Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-02-14
ST. VALENTINE.
NEW THINGS IN Mg2ORY OF CUPlJ'S PATRON
SAINT.
Appropriate Gifts br Love Lorn Maids and Gallant
Swaips-oarts, 6.ovs BOlders, Haltkerchid
Css,s, and Other Usfll things.
NJ nonnI.r rr.rrcl NJ I NJ Z

NJ popular respect VIII owe Ut
&c. dc ti. houor on This ppy Gay,
When ever, oval lover tasks his wii
Hi- simple truth iu >fudious rhymes Co pay
And 20 his mistrc>, dcar hi, hopes convey.
Rather than Auow it would stili outruu
All oslpudur- with Loves. whose dates Away
IN, bright Ewes govern better than the >un.
Fos with thy .ayor WAS nay life begun
Aud >iir I rcck,u un IRON smiles 10 ,miles,
Aud not b., summers. ior thrive on none
bu' those a., cheerful rount~uaLce complies.
Oh. 20 10 De- 20 choose aud call thee niue
Love. thou at livery DAY MAY vsh niiuc.
-1honos Hood.
To-day is sacred to ST. Valentine.
/ For Il week past, the dealers in sta
tioncry aud fancy articles have been do
ing rushing business in the way Of
providing ammunition for Cupid in the
way Of scented and highly ornamented
forms of the peculiar misSiyeS suited To
our cultivated nineteenth century taste
and 10 the occasion, and this morning
the mails will be burdened with these
protestations OF love, as well
as with those penny dreadiulS, -
called by a wide stretch OF the
imagination comic" which are used
Is rule 10 CRAFTY in an anonymous way
piQue, spite, jealousy and revenge. II
is safe To say ouc-third OF our population
will get mail reminder of the day. IN
some shape, within the succeeding
itwenty-four hours, and this being 50, II
is meet and proper u dwell al some
length upon some OF the phases OF this
somewhat peculiar institution.
IL is is impossible 10 say when the
|cust0m OF sending valentines on the
.l4th day of February came into vogue.
The origin of ST Valentines day is OBJ
Scure aud the evidence of its establish
meut quite contradictory. One would
hardly associate the many foolish mis-
SiveS that circulate at this season with
one Of the most piOuS and charitable
IbiShOpS that ever lived. st. Valentine
he was cauOnized after his death-was
"a bishop who lived ia the ninth CEN
fury. IL is said that he established an
annual custom of the poorer clergy
drawing patrons 10y lots for the ensuing
wear. anu THAT LlA'~f RtlAANiA' WV N't'''N -
'NaleutineS" after the good bishop
There is another account of the day
which SAYS il was chosen for love mes
SageS because the birds mate in Febru-
AIRY. and that the particular l4th was
selected without the slightest reference
To the patron saint. a third account
takes one back 10 ancient Rome when
the festival of the Lupercalid was one
%. the most important OF the many
recognized hy the Romans. The Lupcr-
ralia fcu Zoo February. and 10 was
oue of the costumes of the fourteenth
idav of the month Tor a select Number OF
the Young of one sen 10 write the names
|of an equal number of the ether on bill
lets aud place all together in an urn.
Every one then drew out billet amid
much merriment, and the person whose
name was found ON the paper became
the years love or valentine OF the other.
After this custom had gone on for long
time the pastors of the early church at
tempted To break 10 up. 10 carried too
much license with il for the staid old
fathers. They put their heads to-ether
and resolved 90 substitute the names OF
. tine saints Tor those Of young girls which
were drawn from the urn Oh Juno's
Day. This was done, and As st. Nalcn-
tines anniversary happened To fall on
the day OF the next Lupercalia, it be-
came the day for the distribution OF
valentines throughout the world.
TIE reader Is at liberty to accept
either OF the above accounts he chooses.
There may De others of the origin of
the day we celebrate in February, but
mono can rob the custom OF the quaint
name Of st. Valentine, which has chung
to il from the time of the old bishop,
who, By the way, suffered martyrdom
for his religion.