Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-03-07


Clsudius, A. D., 27O, and after the
fashion of his church, was canonized,
that is, made a saint Wheatley says
that st. Valentine "was a man of most
admirable parts, and so famous for his
love and charity that the custom OF
choosing valentines upon his festival took
its rise from thence" Others have de-
rived the custom from birds being sup
posed to select their mates on this day,
but the prevailing belief is that the Gus
tom was taken from the old Roman fes-
tival of the Lupercalia.
The festival occurred on the 14th of
February est. Valentines Day. which
the Romans designated as the day of
the Luperci. All kinds of amusements
and iudulgences were allowed on that
day !; and among the ceremonies was
one of placing the names of girls and
yonng women in box or urn, from
which they were taken by the young
fellows, according as chance directed.
This incurred the necessity of bestow-
ing gift upon the owner of the name
each one of them drew; and, if the fair
one reciprocated by another one or by a
written message, he was to consider
himself her valentine, as modern usage
terms it. The pastors of the early
church, finding it impossible to extir-
pate this pagan ceremony, changed its
form and gave it another name.
All through the middle ages, the Gus
tom of choosing valentines was prac-
ticed; and the day was very popular
among the young folks. Presents of
gloves, feathers, scarfs, and jewelry
were common as valentines. So, you
zee. there is nothing new in the world.
In this respect; and when you receive
your valentine this year, you will re-
member that the Roman youths and
children honored the same festival in
very nearly the same manner as you do.
And now, wish to tell you the story
Of valentine far back in those dim old
ages. which was sent to Roman prince
named Britanicus.
He was little olive-skinned Italian
boy, who lived in Rome about eighteen
hundred years ago. Rome was at that
time the capital of the civilized world;
and in the splendid imperial palace on
the Palatine, surrounded by all the en-
blems of the most exalted sovereignty,
another young boy wore the purple of
the Emperors. This boy was Nero. He
and Britanicus were cousins; and the
young Prince was, at the time of which
we write, the guest of the boyish EN-
peror, living with him in the palace of
the Caesars, as though they had been
brothers.
Britanicus was some three years
younger than the Emperor, being but
fourteen, while Nero was seventeen.
This single fact made a good deal of
difference in the respective lives of each;
for had Britsnicus been the older, he
would have been the Emperor, and Nero
would have been the Prince. As it was,
the former would become Emperor if
Nero died. But that event was not liza
bic to occur very soon, nor did Britanicus
gish it to. He had no wish to be COM
PEELED to wear the heavy, embroidered
purple mantle-a symbol of imperial
rank-and be waited upon by those
stern, dark-bearded men, who came
every day to see his cousin and talk
about sober state affairs, when he wanted
10 ride in his new chariot or go to see
the gladiators fight in the amphitheater.
No. Britxnicus thought it was hard
enough to be Prince, without being
anything else.
Both of these boys we're orphans.
The father of Britanicus had been the
Emperor Claudius, who was now dead,
as was also the Young, dark-eyed Roman
woman, his mother. Nero's father had
been q brave general, who won many
victories for Rome at the head of his le-
gions. When he died, his widow mar
ned Claudius, her cousin; and she was
still alive. She was stately, naughty
looking woman, with dark, shining hair,
md fierce, black eyes that seemed to
look right through any one Secretly
Britanicus did not Just like his aunt,
and stood little in fear OF her sharp
eyes and scowling brows.
BritanicGs stood one morning in the
marble atrium, or courtway, of the
palace, looking out upon the street.
His fine, boyish figure was clothed after
khe fashion of princely Roman lad.
His olive-colored legs were bare, and
lis head. with its long dark hair, had
no covering. But the tunic of full, rich
NJ. belted ct the waist and descending