The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-02-08
ST. VALENTINES DAY.
Something About It's Origin and the Ger
 emon,es Connected with It.

something About It's Origin and the Ger
 emon.es Connected with It.
 Among the many names of saints
 who have been canonized by the church
 in past ages, two stand out prominent ly as having received the wider canoni- zation of the human heart: St Nicho- las, the patron of childhood, ard St.
 Valentine, the patron of lovers. Yet in the case of the latter it is difficult, if not impossible, to trace any connec- tion between the good bishop of the third century and the rites that have
 been so widely celebrated in his name. St Valen tine was an Italian priest who suffered martyrdom at Rome in 27o, or at Terni in BOG. Historians diff fer as to the date. Legend am plifles,
 by dwelling on the virtues of his life
 and the manner of his death, and tells
 how he was brought before Empe- TOT Claudius II. who asked why he did not cultivate his friendship by honor- ing his gods As Valentine pleaded the cause of the one true God earnest ly, Calphurnius. the priest. cried out that he was seducing the emperor, whereupon he was sent to Asterius to be judged. To him Valentine spoke of Christ, the Light of the World, and As terius said: If He be the light of the world He win restore the light to my daughter. who has been blind for two years" The maiden was brought, and after Valentine prayed and laid hands on her shc received her sight. Then Astcrias asked that he and his household might be baptized, whereat the emperor, being enraged, caused all to be imprisoned and Valentine to be beaten with clubs He was be- headed year later at Rome on Febru- ary IA, 27o.
 History having little to tell concern ing the man, makes amends by dwell- ing at length on the ceremonies ob- served on his day. They trace the origin of these to the Roman Luper- calia, celebrated in February, at which ore practice was to put the names of women in a box to be drawn by the men, each being bound to serve and honor the woman whose name he had drawn.
 The church tried to turn tho existing custom to religious ends by substitut- ing the name of saints, to whom a years devotion would be paid. Fossil ply the change may have been insti- tuted on the jay made sacred by the martyrdom of the Roman saint, hence his connection with these observances.
 But changes came, and dead saints were neglected, for living sinners per haps, and the old Roman cust om some- how was transplanted to merrie Eng land, where lads and lasses met on the day of the Italian priests martyrdom to choose their valentine by lot or other wise. An old custom was to throw open the window early in the morning, and the first person seen would be your valentine for the year. The eager swain would insure the right man be- ing in the right place on that morning.
 But it is historically and physiolog- ically true that the man clung more to the maid he had chosen than to her who had chosen him, if the persons were not identical To meet this diff culty gift cancelled the obligation of personal service.
 A modern legend tells that in this century the good St Valen- tine, with Peter's leave, revisited the earth, thinking to find youth and life ard love the same as in days of yore. But he sound the girls too busy with music and science and philanthropy to receive him, and he came to the con- clusion that they were nothing if not pedantic," and anything but roman tic" Yet the spirit of St Valentine will finger, for love is never out of | date, and his fidelity marks him as the fitting patron and pattern of lovers for all time. Florence Wilson, in Ladies' Home Journal 1