The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-02-13
st. Valentines Day.

Who was st. Valentine, when he
lived and walked about this world in
the flesh Some say he was "A bishop,
others that he was but presbyter At
all events the Emperor Claudius took
the head off him in the year A. d.
90, and so made him n saint. He was
famous for Over6Owing love and charity,
and consequently he has been honored
by lovers of every cline since the day
of his martyrdom. The birds even
begin to pair upon the anniversary of
this favored day. He must have been
one of the iOlliest saints In the whole
calendar. His name is great at this day
in the rubric as the venerable arch
flamen of Hymen. Is he, after all, but
a name, or was he ever indeed a mortal
prelate, who devoted himself In his
genial, laughing way, to impelling poor
mOrtals to seek perfection IN union ?
The 14th of February is st. Valen-
tines Day, the day when not merely
the birds begin to pair, but on which
thos, charming little missives named
from the saint cross and intercross each
other at every corner of the street. The
wearied postmaster tolls on that day
naents, not his own. Young ladies sit
waiting with futtering anxiety for the
arrival of the expected missive. And
when it comes, that little visual inter
probation of some ones half hidden
feelings, the emblem, heart, all cruel
ly bestuck with cupid's arrows, and
bleeding, and accompanied by its soft,
watery verse or tender sentiment, with
what tumultuous gushings of inter
mingling hopes and fears it is regarded
and read A heart Yes there will be
more emblematic hearts, little three
| cornered things surrounded by gilt and
| flowers, and flying cupids, travelling
! around tn on any other day IN all
| the year. What authority we have IN
either history or mythology for placing
/ the headquarters and metropolis OF god
cupid In this anatomical seat 1T would
/ be hard to say; but we have got II,
that is clear. IF one were to tender to
/ his mistress his liver and fortune, she
would treat him with dIsdaln but to
have an impaltd heart laid at one s
feet-isu't it nice? Custom has settled
this matter for us and awarded the seat
of sentiment TO this triangular organ,
while its less fortunate neighbors wait
at animal and anatomical distances, be
ING considered good for digestive pur-
poses merely
A knock at the door is generally the
most interesting of all rural or urban
! sounds, and the welcomest of all is that
| which ushers in the valentine. Visions
of love, of cupids, of hymeD, delight
/ ful, eternal commonplaces which have
/ been and which viii be, which nc
| schoolboy or gchoolmen can write away
/ nang upon that nnissiye. See the finger
/ carefully bursting it open, careful NOT
/ to break the emblematic seal, till at last
/ the well designed aliegory bnrsts upon
/ the sight Listen, too, how the verses
/ are coBned over, verses not over abund-
ant, perhaps. IN sense, and yet not quite
something beta cen wind and
water. as il were, a chorus when the
sheep might join the shepherd, as they
used to do IN Arcadia. Who can tell OF
| describe ali the pleasures or conse-
/ quences of the tender missives of st
/ Valentines day?