The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-02-13
A Midsummer Nights Dream "

"A Midsummer Nights Dream"-act ~,
Scene I:
Begin these wood birds but to couple
now
Herrick has written, in his Hesper-
ides.
..oft have 1 heard both youth and viz
Birds Choose their mates and couple too,
But by by their flight 1 never can divine
When l shall couple with my Valentine.
Charles, the Duke of orleans. already
alluded to as famous writer of valen-
tines, also refers to this ORIGINATING
in the following dainty morceau:
Look how, my dear the feathered kind
BY mutual caresses Joined,
Bill and seem to teach us two
What we to love and custom owe"
Shall only you and l forbear
To meet and make happy pair?
Shall we alone delay to live?
This day an age of bliss may give.
An old writer defines a valentine to
be Eye firste of mankynde that a
maybe shalle see on We Saynte Val
entyne's Day, or We firste maybe
that a man shalle see on Saynte Val
entyne's morne'' A custom of many
centuries old and one still observed
in parts of England and Scotland gives
the person thus seeing his or her val
entine the right to claim him or her
with a kiss which the said valentine
has no right to resist or reject but
is in honor bound to freely accord.
Admirers of Sir Walter Scott will re-
member his beautiful description of
how Catherine Glover, 1.-THE Fair Made
of Perth. thus claimed, on ST Valen-
tines morning, the valiant armorer,
Henry Smith, who had saved her
from dishonor by his great strength
and courage on st. Valentines eve.
Shakespeare refers to this old custom
when he makes poor Ophelia sing IN
Hamlet:
Tomorrow is ST. Valentines day,
All in the morning betime,
And | a maid at your WINDOW
To be your valentine.
In some of the rural districts of
England there are observed on Valen-
tines day many quaint folk customs
which suggest those of the Christmas
season. Among these is that of chill
dren going about in merry groups from
house to house singing at every door
the following rhyme:
'St Valentine, St Valentine,
Curl your hair as / do mine.
One before and two benin,
Good morning to you, Valentine.
The good housewives at whose doors
they sing reward them with bread,
cheese, beer and half pence.
In our own time and country the
only usage of st. Valentines day that
is retained is the sending of the print
ed and painted valentines of sta
toners shops, and even this custom
perhaps after all more honored in the
breach than the Observance to
be fast dying out. Postmasters all over
this country testify that the number
of these missives passing through the
mails has steadily diminished for sew
eral years past This falling off be-
gan with the Introduction of Christ
mas. New Year and Easter cards, the
number of which transmitted by post
has increased just in proportion to the
diminution in valentines. The reason
| is obvious A sentimental valentine,
the only one for which the word is
not a misnomer, can only have its
proper significance when it passes be-
tween persons of opposite esx. a Christ
mas, New Year, or Easter card, on the
| contrary is universal in its applica-
bility. It is equally appropriate and
acceptable from mother to daughter
from sister to sister, from lover to
sweetheart, from friend to friend. Good
wishes on any of the festal occasions
named, Christmas, New Years, or Eas-
ter may very gracefully and appro-
priately be sent by anybody to any
body, and the popularity of these three
classes of cards bids fair to finally
extinguish 'even the last remaining
American observance of the day de-
voted to the honor of good St Valen-
tine.
One of the oldest usages in connec-
ton with that occasion is the giving
of gifts. In the lottery of ST. Valen-
tines day the person drawn as valen-
tines are under a direct obligation tc
make valentine present to those
who have drawn them. In the days
when even royalty and nobility used
| to participate in this drawing of val
entines some of these presents were OF
the most expensive and magnificent
character. The first valentine present
received by Nell Gwynn from Charles
II is said to have been a necklace OF
diamonds and pearls valued at three
thousand pounds, while Sir Walter Raj.
eigh on one accession appeared at court
wearing thirty thousand pounds worth
of diamonds and other Jewels consist
ling largely of valentine gifts from
Queen Elizabeth and other lady adj
mirerS.
lGEOFFREY WILLISTON CHRISTINE