The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-03-01
VALENTINE DAY.
Bill Arp Talks About the Coed Old Saint.
.dNanta Constitution.

How grateful is the first blusi, cfcon.
ing spring It has not come, but it is
not far away and the robbins have
brought Us the Gews We see thcn. now
every day aud they cheer US with their
presence. I would not shoot q Robin
and am sorry that I ever did. | would
not shoot any bird that administers to
our pleasure. It is a sin to kill anything
for sport-that is except snakes. What
a beautiful innocent life the birds enjoy
that is except hawks and buzzards-
and yet the boys kill birds justto be kill.
ing something. Very often they wound
them and the poor things liager in pain
and die in misery. Boys, it is an all
wrong; don't do it, When you go hunt
ing hunt for game that is good for the
table, such as squirrels, rabbits and par.
tridges, but don't blaze away at every
little bird you see. Don't shoot The rob-
bins nor the doves. They are too gentle
and loving to be killed. They love our
homes and habitations.
It is an old superstition that the birds
choose their mates on Valentine day. Of
course this is not true, for away up north
it is still midwinter, and away South tie
spring is over. It is only narrow belt
of country that has the vernal equinox in
March. Whether it is winter or summer
does not depend upon the months, but
where We are located. The cd world
was first settled in cur latitude north CT
the equator, and go all the names and
signs and traditions and supers!itions
have come down to US along the zen.e
parallels, but they don't ct some other
countries at all. It IS hard for us 10 real-
ize that away down below the equator
December is bot and July is cold. St.
Valentine rever lived down there where
the birds began to mate in September
and the March winds do not blow nor the
dogwood bloom in April, nor the children
have their pienies in May. The whole
course of natures seasons is reversed end
We would hardly kuow ourselves we're we
suddenly transplanted there. I was
reading the other day in a Northern
paper about the terrible billiards. in that
region, where lhe thermometer WAS SO
degrees below zero, and in another col
umn was the foreign news that told about
the awfnl heat in south Australia where
the thermometer was l20 degrees above
zero on the 18Th of January. This was
only g difference of 170 degrees, and the
people in both countries were suffering
about alike, though ia one j! was heat
and the other cold.
The good St. Valentine was beheaded
about $50 years after Christ. He was a
man Of great learning and piety and
charity, and everybody loved him but
the wicked Emperor Cladins, and go the
people commemoratcd bis virtues by
making the day Of his death notable
day. As he loved everybody and every
thing, they gotupthat pretty superstition
about the birds mating. Afterwards the
boys and girls took it up and said it was
good time of the year for them to mate;
and so they started the custom OF writing
love letters aud Flaying sweetheart for a
little while, Al first they drew lots for
their mates, and pretty, sweet girl had
to play sweetheart to q knock-kDeed,
cross eyed, twist nose BOBBY il she drew
him.
The young people love to receive
pretty valentines that speak loving words
in pretty verses, and there is no harm in
thai kind. They are symbols of loves
young dream, aud are for lads and lassies
only. These old bachelors and maiders
who have fallen in love and fallen out q
score Of times, and have fooled and firtcd
with Cupid until he has fed from their
hearts, have no right to send or receive a
valentine. Ifthey really want to mate,
let them make business transaction of
it, and write a business letter and say
"yours truly
February has curious history. In
fact, it took several centuries for the year
TO get split up into months IS they are
row. Augustus Cesar had August put
in the calendar to please his own vanity,
aad Julius Cesar had July put in 10 get
even with Augustus; and SO King Num,
had February put in in honor Of the fes-
tiyal of Lupercus Februus, one of their
mythical gods. This festival was held
annually on the 18th day of February,
and some historians say that the observ-
arce of the 18th day came from that fes-
tival. May be it did. May be it dident.
Tie good saint has the credit Of it, and
the best right to it, aud so we will let
him keep it. There is no use in under
mining everything that has been pleas.
ant to Us in the past. They hare blotted
out William Tell and are after Shakes.
pcare, ana the other day l saw an article
headed "Santa Claus must 60" Some
mcn would assassipate Joan of Arc and
Alladin and Sancho Panza and Cinde.
rella and Jack and the Bean Stalk and
Uncle Toby and Tom O'Shanter and
Christmas and the Fourth of July. What
is the good Of drying up all the imagina-
ton ofour natures? Here are the very
names OF the days of the week that came
down to us from the Scandinavian my.
thology, and another mythology gave US
the names Of the planets and coDstella-
tcns.
So let ST. Valentine and St Patrick
have their days, and St. Paul and st.
Peter their churches, and ST. James his
hotels.
Spring is coming, and as usual, from