New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-14

There is another mystery: Why should ST. Valentine
fave anything to do with lovers or lovers with ST.
Valentine 81. Valentine good old bishop or
presbyter. the other, who was martyIed under
Claudus in the year go. lie was dubbed and then
bebeaded and the 14th OF February Is his day. what
las that to do with love lovers some one long
ag6 said that it was because Of his good and loving
nature that his day was appropriated. but another
has answered Are not all the saints supposed 10
fave been good and loving Another writer says that
Nine. Royal. daughter Of Henry " OF France, bum
q palace near Turin, which she named the Valentine
10 honor Of the saint and that at tile first entertainment
witch she gave She caused the ladies to receive lover,
for the year by lot whence the custom Of chOoS
ing lovers and sweeheartS by lot on -. Valentines
Day and Of calling them Valentines. But this Is
another mistake. Nine Royal may have followed
This custom; she did not originate II. Lvdca1c
talled the Monk of Bury. who died long be
fore Nine Royals time. wrote a poem TO Catherine,
the consort of Henry V, in which he mentioned the
custom. Somebody else has ggested that The word
"Valentlne7 Is almost exactly like "gaantin' the
French dlninutve for gallant" The suggestion is
worth Just this passing remark. 1t curious cir
cumstance, no more.
But there is n reason of AS is usual in such
eases II is necessary to back pagan Rome trace
the origin of the festival and nobody knows how much
farther back such festivals might he traced if there
we're only the Of tracing them. In those dear
a
10 Juno called Februata. FetGuals and Februll. and
one of its ceremonies for the youths draw the
names of girls by lot The Christian rulers who later
gained power could get rid of this custom any more
than they could of another 20 they modified 1t a'
first by substituting the names Of saints for the names
0. the girls hoping, perhaps that the boys would thmA
these were after all about the same thing ana ms ~
Valentines Day came at about this time 81 the year.
they fixed upon 1t u a favorable day. But. Oh! now
quickly the boys deserted the saints and came DaN 70
the girls And they have been constant-nore OF Iess
since.
Tho writer Is Obliged 10 confess that he knows OF no
present trace in this country Of this old custom OF
drawing lovers or sweethearts by lou vi
St. Valentines Day or II. Naiehuhes hNc
Int Il is possible that readers may be IRE lort
innate The custom prevailed in England up 10 COM
nsrativelv recent times-that is TO say, since Ihe
restoration Chambers's d" Book Of Days. when was
,rbIished not so very many yeaIs ago gives no hiht
that IL was still in existence. But 1t hourlsh0" n'
once An Old writer English habits ana cohu'"o"'
SAWS that the young men and women u~'d U ec' !"
ge,er ard write the of real or hctloua Pc'ho"
on slips of paper which they then drew Each had TWO
Valentines the one whom lie drew ana TIC one
who drew him. but the writer adds that the young man
usually stuck faster to the girl whom he h'u INV.
than 10 the one who had drawn him. 1t WAS at i'e'
the habit for the Valentines 10 exchange Hit but pS
later rule the gifts were nade only Ds uc eV'"1 ' ~
the young women.
traveller in scotland OF long ago tells OF pretty
form OF this custom. lie had 10 ask shelter at house
where he found II Valentine party In progress ing
schoonaster WAS writing the names OF the lovers anu
swcethears AT dctaOn, and after they were all "eI
the lad, drew the Of the as,cs three tines inc
third drawing seems 10 have had more weight ana II
the same name were drawn three times il was counted
a sure prophecy of marriage. After The Iads h'u
drawn. the lasscs had their turn In the same way
Now and then the schoOlma,er would add to the Iun
by syly putting in the names OF elder bachelors or
a., lfli,iD %
those Who drew the names. After the drawing e"ch
had 70 kiss The one whose he drew and TINS was
called relieving the Valentine. When Il name was
drawn Of person present the Valentine was to be
relieved afte.ward by some slight present.
This sort OF lottery, form of it. IS alluded to by
that charming recorder OF manners and customs. Mr.
Pepys in his diary under date Of February H. 1867:
Thl, morning came up 20 my wfes bedside, being
up dres.n, myself little VIII Mercer 70 be her Nalen.
tine brought her name writ upon blue paper IN goa
letters by himself pretty, and we were both
well pleased with It. But 1 also this year my w"s
valentine and 1t VIII cost 50, but that must have
laid out II We had not been Valentine
Again he says days later
lind that Mrs Pierces little girl is my Valentine she
having me; which not sorry for it easing me
OF something thst must have given to Others But
her. do the fsloN OF drawing Of notices
AZ well a, names; that Pierce who drew my wife, did
draw also a motto and his girl drew another for
What mine ] have forgot, but my wife's was:
"Mo.t courteous fair which it be used,
or an anagram made upon each name, might be very
oretty one wonder observed to-day. that there was
no mrsique the morning 70 call up our newmarricd
people. which Is very mean, mcthnks
lie also mentions certain young woman who re
revcd two Valentine gifts Of jewels worth $500 and
$500 respectively but may easily be assumed that
such gifts were not from the thrifty Mr.. Pepys An
other form OF lottery, In which everything Is left TO
fate j. found IN the superstition that The first eligible
pcr,Ou whom young It. Valentines Day
will be h, wife, the OF the rule being Of cOursc
eonally true This has lasted, not probably a
genuine belief but a tradition to the present time
and this country. I'm the interest Of common reason
INF, has been modified ly the provision that the two
neople nb0ut whom prophecy IS made such ground.
must NOT be inmates Of the same house. Even in this
form the prophccy II analysed. will be found ~ be
,snrularv Illogical and it mast merely be taken for
what IL l. worth but 1t is pretuly expressed ~ soIno
ADes by Gay In which rustic wife says to her husc4ha'
Inst Valentine the day when birds OF Kind
Thcir psiamours by mutual chirpngs find.
carly rose Just at the break Of day
nefora the sun had chased the stars away.
A.1eld l went amid the morning dew,
10 milk nv kline (for so should housewives do
Tb-ee first I spIed-and the first swain we sec,
in spite OF Fortune shall our true love be-
This superstition and three others brought
into interesting conjunction report the conduct
OF an energetic young who took her fate INTO her
pwn hands, the quotation being from puphcauon
u 1884:
Last Friday Valentines Day, ana the hish' pc-
fore got 1--WE baYeave pinned four OF them TO the
four corners Of my pillow and fifth the middle; and
thea n dreamt my sweetheart, Betty said We should
- married before he year was But 70 make ~