River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-02-09
THE LOVERS ANNIVERSARY.
About st. Valentines Day and
Its Origin.

St Valentine is supposed to be the
most popular saint in the calendar, and
probably has more ardent and sincere
worshipers than any other saint Tor
sinner in the world.
The original saint from whom the
day receives its name and who has
been called the Immortal Go-Be-
tween" was a very gentle, benignant,
charitable bishop, blessed with a mar
velOus persuasive power in convincing
sinners of the error of their ways, in
consequence of which he achieved the
usual crown of martyrdom. After
long imprisonment he was cruelty
beaten with clubs and finally be-
headed on the Flaminiau way in Rome,
the l4th of February, A. ID. 27O, in the
the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius
Claudius.
The name of this month is derived
from Zebra, the Roman name of the
Greek goddess Juno, and it was during
this month that the Roman festival of
the Lupercalia. in honor of the deities
Pan and Juno. was celebrated Among
other ceremonies it was the custom for
young men to draw from box a
lHNCTlOtu WIFI names.
each bachelor devoting himself for a
twelvemonth to the service of the lady
falling to his lot, and becoming her
liege knight If not her lover Perhaps
this is why marriage is called lottery.
St. Valentine, as the hierophant of
the heart. has no more devoted dis
ciples than our early ancestors. In
old England st. Valentines day was
celebrated very much as the Christmas
festival is. Ii was the custom for
young people after decorating them
selves with wreaths and true lovers
knots to go in procession from house
to house and sing under the windows
some simple ditty.
st. Valentines day is also popularity
supposed to be the day on which the
birds choose their mates.
In this age of the world the votaries
of St. Valentine give expression to
their srdor in sentimental and poetical
illusions. In the shop windows of
towns and cities may he seen in end
less variety of tinsel. color, filagree
and pictorial establishment these ten
der missives. inspired by the little god
Love; and all over the broad land are
these white messengers of swift-winged
Cupid speeding to their destination.
We might go back to the time when
Adam courted Eve and find that all the
poets through all the ages have sounded
the inspiring strains of love, and that
to-day they are echoing along the cor
ridors and reverberating on the shores.
Witness this inspiring strain, more
than three hundred years old. written
by Joshua Sylvester in 1868:
Were 1 as base as is the lowly plain.
And you. my love, as high as Heaven above.
Yet should the thoughts of me. your humble
swain.
Ascend 10 Heaven in honor OF my love
Were I a. high as Heaven above the plain
And you. ms love, as humble and as low
As are the deepest bottoms OF the main,
Wheresoe'er YOU were with you my lovo
should go.
Were you the earth. dear love. and the skies,
Ny love should shine you like To the sun,
And look upon yoa with ten thousand eyes,
Till Heaven waxed blind. ana all the world
were done.
wheresoe 'er I am below. or else above you
Wheresoe' er you are my heart shall truly love
you.
The old. old story. as old as the eter-
nal hills. aud yet as new as the ever
poisoning flowers. Love is a neces-
sity of human life. Human beings
should as soon live without light and
air as without love.