The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1877-02-15
NO. So.
ST. VALENTINE.

Who was St. Valentine? Any one who
is familiar with the Rev. Alban Buffers
Life IF tie SAINTS knows well enough that
he was clergyman in Rome at time
when clergymen there had not good tim;
of it-namely, in the third century. the
end Of him was, that he was soundly club
bed, and then beheaded, from which it may
be inferred that he was a faithful man, and
did his duty too courageously in the eyes
of the heather of the city
ANY one who has been in modern Rome
remembers the gate Porta del Popote.
Well it used to be called the I1orta
Talentiai, and for very good reason,
namely, that in the church of St. Praxedes,
hard by, the devout Christian people pre-
served all that the heather people left of
the bones of the good man for the times
changed soon after his day, and Roman
clergymen got leave to do their duty, with
out being first dubbed and then beheaded
But how did this severe life, with its
tragic end, become linked with lovers and
their letters The fact of the connexion--
whatever the history may be-susgcsts two
reflections
(a) Any one who is a little famous, and
particularly a clergyman, may go down to
posterity in connexions he never intended.
How could John Gilpin suppose that he
would be remembered only by that one days
pleasurctrip? Or the Vicar Of Bray by
his skill in keeping his vicarage, whether
Whig or Tory ruled? How could Mr.
Hobson-model Hverystable keeper, in
.l, I Il.
would be known where Hobson's conduct
would be forgotten? The fact is, fame
seems to be sometimes an accident; and on
the whole, it seems the best thing to DO
ones duty faithfully and pay no attention
to posterity's opinion.
(6) But it accords with the ''ftness OF
things that a clergyman's name shold be
linked with lovers day. Amy lovc making
that does not lead up to the parson,
minister, dominic, pastor, or whatever
name may distinguish the representative Of
religion, is waste Of time, or worse.
When a spruce young man is attudinizinS
before you, Miss Lucy, and making glib
love-speeches, simply for the fun of it to
himself, the sooner the exercises are cut
short the better and if he wishes to gain
your confidence your affection and your
SELF without the clergyman, he is a
scoundrI his words may be honeyed, but
they are poisoned you should no more
listen to him than to demon from the pit,
if he could become incarnate and make love
to you. Please to take that as the honset
advice Of a living clergyman, who wishes
you well; whether you are Lady Clara De
We're, or whether you earn your honest
bread as her maid, and are simply called
Bessie.
But how did the Saint and the love-let-
ters come together? Here is the current
account of it. About the month of Febru-
airy, in old pagan Rome, when they dubbed
and then beheaded clergymen, among the
rites in honor of Pan and Juno, one was
the putting of young womens names IN
boxes, from which they were drawn by
chance, by the men. Now the Christian
pastors, when their day came, did not like
the proceeding, and they tried to ''shunt"
the people off that line by giving them at
the same time Of the years Il festival, which,
as it came about St. Valentines anniversary,
they called by his name and for the names
OF women they substituted the names of
saints. But the people are not readily
turned from any old custom that has once
gained hold among them, and so the Jolly
lottery continued, only under Christian
name, and in time came to include both
sexes, the person chosen being called by
the drawer My Valentine" very much as
we say My Christmas box"
Whatever was done of old, in modern
times the eve of St. Valentines day was
wont to be marked in England by groups
of youths and maidcns drawing slips with
names on them, the youths taking the
madens and the maidens the youths slips,
each calling that one drawn his or her
Valentine. Treats and gifts were given
by the men tie their Valentines hence the
origin, as one can see, of the letters. The
caricatures and squibs are later inYen-
tion-and not an Improvement