The Helena independent., 1889-02-14
VALENTINES DAY.
The Origin Of the Custom OF Sending
Loves Missiyes and How Ii
Originated
The Day the Birds Are Supposed to
Mate According to Some Ancient
Authorities.
How the Lads and Lassies OF Days Lang
syne Remembered Zach other---Ihs
Comic Valentine.

February "a is observed In cOmmemOra-
tlon OF st. ValentinDs, bishop OF presby-
ter, who was decapltated In 40 A. d., dur
ing the Claudlan persecution at Rome.
The custom Of sending yalentlnes-senti.
mental OF comic lOye-messages, often in
rhyme and adorned with ornamental or
grotesQue deylces-is very ancient one.
some writer's say that on this day birds
select their mates; others trace the Gus
tom To the Roman LupercSlia, Feb. 10,
when similar practices were observed.
Traces Of the custom have been detected
among thr obseryances OF the Northern
PAgans oi 4nclent Europe. Hence Il Is
probable tr tradition that AscTibes its
origin toa eOmmemOratlon Of the loving
and charitable disposition Of ~. Valentine
is comparatively late invention. In the
early days presents Of gloves, gaTters and
jewely were very common.
Not long ago Il was the custom among
the lads aud lasses tO send each other val
entiues with verses breathing undying de.
yOtiOn and swain who received tinsel
affair with two doves sitting upon adjOin-
Ing twlRs rubbing their beaks together,
while beneath them was blood red heart
pierced through and through with an ar
row supposedly shot from Cupid's bow,
was the happiest fellow alive and was not
slow Ia showing his treasure 10 his friends
Some Of the old boys may have one OF
these treasures In their trunks
And Of course the swain must reply. lie
would pick out picture Of some fair
ROWena standing at her easement with her
hands pressed against her breast, her eyes
turned up In dying calf fashion 10 the In
constant moon, while beneath. kneeling
upon the sward, was a gay young trouba-
dOur twhnRlng light guitar, and singing:
"When the red, roey dawn grove bright. love.
Far away o'eT the distant ses.
And the etArs 10 give their gentle light love,
"Wlli wait for welcome from thee
That was before the time of the bull dog
which now figures and has figured
for SOME time In dOggerel songs,
before the days OF the dOuche bath admin
istered by n cruel fair one, and when II was
thought not extraordinarily silly 10 be
spOOney. But those days are over Val
entines sentimental have been relegated 10
the children. Girls and boys In their teens
are now 40 blase In love affairs that natu-
ralness Is a subject OF derisiOn. But II Is
doubtful whether the esoteric maiden who
treads the blue after having swallowed a
page OF Browning, and before the pangs OF
mental indigestion begin, can feel the
ecstatlc bliss poor, untutored girl expert
ences when she receives from a true heart
these lines:
"My pen 10 bad, my Ink IL pale,
But my love for ou shall never fail
The comic valentine Is OF comparatively
modern origin. As we become more cult.
vated We acquire the power Of w0unding
more deeply by an inuendO than the un.
cultured can by blow. The comic valen.
tine now takes precedence Of the sentimeD-
tai and millions of them are sold yearly.
The largest factory Ia In Brooklyn, N. Y,
and turns out 25,OOO,OOO annually. These
are sent broadcast over the country, and on
the day which should hold nothing but
sweet and hallowed recollections, the
fiends get In their work, so to speak, and
do their stabbing In the dark. IL II Is true,
as DIR. johnson says, that man who
would perpetI ate pun w0uld pick p0ck.
et, It's certainly true that a man who
would send comic valentine would cut q
throat or scuttle ship.
And from the number of comic valen
| tines sent through the p0stoiilce yesterday
there must be good many persons whl
would not scruple 10 do criminal net
| The BOOKSTORES, news stands and 0thei
places had great many valentines dE
| played for sale, and from early morn until
late at night the places were thr0nged with
men, women and children looking over the
STOCK ana stltcrOk Nhltutlnts 10 suit tntil
fancies Perhaps every school teacher
merchant, mechanic or tradesman Of every
kind Will receive u carlcature upon his OI
her business this morning, and many aper
| son will awaken tO the fact that he has
peculiarties which strike his friends and
which II he possess he is guileless VI know
ing. Many girl whose feet no longer
stand where the brook and river meet will
look at q horrid daub with spit curls and
peaked nose and wonder II sht
really does look like that. shed
n few tears, and then throw the offensive
thing into the fire. Then some girl, q
''rose with all its sweet leaves yet folded,
will look at the picture Of vain and glddy
thing with wad OF gum stuck in heI
cheek and some cruel lines suggestive Ol
total depraylty will be read, and the girl
thoughtless though she may be, will be
come hardened and 20 on a gum-chewIng
spree.
There will be- many hearts made sad and
| despOndent when according TO tradition
| the world should be- brighter aud better
sunshine should dispel all gloom, differ
| ences should be forgotten, hands should
| clasp hands, life should begin anew ant
love should rule supreme.