The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-15
ST. VALENTINE AGAIN.
The Old Man Forgotten by Nearly
All Except the Merry Children.

Inc AlQ man EOIROEEBn NebL4Y
All Except the Merry Children.
st. Valentines day seems to have been
forgotten this year by all except few
merry children, who were out last night
concerned in their merry-making and limo
cent mischief. Some OF them were COS
TUNED in gaudy array, and seemed TO be
having a little carnival Of their own in
miniature.
Watchers sat behind many a door last
night eagerly awaiting the missives Of love
or satire, as the case might be, which are
dropped by stealthy hands before my
ladY's castle door" ana left as quickly by
flying feet to avoid detection.
lit amused me, remarked an officer last
night, ito see the little fellows out sending
their valentines. At least fifty Of them
must have been left at one house on my
beat. And the way they enjoyed it, too,
was amusing to say the least. Why you
couldn't convince them that they we're not
having more fun than they had seen before
in years"
This must have detracted materially from
Uncle Sans business, for although a rush
in the mails is generally anticipated on this
festive occasion it was not so yesterday.
I'VE have scarcely noticed the difference
In the mails, y remarked a postottice clerk
yesterday afternoon. There were not more
hudu u uuuQEGu OF TWO OI Gntul hll bDk6bubIs
Perhaps, however, more of them may be
mailed later for to-morrow's de-
livery, but tue rush in the mails, so far as
st. Valentines day is concerned, is nothing
like what il was last year, and am in
clined 20 think it a thing of the past"
Perhaps 10 is a fact that the enthusiasm
connected with the observance of the day
fiuctuates from year to year. and this time
it was an Off year. However that may be
tina ChffHrar haH T1nph rathaF hs W "a
planned In that way than have it said that
the customary observance of st. Valentines
day is dying out. Nevertheless, Ii was the
truth that yesterday, so far as the custom
is concerned, was a quiet and uneventful
day. Some people take advantage of the
day to send anonymous letters Of an
unsavory nature, and several instances Of
the kind have been noted in the city. This
is rather abusive of the custom and Is by no
means excused by 1t.
According to some ecclesiastical writers
st. Valentine is said TO have been a bishop,
while others assert that he was presbyter,
but all agree that he was beheaded in Rome
about go B. c., during the reign Of the
Emperor Claudius, and was soon after
canonized. IL is said that he was man of
eminent piety, and $50 famous for his love
aud charity that the custom of choosing
valentines on his festival took its rise from
that fact
In justice to st. Valentine, however,
who from all accounts was a worthy man,
it should be said that al
though his name has been given
to the one day in the year when the postal
revenues are greatly increased by the trans
mission of messages Of love or evidences Of
hate, the custom probably took its rise
from practice prevalent in Rome at the
festival of Lupercalia during uhe month of
February, when, among other ceremonies
the names Of young women we're placed in
box from which they we're taken by
young men as chance directed.
Another alleged origin of Valentines day
is said to be that birds were supposed to
select their mates on Feb. 14.-Shakespeare
gives hint of this in midsummer Nights
Dream" when he says. est. Valentine is
past, begin these wood birds but TO couple
now" The poet Walton gracefully refers
to this tradition as follows: "Now all nat
ure seemed in love, and the birds had drawn
their valentines" Whatever its origin the
celebration Of st. Valentines day is very
ancient