Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-11
SUNDAY READING.

The Lenten season Is upon Us. Us
coming is inseparably associated TINS
wear. with two important events-st.
valetine's Day and the day set apart
Inv the law for the counting OF the
electoral ballots. That is to say, Lent
begins on the 18th, which falls on
Wednesday of this week. So we may
consider these three events altogether,
il We choose; although the APPEAL
prefers not to discuss the duties OF
this movable feast" or the consider
atoms and vexations arising out Of the
Electoral muddle. Rather let US seq
rsgate from these incidental associa-
ton the memories which belong to st.
Valentine and renew our acquaintance
with the traditions and customs OF the
day.
All Of us whose memories OF the old
school.boy days have not yet been
ohliterated, call to mind mention, IN
our Wednesday Declarations, OF the
old Roman Lupercal. 1t was upon
the recurrence of this feast that Cesar
was offered the honors of . monarch.
Said Anthony:
" You all did see that on the Lupercal
thrice presented him klngiy cfown'
Which he did thrice refuse"
In the proud days of Rome not any
festival was more enthusiastically OBJ
served than that Of the Lupercalia.
This season was observed for several
DAYS. in the month of February on the
Lupercal Mount. There was . cere-
mony observed during this festival
which is the foundation Of the anna
tory character of st. Valentines Day.
During these holidays young maidens
submitted their names to lottery or
chance drawing, and the young 10
mans drew out these names, thus
gaining the right of lovers. The pres
emit fashion of selecting our mates dill
fers from this, but the divorce courts
raise the question il the chances are
diminished by the more modern
method Of conducting Hymen's lot
,sry. We are informed that the bish-
OPS and fathers Of the searly Church
found it needful to 0bliterate these pa
gan customs afferward but st. VAL
entine, . priest Of the Church, was
born on the 18th of February, and his
connection with the nomenclature OF
the day is very intimate. Born on that
dav, he was selected as the patron OF
distressed and anguished couples, and
his memory is kept green forever oy
them. To-day the stranger who visits
the centre of the Christian world may
look, by special favor, on part Of the
Saints remains in the Church OF st.
Praxedes, near Porta del Popolo Gate
OF the People,, which formerly bore
the name of the Porta Valentino. st.
Valentine suffered martyrs death at
heather hands, FIRST being beaten to
death with clubs and afterward be-
headed.
1t may be interesting to the ladies',
young and old, who peruse our modest
. Sunday Readings" to learn what
was the custom of the ladies who liked
10 observe st. Valentines Day hun
dred years ago. Said a young lady OF
that period, relating her experience to
a friend, "Last Friday was Valen-
tines Day, and the night before got
live bay leaves and pinned four OF
them to the four corners of my pillow
and the fifth to the middle, and then
if dreamed Of my sweetheart Betty
said We should be married before the
wear was out. But to make more sure
] boiled an egg hard and took out the
volk and filled it with salt, and when
/ went to bed, ate it, shell and all
without speaking or drinking after it.
We also wrote cur lovers names upon
bits of paper and rolled them in clay,
and nut them into water; and the first
that rose up was to be our Valentine.
Would YOU think it? Mr.. Rudolphus
Hollingsworth was my man! lay
abed and shut my eyes all the morn
ing till he came to our house, Tor l
would not have seen another man be-
fore him for all the world" Need we
propose to our young lady friends the
trying of the efficacy Of this method Of
getting beau? Let there be care in
tho munching of the mystical egg
shell lest young love come to grief
and pain.
Appropos of this subject we repro
aiuce the following:
Charles, Duke of Orleans, ono Of the
Yondest lovers in all history, never
paid . compliment to . lady without
BENDING basket Of flowers to her with
verses enclosed. To the Dame de
Chenonceau, . lady Of high rank and
beauty, he sent . magnificent basket
VI flowers, with the following verses !:
Ny lips I'll softly lay
Upon her heavenly cheek,
Dyed like the dswning day,
A. polish'd ivory sleek
And In her ear I'll say,
"Oh, thou bright morning star
'Tis that come so far
Ny Valentine to seek"