The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1882-02-14
Sr VALENTINES DAY.

ST. VALENTINES DAY.
! The question of the exact origin of St.
Valentines day has never been settled
to the satisfaction of any historical re-
searcher. Some attribute the origin of
the day and custom to the fact that about
this time of the year the birds choose
their mates, and that for the same reason
Young men and ladies instituted the
practice of choosing their mates, and
designated the 14th Of February as the
day the birds began to couple" and
hence arose the custom of the lads and
lassies on this day sending professions
of friendship and love. Some distin-
guished gentlemen have inclined to the
opinion that st. Valentines day is the
offspring of a day that was celebrated
during the ancient Roman Supercalia,
which occurred in February, and during
the festivities it was customary to put
the names OF young women into a box,
from which they we're drawn by the
men as chance directed, and that the
Christian clergy, TO do away with this
pagan practice, substituted the names
of the saints for those of the
girls. It was a custom in the
Romish church either on that or
some other day to choose a patron
saint for the year, who was termed
valentine. In the United Kingdom and
Lorraine, Maine and other portions of
Europe, the day was celebrated in
manner peculiar aid amusing. On the
eve. of st. Valentines number Of maids
and bachelors were accustomed to as
semble and inscribe upon slips OF paper
an equal number Of names of their
male and female acquaintances, which
were placed in basket or box. A draw
ing then took place, and the name drawn
became ones valentine. Besides
receiving d valentine, one natur-
ally became some one else's val
entine. The effect of the draw
ing reduced the bachelor to the
necessity OF paying court to his Valen
tine, and being her devoted knight for
the space of year. The imaginary
engagement not uHfrequently resulted
IN something seriC Is and the Valentine
of the year became the partner for life
In the time of Charles ii, the use of the
day had degenersted to an alarming
extent, ald the keeping &C. the 18th was
about on par with the manner of ce,e-
brating the custom to-day. Pepys in his
diary thus speaks of it The approach
of the day is now heralded by the ap-
pearauce in the print sellers shop WIN
dows Of vast numbers of missives calcu-
lated for use on this occasion, each
generally consisting of single sheet Of
post-paper, on the first page of which IS.
seen some ridiculous colored caricature
of the male or female figure, with few
burlesque verses below. More rarely
the print Is Of ID sentimental kind, such
as view Of Hymen's altar with a pai.'
initiation into welded hap /
piness before it. while Cupid hutters
above and hearts transtixed with his /
darts ornament the corners. Maid ser
wants and young fellows interchange /
such epistles with each other on the 18th .
Of February, no doubt conceiying that /
the joke is amazingly good" Tie same /
character of prints are on exhibition at .
all stationers now, and those contem-
plating the preparation OF a Joke or the
oye-sick swain can be furnished alike /
at reasonable prices. BY adoption
st. Valentine has become the
patron saint of practical jokers and
Cupid's stricken SWANS and damsels.
In the acta sanctorum are contained all
the traditions connected with the can
onized Saints. and there is no part
thereof that connects st. Valentine in
any way shape or folm with the 14tk
lay OF February