and literature have given
place to drawings which would not have been
inappropriate among the prurient decorations
discovered on the walls Of certain buildings
in Herculaneum and Pompeii. And II this
fatal tendency be not arrested II Is not unlikely
| that the moral sense Of the community will ere
| long be aroused to the duty Of putting an end
| 10 such an abuse Of the old heather custom
| which good st. Valentine vainly tried 10 Chris
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