The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-14
SAINT VALENTINE.

II any man ever deserved TO be- beheaded
and afterwards eanonlzed 1t was 81. Valen-
tine bishop Of the church, who suffered mar
tyrdon for the faith at Rome, under the reign
Of the Emperor Claudus, in q year after
Christ averaging 200 and odd. He deserved
to be bel,eaded because he was the first origi-
nator Of st. Valentines Day. which has been
perverted since the death Of the venerable pre-
lnte into an epoch wherein anonymous insult
and irresponsible abuse can be indulged In
with impunity.
On this day 1t In permissible that the most
innrtistc engravings, made more horrible by
the legends of the m6anest doggerel, Should
be sent through the postof1ice or by messenger,
to hurt private feelings ind make the average
home miserable by limiting ut hidden secrets,
unpalatable truths and corrosive falsehoods
But he deserved to be- canonized Tor the
reason that the memory d bis nhrne ana the
traditions attached to it have made on the
fourteenth Of Februarya channel of cOmJnuni-
cation between youthful lovers, the only
lovers whose sous are impregnated with the
true poetry which gives prisrnatc eoiors "
life and gives delicious shape to the IDEAL
lodgings Of the heart. .,x,,
has not sent to bis sweetheart 81
bue valentine, one which contained, ~
he then thought in his pure boyish dreams %
love the essence Of his soul ana the, pure
has never possessed the elements. which MAKE is
the true gentleman. AS we 90 further III ne
the beautiful dreams Of youthful poetry dis -
appear: We become, as 1t were, more prac1i-
cal, and. II VIC have any sense we ,ake any
note to q sweetheart. But the. memories o.
youth how sweet and sacred how we iooa
back to them with misty eyes OF regret ana
that piring ut the bosom which can never oe
expressedI We bless st. Valentine for thesc
fond re1nernbrances, and thank God that he
has given US heart that once conld 1eel ahn
n soul that can now appreciate the Jewels oi
sentiment now gone forever. rr,a
| But to return to St ValehIlile. NEATLY
saws that he was man OF most admirable
parts. and 50 famous for his love and charity
| that, the custom Of choosing valentines upon
his festival took Its rise from thence. Where
| Is the saint In the calendar who deserves more
at the hands Of youth and beauty, the only
essential things In the world?
| The custom, which we suppose is being
pretty well kept up to-day. is derived, also,
according to some authors, from the faet That
the birds are supposed TO select their mates
on this day. Others again say that it comes
| from practice prevalent In ancient Rome at
| the festival of the Lupercalia, when the
names Of young women were, placed III a
| box, from which they were taken by young
men as chance dictated 1t is said that the
pastors Of the early church, finding it imposs-
sible to extirpate this pagan CEREMONY maoi
the most OF bad case, and simply changed
its form. The custom Of choosing. valentine
has been in practice since the earliest DAYS o.
| civilization, and does not seem to be dropping
at this advanced age OF the world. We nope
that there will be few bad and VICIOUS mes
sages to-day, and many pheasant anu ioVii'F
ones.
| - Decorated dinner sets. the largest assortme1t
| In the southwest at z. Ofner Co. Is, OPPOSITE