Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-02-14

Everybody knows that st. Valon.
tines day falls on February iilh, but
probably very few can give an
accurate and intelligent account OF Its
origin, or are aware OF the fact that
tho good 81. Valentine, for whom IL Il
named, never either directly or indi'
reclly bore any relation whatever to
its observancus. When Chrlstiarity
began 10 shed It's fret luminous rays
over the hearts Of Pagan Rome, one OF
the chief difficulties encountered In
the conversion OF those old heaihens
was their deep.rooied attachment to
the many festivals and customs when
they had so long observed In honor OF
their duties. The early fathers OF tho
church found 1t impossible TO detach
them from those ceremonies. Despair
ing at length Of being able to DO 20,
they sought TO 70 modify the form OF
these heather observations as to give
them religious character, thereby
trnnsmogrlfying them into Christian
ceremoniais held upon the same dates.
From many centuries before Christ
the Romans had been accustomed to
bold great feasts In honor OF Pan and
Juno during February, from which
month the latter deity derived her
additional names OF Februhta, Feb
rualis and Februlla. These feativities
vero known as tho Lupo'cnlia, and
during their continuance, among u
great many other cercm0nioa, small
tablets bearing the names OF young
women were placed In box anu
drawn out by the young mon after the
man or Of lottery. Each person
drawing was In honor bound TO DO the
faithful attendant oil her who had fallen
TO his lot from that time until twelve
months had rolled around and brought
another Lupercalia and new draw
Ing, though It not unfrequentiy hap
pcned that long before that time the
constant association thus engendcred
had caused this sham engagement to
terminate In u real one.
For those heather festivities Of the
Lupercalia the early fathers aubsti,ut-
ed those OF 5t. Valentines day, thus
retaining the date OF the ancient fosli.
val. u has been stated that It vas
from the fact that 81. Valentine was
renowned for his universal love anu
charity that the custom OF choosing
love.partners upon his birthday anu
calling them by his nauo took Its riss,
but tho iconOolasts who have long
since deprived Columbus Of tho honor
OF having discovered America, who
have taken away Washington's little
hatchetand who have overlhrown and
destroyed countless other long.wor-
shipped idols OF our firesldes aud
municipalities, have fully demonstrated
the iallncy Of this idea. The only
reason why the christianiLed Upper
Gala was observed on st. Vslentlne's
day was simply TO have 1t fall upon u
sacred occasion OF approximate date
and 10 connect II with Christianity
through great saint who suffered
martyrdom In the third century, beiug
first beaten with clubs and then be-
headed, while q priest Mt Rome, where
his remains now rest In the church
Of st. Praxodes, and where q gate
now known as the Porta del Pop1lo--
was formerly called In his honor the
Porta Valentinc.i
The good churchman modified the
form OF the matrimonial lottery OF the
Lupercaiia by substituting tho uamea
OF particular Saints TO be drawn AZ
valentines instead OF tho names OF
men and women. From this ancient
usage 10 derived the custom, still 90.
casionally observed In some Catholic
countries, Of selecting on 81. Valentine
Day for the ensuing year u patron
saint who Ii called valentine. But
the young men and maidens, finding
httieamusnnent In drawing out the
names OF 1.ad and gone saints, Boon
l.s A..Na holt al al
drawing each other, and oven at the
present time In many OF tho rural
districls OF England and Scotland II Is
customary on the eve OF 81. Valcn-
tines Dayton the young people OF both
sexes to draw lots tor valentines as the
men draw from bag containing sh,
nance OF the maids, while tholattetdraw
from ono containing the names OF the
men, II generally happens that each
pernon has two valentines, but tn,
young men regard themselves much
more strongly bound to the valentine
they have drawn than TO the
one who has drawn them. IT.
ms sometimes happens, a young maj
md woman should eSch chance 10 draw
the other, II 10 regarded nB absolutel,
certain that they are destined to wed
and must not, under any circumstsn
ces, permit their attention or affection
to center elsewhere.
The custom OF exchanging amator,
addresses In poetry or prose between
lovers on, 81. Valentines Day Is u very
old one, dating back TO tho old KOmal
Lupefcalla, whom instead OF sheet o
elegant note paper, gold pen and vic
lot ink, the gallant young citizens Q
Rome indited Their valentines by mean
OF waxen tablets and Stylus. SOM
OF the early Euglish poets devoteC
much attention to the competition u
these love sonuets appropriate to st
Valentines Day and owed their repula
ton largely to eurh works. Prominen
among such was Charles, Duke OF Or
leans, who was taken prisoner ut tn
battle OF AgincOuri, and Drsyt0n, {
poet Of Shakespeare's time, whose nov
almost forgotten works abound In pas
sages OF raro beauty.
But written valentines long sine
ceased to be the fashion. The printe,
anu painted productions OF the station
ers' shops supplGnted them years ago
and the latter continue to grow NOR
and more elaborate, artistic aud OK
pensive MS time rolls on. An exec
lsnt description OF such "A valentine /
given by Dickens IN his "Pickwic
Papers," where he tells how Sau
Weller, ON gazing into statloneri
window ON ST. Valentines Eve, behol
a "highly ool0rud representation OF
couple OF human hearts HkeWored L
gether by an arrow, cooking before
rhnarlui Are Wniio a ruaIa and fout Al