New-York tribune., 1872-02-14
ryr NV WE DO NOT CELEBRATE.

THE Day We DO NOT CELEBhhIH.
wo confess 10 an allegiance TO anniverSaiio''
even of the poorest and flimiest sort; VIC ",1 ne
thankful for feasts or fasts, or any KIM VI
memorial or prophetic meaning WHICH n"h0' e. e
landmark on the common road, turhS sumo ~
tho dull rank and file of ordinary days nv
kings and priests of Time. we are si"' "
even this old tatterdemaliOn queen OF io'o
and lovers. St. Valentines Day, when she
comes along, though her garments are as shappy
and vulgar as need be for any sovereign OUT
of business. We are sorry that the old hao'ts
and customs of the day have degenera'eui
into the hidcous and costly tokens ol
the Stiffness of educated boys anu shii''
or the hidcous and cheap tokens OF chc
vilcness of the young people OF another ciasS
which will to-day burden our penny postnen'
There never was q holiday that had not lts Dlrth
at first in some high suggestive meaning anu.
laugh as we may at their vapidity, it would
be well for us if we could bring back Valen-
tines, or May Days, or Mistctoes, or any Oh
tho old devices of our fOrefathers for giving
utterahce and adOrnment to love-simple, IN
nocent human love. Better still, If we could
keen in mind that there is such thlng-that
under the great moving forces OF politics, or
fraud, or crime, or expedicncy there is another
force, more powerful than all, at work In
every home and fireside the love of man
for woman and woman for man. Next to
religion, it il the power which keeps mans
nature sweet and ennobles it; it as the re-
ligon of many men, and by no means tho
worst they might have. AS for women, we
know that it is now the fashionable philosophy
among them to decry its influence; but we
only point to their most prominent leaders to
prove that after you have given to woman
place exercise for all her talents, money and
fame, 1t depends after all solely on the TACT
whether she has been capable of pure love
or not for Some one man, whether her teach
ing leads her followers to heaven or hell.
All mankind, says Emerson, love lover.
Possibly; but mankind in these latter days,
are disposed TO thrust the true lover into the
corner with any other stupid country lout.
Bows and girls are furnished with certain
rules of expediency to use as pruning hooks
upon themselves when their hearts begin to
swell and bourgeon as all growing things will
do in Spring; and some inexplicable force
within sends bushes to their cheeks and deli
ciOus thrills TO eyes and lips Of love when
1T has rotted into tainted passion we make,
however, prominent object in our social life.
Fisks amours, the political parties led by unrc-
pentant Magdalenes, and divorce cases be-
come turn by turn the subject of our daily
thoughts and cares, and arc reflected in ON
novels, always the clearest of social mirrors
Nothing could augur worse for our condition.
When men begin to doubt habtually the
purity or even the reserve of women, there is
something so rotten in Denmark that Den
mark is near its end. We throw this out as
but q word of warning to our sisters. Nalcn-
tines Day in the quaint fashions of old time
meant the choosing and pairing fol
year of young people, not always
for betrOthal or marriage but foI
the services of delicate friendship
for that protection and chiyalric homage to
| weakness and gentleness on the one hand, and
pure acceptance of such homage on the other,
az no doubt often led to love. It's bushes and
| bows and gallantry are as much out of date
now as the farthingales and slashed doublots
with which they vanished.